Key Executive Leadership Programs

About the Key Executive Leadership Certificate

The Key Executive Leadership Program is the gold standard for leadership training and education for federal managers.

The curriculum of the Key Executive Leadership Certificate is based on the Executive Core Qualifications developed by the Office of Personnel Management. Key certificate students learn the skills and advance their knowledge in the five areas identified by OPM as critical to success in the Senior Executive Service. With the certificate program, Key students are well on the road to leadership and advancement in the federal government.

The Key Executive Leadership Program is based on the Key philosophy:  In order to develop the skills necessary to succeed in the rapidly changing government environment, the Key program is conducted in a safe and respectful environment where students practice leadership and management skills, increase leadership capacity through feedback, and learn about issues through their own work projects.

The Key Executive Leadership Certificate Program:

  1. Focuses on the student. Managers at the senior level need leadership skills to deliver more effective and efficient programs and services to the public.
  2. Meets real standards. Successful completion of the certificate program are well positioned to meet OPM’s Executive Core Qualifications.
  3. Offers leading faculty. Faculty have been selected for their prominent reputations in public administration, executive education, and adult learning.
  4. Is based on the cohort approach to learning. Classes are taken as a cohort, an integrated community of learners who take courses together in a supportive environment.
  5. Offers a coaching option. In addition to the eight-course program, students may select the option of a two “360-degree evaluations” contributed to by colleagues, supervisors, and customers at the beginning and end of the program to measure progress in the Emotional Intelligence competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. This instrument is the only assessment tool that has been validated for measuring EI in federal managers.
  6. Is offered on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate the schedule of working professionals.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Who is the program for?
    The program is designed for individuals who have identified themselves as future leaders in an agency, agencies who have identified individuals as having high potential for assuming leadership positions, and individuals who have already been selected for an SES candidate development program.
  2. What does the program consist of?
    Eight courses, each designed to provide substantive knowledge and to increase leadership capacity. Each course is tied to the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) for the Senior Executive Service as defined by the Office of Personnel Management.
  3. When are courses offered?
    Courses are held approximately twice a month, meeting on Fridays and Saturdays on the campus of American University in Washington, D.C. Course schedule
  4. How much is tuition?
    The tuition for the program is $18,200 per student. This includes all eight courses, six coaching sessions, and all course materials. Payment can be made over two federal fiscal years, by semester, or paid in full at the beginning of the program.

    Agencies sponsoring one or more students are eligible for a tuition discount through the Federal Supply Schedules; contract number GS-02F-0012X.

Towards a Key MPA?

Certificate students may apply credits to continuing their Key leadership journey as Key Executive MPA candidates.

Students may receive a reduction of 6 credit hours toward the 36 credits required for a Key Executive Leadership MPA and more than the cost of the tuition of the Key Certificate Program by:

1. Attending all eight certificate courses.

2. Writing a paper (earning a Pass grade) for each of the courses in the Certificate Program.