Asper School of Business introduces New Leadership in Action Micro-Diploma
Open to students from Asper and all UM faculties as well as working professionals, this program trains learners with career-advancing leadership skills.
Do you want to improve your leadership skills for your career or community?
Applications are now open for the Leadership in Action Micro-Diploma, Asper’s first program of its kind designed to empower learners with practical, purpose-driven tools in leadership.
The program will kick off in winter 2026, bringing together students from Asper, across UM, and learners from the workforce as a for-credit professional development opportunity.
“Introducing our first micro-diploma is an exciting step forward for Asper,” says Dr. Bruno Silvestre, Dean of the Asper School of Business and CPA Manitoba Chair in Business Leadership. “We’re thrilled to be on the cutting-edge of leadership best practices. Through the program we will expand leadership education, advancing Asper’s mandate to empower future leaders and develop relationships and capacity in our community.”
The micro-diploma in leadership will elegantly balance the theoretical with the practical. Students will pair core courses with a practicum that asks them to apply their learning to a professional or community leadership project in their work or volunteering.
Learners have the flexibility to complete the program in as little as two terms or as long as two years.
“Leadership involves a set of skills almost everyone can benefit from, regardless of your level in the hierarchy or the kind of work that you do,” says Dr. Suzanne Gagnon, Asper Associate Dean and Canada Life Chair in Leadership Education and Director of the Burns Leadership Institute.
Outside of any role in organizations or business, she specifically cites healthcare students and employees as an example of a group that would fit the program. Others include those in leadership roles or aspiring leaders in manufacturing, public service, construction, voluntary sectors, and many others.
The coursework in the micro-diploma is about gaining the personal knowledge, practices and skillset that make someone an effective leader and allow organizations to thrive.
“It’s about understanding how people work in teams, how to motivate others and set common goals, how to communicate well, how diversity works in organizations, and how to resolve conflict, collaborate and lead decision-making. These are all critical skills for leadership,” says Dr. Gagnon.
The program also builds an understanding of how organizations, systems and structures can enhance good leadership.
“If you develop the ability to bring everyone together around a common understanding of what their purpose and direction is, you’re going to get more motivated people and effective processes. You’re going to be happier with the outcomes that you can achieve in ways that bring people’s best to the work,” says Dr. Gagnon.
What kind of leader will you be? Certainly, the Leadership In Action Micro-Diploma will help you decide.
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To learn more about admission requirements and deadlines, and to apply today, please visit the micro-diploma in leadership explore page.