Healthcare Leadership and Innovation Certificate
Advance your career and lead the future of healthcare innovation.
Program overview
This online graduate certificate equips healthcare professionals to lead change in complex healthcare systems. You’ll learn practical strategies and tools — design thinking, quality improvement/Lean, change management, and data-driven decision-making — and apply them immediately in your workplace.
By the end of the program, you’ll be able to guide and evaluate change, lead interprofessional teams, and create a personalized leadership plan to advance your impact. Expert faculty emphasize real-world applications to help you improve health system performance and patient outcomes.
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Online
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12 credit hours
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2 semesters
Admission requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited program
- Bachelor's degree must be conferred before beginning the program
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in the most recent relevant degree
- Applicants with lower GPAs may still be considered
- Residence in an authorized state
These courses are part of our Master of Healthcare Innovation degree, allowing student's the opportunity to explore the master's program content before applying.
Program length
- Two semesters
Credit hours
- 12
Delivery format
- Online, synchronous and asynchronous
Required courses (12 credits):
- Innovation in High Performing Organizations (3 credits)
- Innovation Leadership: Leading from Within (3 credits)
- Building a Culture of Innovation in Health Systems (3 credits)
- Elective (3 credits)
Applicants can track their application status through their Applicant Center. Allow up to five business days for material status updates to be reflected.
For questions regarding the admissions process or requirements, contact Ohio State Online at OnlineEnrollment@osu.edu.
Rolling admissions
Applications are reviewed as they are received, and admission decisions are made on a rolling basis.
- Deadline
- The application and all required materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on the posted deadline.
- Decision
- Applicants will receive an admission decision within a month of submitting their application. The application status will show as “pending” until a decision is posted.
- Most applicants will have a decision posted to their Applicant Center. Applicants will be notified by an email from Graduate and Professional Admissions. Graduate transfer applicants receive their decision via email and can track their application status by emailing OnlineEnrollment@osu.edu.
- Accept
- Students must accept their offer of admission within four weeks of notification.
- Admission cannot be deferred. Students unable to start in the admitted term must reapply for a future term.
Elevate your career and lead meaningful change across today’s fast-moving health systems. The Healthcare Leadership and Innovation Certificate equips you with evidence-based leadership skills and practical innovation tools to design, test, and scale improvements in complex adaptive systems, while building a personalized leadership plan for long-term growth.
Career paths this certificate supports include:
- Clinical Innovation Lead or Innovation Program Manager
- Quality & Safety Improvement Leader (QI/QS, patient safety, HRO initiatives)
- Operations Excellence or Care Transformation Manager
- Digital Health or Health Tech Project Manager (EHR, telehealth, AI pilots)
- Population Health or Value-Based Care Manager
- Patient Experience & Service Design Lead
- Change Management Specialist or Organizational Development Partner
- Practice or Service Line Manager or Director
- Health Equity or Community Partnerships Program Lead
- Strategy & Performance Improvement Analyst or Consultant
Additionally, coursework from this certificate is included in the existing Master of Healthcare Innovation (MHI) program, offering a path to further your education at The Ohio State University.
- Mike Ackerman, Director
- Taura Barr
- Daniel Weberg
How to apply
- Submit an online application for the next available cohort.
- Pay the $60 application fee at the time of submission.
Upload a CV or resume no more than two pages long.
Provide official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. This includes coursework taken in high school that appears as transfer credit. Ohio
- You do not need to submit Ohio State transcripts.
- You may upload unofficial transcripts for initial review; official transcripts are required upon admission.
- For submission details, visit Graduate and Professional Admissions.
For transcript questions, contact 614-292-9444 or gpadmissions@osu.edu.
Applicants formerly or previously in an Ohio State graduate program
Submit the Supplemental Certificate Application in addition to the online application using the admission uploader.
International applicants must meet Ohio State’s English proficiency requirements.
Applicants must submit all application materials by 11:59 p.m. ET on the deadline to be considered for admission.
Contact
FAQ
You are expected to follow your plan of study; discuss any changes with your advisor.
No, courses are only offered during certain terms each year; your plan of study will be based on course availability.
Financial aid or scholarships are not typically available for non-degree students. Full-time Ohio State employees may be eligible for tuition assistance.
Use Ohio State Online's tuition calculator to get an estimated cost. You may pay instructional fees, general fees, and distance learning fees each term of enrollment.
Applications for this certificate are accepted once a year for the autumn semester.