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Competency Mappings

Primary Alignments

Certificate directly and substantially builds this competency across multiple courses.

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• Leadership

  Leadership is the explicit purpose of this certificate and its most direct NACE alignment. Courses address leadership theory (POLI 215), organizational behavior (MGMT 371), public administration (POLI 370), coaching and development (PEDU 302), strategic hospitality management (HTMT 490), and entrepreneurship (RETL 351). Students build the conceptual vocabulary and applied frameworks for understanding, practicing, and influencing others in organizational contexts.

  What Employers Can Expect Students to Do	Contributing Courses
  Applying leadership frameworks to organizational challenges and team dynamics Understanding how organizations function and how decisions get made within them Developing a personal leadership philosophy grounded in theory and practice Influencing outcomes through role, relationship, and strategic communication Navigating authority, accountability, and change within institutional structures	POLI 215, MGMT 371, POLI 370, HTMT 490, PEDU 302, RETL 351, PSYC 350, SOCY 311

• Communication

  Four ENGL courses and three SPCH courses make communication a structural pillar of this certificate. Technical writing, business writing, digital writing, rhetoric, small group communication, and organizational communication are not electives that touch communication — they are courses where communication is the entire curriculum. Students in any pathway will develop professional written and oral communication skills with direct workplace application.

  What Employers Can Expect Students to Do	Contributing Courses
  Writing clearly and professionally for technical, business, and digital contexts Applying rhetorical principles to persuade and influence specific audiences Communicating effectively in small group and organizational settings Adapting communication style to audience, purpose, and professional context Producing professional documents, proposals, and strategic communications	ENGL 387/SPCH 387, ENGL 462, ENGL 463, ENGL 468, SPCH 330, SPCH 331, JOUR 480

• Teamwork

  Small Group Communication (SPCH 330) and Organizational Communication (SPCH 331) are dedicated courses in how teams function, communicate, and make decisions. Industrial Psychology (PSYC 350), Introductory Sociology (SOCY 101), and Ecology of Human Social Systems (SOCY 311) provide the behavioral and social frameworks for understanding group dynamics. Project management courses translate these principles into structured team coordination.

  What Employers Can Expect Students to Do	Contributing Courses
  Facilitating productive group communication and decision-making processes Understanding individual and group behavior in organizational contexts Managing conflict, roles, and accountability within teams Applying psychological and sociological frameworks to team dynamics Coordinating work across functions and stakeholders in project environments	SPCH 330, SPCH 331, PSYC 350, SOCY 101, SOCY 311, MGSC 498, MGMT 371

• Professionalism

  Project management (MGSC 498), public administration (POLI 370), law and policy (EDLP 317), and principles of management (MGMT 371) all require students to operate within institutional frameworks, follow professional standards, and demonstrate accountability. Freelancing for Creative Professionals (JOUR 451) addresses the professional conduct, self-management, and client accountability dimensions of independent work. Knowledge work and data-driven management courses develop the judgment required in informationintensive professional environments.

  What Employers Can Expect Students to Do	Contributing Courses
  Managing projects with accountability to scope, timeline, and stakeholders Operating within legal, policy, and institutional frameworks Demonstrating professionalism in client, employer, and organizational relationships Applying ethical standards to management and leadership decisions Managing oneself and others with discipline, integrity, and follow-through	MGSC 498, POLI 370, EDLP 317, MGMT 371, JOUR 451, ISCI 402, ISCI 410

Supporting Alignments

Certificate contributes meaningfully to this competency, typically through specific courses or applied contexts.

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• Critical Thinking

  Rhetoric (ENGL/SPCH 387), creative problem solving (JOUR 348), industrial psychology (PSYC 350), and data-driven management (ISCI 402) all require students to analyze situations, evaluate options, and construct reasoned arguments or recommendations. These are not data analysis courses, but they develop the evaluative and argumentative reasoning that anchors critical thinking in leadership and organizational contexts.

  What Employers Can Expect Students to Do	Contributing Courses
  Constructing and evaluating arguments using rhetorical and logical frameworks Applying creative problem-solving methods to organizational challenges Analyzing behavioral and social data to inform leadership decisions Evaluating organizational structures, policies, and systems for effectiveness	ENGL 387/SPCH 387, JOUR 348, PSYC 350, ISCI 402, SOCY 311, POLI 370

• Career and Self-Development

  Freelancing for Creative Professionals (JOUR 451), Retail Entrepreneurship (RETL 351), and Introduction to Leadership Studies (POLI 215) all ask students to reflect on their own professional identity, goals, and path. Knowledge Work as an Organizational Asset (ISCI 410) develops awareness of how individual professional contributions are valued in organizations. Students completing this certificate signal intentional investment in their own leadership development, which is itself a career readiness marker.

  What Employers Can Expect Students to Do	Contributing Courses
  Articulating a personal leadership identity and professional development path Understanding how to position and market professional skills in a career context Recognizing the value of knowledge work and applying it strategically Connecting certificate coursework to specific career goals and industries	OUR 451, RETL 351, POLI 215, ISCI 410, PEDU 302

Career and Community Outcomes

Communicating the Value of Your Certificate

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• For Students in Any Major

  This certificate is broadly applicable because nearly every field needs people who can lead, communicate, coordinate work, and collaborate effectively. Students can frame the certificate as evidence that they intentionally built skills in managing people, projects, and organizational priorities.
  
  Example talking point: “The Project Leadership and Management Certificate helped me develop practical leadership, communication, and teamwork skills that I can apply across professional settings and collaborative projects.”

• For Students Interested in Management, Consulting, or Operations

  Students can use the certificate to show readiness to contribute to project teams, coordinate across stakeholders, and apply organizational thinking from the beginning of a role. It is especially useful for students who want to connect leadership, planning, and execution.
  
  Example talking point:“Through this certificate, I strengthened my ability to coordinate projects, communicate with stakeholders, and support organizational goals through planning, teamwork, and follow-through.”

• For Students in Communications, Journalism, or Media

  Students pursuing communications, journalism, media, or creative fields can use the certificate to highlight project coordination, client communication, professional writing, creative problem solving, and team-based production skills.
  
  Example talking point:“The certificate helped me connect communication and creative work to project leadership by building skills in planning, collaboration, stakeholder communication, and managing work toward a shared goal.”

• For Students in Education, Public Sector, or Nonprofit Fields

  Students entering mission-driven fields can use the certificate to demonstrate organizational understanding, ethical leadership, public communication, and the ability to coordinate people and work in service of a broader goal.
  
  Example talking point:“The Project Leadership and Management Certificate prepared me to support mission-driven work by strengthening my ability to communicate across groups, coordinate projects, and lead responsibly in organizational and community settings.”

NACE Career Readiness Competencies

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) identifies eight competencies that support career success across industries and professions. The Digital Studies Certificate helps students develop these competencies through interdisciplinary coursework, applied learning, critical analysis, collaboration, and engagement with digital technologies.

The eight competencies are:

• Career and Self-Development 
• Communication 
• Critical Thinking 
• Equity and Inclusion 
• Leadership 
• Professionalism 
• Teamwork 
• Technology