Leadership Certificate Program

Participants are required to attend two (2) Illinois Leadership Center Leadership Labs to complete the Leadership Certificate. Leadership Labs are multi-hour seminars designed to focus on a particular aspect of leadership practice and development. Students must register for the Leadership Labs they wish to attend ahead of time. 

Participants may count one (1) Leadership Labs toward the Leadership Certificate if it was completed prior to enrolling in the program. Participants will write a summary of their experience and provide evidence of completion (photo, video, sample of work, etc.) for each Leadership Lab.

Participants are required to attend a total of four leadership workshops hosted by the Illinois Leadership Center to earn the Leadership Certificate. ILC Workshops are held twice per week in the evenings during the fall and spring semesters. All workshops are held in-person. Students must register for the workshops they plan to attend ahead of time. 

Participants should attend the required workshops while enrolled in the Leadership Certificate Program.  Participants will submit a reflection synthesizing key takeaways and future applications on the ePortfolio. 

Skill application is an important aspect of the Leadership Certificate experience. Participants are required to participate in one (1) co-curricular team experience while enrolled in the Certificate Program to apply the skills they have learned in courses, trainings, and workshops to a team experience outside of the classroom environment.

Team experiences may include:

• Research groups
• Registered student organizations
• Part-time or full-time work
• Athletic teams
• Study abroad
• Service-learning
• And more

Team experiences should last for at least one semester. Students are NOT required to have a formal leadership position within their chosen teams, but the experience should provide regular opportunities for participation.

Participants will write a reflection on the experience as part of the ePortfolio.

All participants are required to complete one (1) course at the University of Illinois that can be connected to the leadership competencies participants choose to develop further. Many applicable courses are available through the Leadership Studies Minor, though other courses may qualify.  Participants will provide basic course information, as well as a sample of their coursework as part of their ePortfolio.

The course may be completed prior to enrolling in the Leadership Certificate Program. We also encourage you to consider taking additional courses to further your study of leadership theories and practice. 

The ePortfolio serves as the capstone of the Leadership Certificate Program and must be submitted and approved by ILC staff for participants to complete the Program. An ePortfolio is a personalized website that includes reflections and evidence to document your leadership development journey. 

Participants can visit the ePortfolio Information website to find more detailed information on the ePortfolio requirements and examples of ePortfolios from past Certificate Completers. 

ePortfolios are submitted through the OneIllinois website. Once the ePortfolio is submitted, ILC staff will review. Please keep an eye on your @illinois.edu email account - we will follow up with you via email once your ePortfolio is approved, or if revisions are needed before final approval.

• Students who plan to finish the program in the fall semester need to submit the ePortfolio by November 17, 2025.
• Students who plan to finish the program in the spring semester need to submit the ePortfolio by April 16, 2026.

Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students currently registered at Illinois are eligible to enroll in the program.

The Leadership Certificate is structured so students can reasonably completed it in two semesters. Participants cannot complete the Certificate within the same semester as they enroll.  

The Personal Development Plan (PDP) is the first item you will complete to join the Leadership Certificate Program. Once your PDP is approved, you are officially enrolled in the Certificate program. 
The ePortfolio is the last requirement you will complete to earn the Leadership Certificate. ePortfolios are submitted during the final semester students plan to be enrolled in the Certificate program, though students can start working on it before then if they choose.

You may only count the following experiences you had prior to enrolling in the program toward the program requirements:

• Up to one (1) Leadership Labs
• Up to one (1) ILC workshop IF you complete your PDP within 1 week of completing the workshop
• Leadership Course

All other experiences must be completed after your PDP has been approved and while you are enrolled in the Leadership Certificate Program.

No, but it can be included on your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile. 

Many students have used their ePortfolios in the job application or interview process to show prospective employers how they have learned, practiced, and reflected on their leadership development. It is also helpful for personal reflection and networking. 

In OneIllinois, there is space for you to write your reflections keeping in mind which competencies you engaged with and what you took away from the experience after completing each requirement. The Certificate Dashboard can be accessed by logging into OneIllinois. We encourage you to take notes so that when you write the reflections for your ePortfolio, you have something to reference. 

Some of the reflections on the ePortfolio have specific word counts and requirements for supporting documentation. We encourage students to go beyond the minimum requirements and include additional supplemental materials (videos, photos, etc.) to personalize the ePortfolio and showcase their hard work!

Be sure to use the ePortfolio checklist to ensure your ePortfolio meets all of the requirements before submitting. ePortfolios that are missing components will be returned for revisions before they are approved. 

Please email leadershipcertificate@illinois.edu if you have any additional questions. If you would rather speak with someone on the Certificate Team, feel free to schedule a Bookings meeting.