Engineering Leadership Certification

Engineering Leadership Certification is a highly selective one-year program that will develop your unique capabilities to make an impact on the world and live a life of purpose. Applications for the 2025-2026 Engineering Leadership Certification cohort are now open. Engineering Leadership Certification is an initiative of the Selander Center for Engineering Leadership.
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Application Information

We strongly recommend you attend an information session before applying.

If you have questions please contact us at engineering_leaders@cornell.edu.

  • Application Deadline

    Tuesday, April 15.

  • Notification

    We will notify you by no later than Friday, April 18, if you have been selected for an interview.

  • Interview Schedule

    Interviews will take place between Monday, April 21, through Friday, April 25.

  • Acceptance Decisions

    Acceptance decisions will be issued the week of April 28.

If you were unable to attend an information session but are still curious about the Certification Program, check out our Certification Program Information Video.

Curriculum

The curriculum covers leadership certificate competencies in self-management, teamwork, leadership, and professional skills. Graduates earn a designation on their transcript recognizing their demonstrated excellence in engineering leadership.

The Certification Program includes two courses.

Both courses are held on Fridays, 8 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.

  • ENGRG 3900 Foundations of Engineering Leadership (2 credits, fall)

    This course has two mandatory retreats during the Fall 2025 semester:

    • Thursday, August 21,  1 p.m. through Sunday, August 24, 7 p.m. (This retreat is off-campus/overnight.)
    • Saturday, October 18 and Sunday, October 19, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.(This retreat is on campus/not overnight.)

  • ENGRG 3910 Applied Engineering Leadership (3 credits,spring)

    • Includes a PRJ (Project Based Component) section.
    • Requires attendance at mandatory retreats in Spring 2026.

Program Requirements

Open by application to undergraduate and graduate students in engineering and related fields. This year, our program runs from late August 2025 to May 2026, and accepted students must commit to both semesters and expect to do some work on their project over the winter break.

No prior leadership experience is required. Applicants should have a commitment to personal and professional development and a desire to make an impact through their leadership.

Leadership Certificate Competencies

Cornell Engineers who complete the Leadership Certification Program demonstrate knowledge, insight, ability, and courage. In addition, they have practiced each of the following skills.

  • Competency: Self-knowledge and Management

    1. Articulates a moral code and relates code to actions & choices*
    2. Articulates and leverages unique strengths
    3. Demonstrates emotional and social intelligence
    4. Demonstrates resilience and perseverance
    5. Grounds actions in personal core values
    6. Holds self accountable
    7. Learns from failure
    8. Manages derailing tendencies and personality characteristics
    9. Recognizes the need for lifelong learning; sets developmental goals for the self*

  • Competency: Collaboration

    1. Appropriately manages interpersonal conflict; leverages task conflict
    2. Balances leadership and active followership
    3. Contributes to a positive and productive team culture
    4. Demonstrates exemplary collaborative communication and listening skills
    5. Gives and receives feedback effectively
    6. Holds peers accountable
    7. Identifies and respects others’ core values and strengths
    8. Establishes positive and productive professional relationships
    9. Works effectively in functionally and demographically diverse teams*

  • Competency: Leadership

    1. Adapts leadership style to the skills and motivation of the team
    2. Aligns personal and professional purpose with action
    3. Celebrates individual and team accomplishments
    4. Creates an environment that encourages innovation
    5. Holds the team accountable
    6. Inspires and communicates a shared vision
    7. Inspires and informs through excellent oral and written communication*
    8. Is aware of impact on others and broader consequences of behaviors/decisions*
    9. Leads others to identify and solve problems*
    10. Models personal & professional ethical responsibility*
    11. Seeks and incorporates feedback
    12. Sets goals, motivates action, coordinates efforts
    13. Critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making

  • Professional Conduct and Skills

    1. Conscientious: Pays care and attention to work.  Organized and dependable.
    2. Basic project management: creating a timeline, setting goals and milestones, budgeting, reporting
    3. Delivers on commitments
    4. Enacts best practices in brainstorming and organizational decision-making
    5. Excellent written and oral communication skills
    6. Grows and leverages a professional network
    7. Maintains a professional appearance
    8. Manages time effectively and is punctual
    9. Sets specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, time-bound goals
    10. Flexible; adapts successfully to changing situations and environments.

*Indicates that the skill meets an ABET criteria for student outcomes.