myCU Portal Campus Email Canvas Office 365 Academic Calendar Library
All offices and departments Contact Cedarville Find a Person

About the Graduate Certificate in Strategic AI Leadership

Why Study Strategic AI Leadership at Cedarville?

Artificial intelligence is changing how organizations work, but knowing how to use AI tools isn't the same as knowing how to lead an organization through AI adoption. AI can provide information, generate recommendations, and automate decisions, but it can't take responsibility for whether those decisions are right. People have to do that.

Cedarville University's online graduate certificate in strategic AI leadership equips you to make informed decisions about AI and guide human-centered implementation in an AI-forward workplace or ministry. Approach AI leadership from a biblical perspective as you develop the wisdom and judgment to consider how technology can advance productivity, improve efficiency, and foster innovation.

Bridge the gap between emerging technology and organizational leadership through practical coursework and a real-world AI adoption project. No programming or data science background is required.

Complete this fully online, 12-credit-hour certificate offered by Cedarville's Robert W. Plaster School of Business in as little as nine months. Credits earned can also be applied toward an MBA, MA in Communication and Organizational Leadership (MACOL), or MA in Strategic Innovation (MASI).

Request Info Schedule a Call with an Advisor

What Sets Cedarville Apart?

Program Overview

Graduate Certificate in Strategic AI Leadership Highlights

Strategic — You don't need a technical background to lead AI adoption. Learn how to determine where AI can benefit your organization, evaluate potential solutions, and develop a practical plan for putting them to work.

Biblical — Learn to approach AI leadership from a biblical perspective, recognizing your responsibility to protect human dignity as you make decisions about how technology is used.

Practical — Put what you learn into practice as you explore how AI can improve decision-making and communication within an organization. In your final course, you'll develop an AI adoption plan for your workplace or a nonprofit of your choice and begin implementing it, using AI tools to help carry out the project.

Flexible — Complete four courses (12 credit hours) fully online in as little as nine months while continuing your professional responsibilities. No programming, advanced mathematics, or statistics background is required.

Stackable — Apply all 12 certificate credits toward Cedarville's graduate business, communication and organizational leadership, or innovation programs, completing one-third of the coursework required for any of these 36-credit-hour master's degrees.

What Can You Do With a Graduate Certificate in Strategic AI Leadership?

As AI becomes part of everyday business operations, organizations need leaders who understand when and how to use it effectively.

Cedarville's graduate certificate in strategic AI leadership prepares you to take on that responsibility, whether you're looking to strengthen your contributions in your current role or pursue new leadership opportunities.

You'll be equipped to:

  • Evaluate AI opportunities. Assess proposed tools, vendors, and initiatives to determine whether they address real organizational needs.
  • Guide organizational change. Help teams understand AI's implications for their work, anticipate training needs, and navigate implementation.
  • Communicate with confidence. Translate complex information into clear recommendations using dashboards, visualizations, and evidence-based presentations.
  • Establish responsible practices. Evaluate AI-generated content for accuracy and bias while promoting appropriate human oversight and accountability.
  • Develop AI adoption strategies. Create practical roadmaps that account for organizational readiness, workforce considerations, and long-term goals.

The certificate can help you prepare for expanded responsibilities in your current role or pursue opportunities in AI adoption, digital transformation, organizational leadership, or consulting.

Admission, Costs and Aid, Start Dates

Admission Requirements — The graduate certificate in strategic AI leadership is open to applicants with a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited or otherwise approved institution. Preference is given to those with a 2.75 or higher GPA. Cedarville University undergraduate students may enroll in up to three courses as undergraduate electives.

Graduate Certificate Admission Requirements

Costs and Financial Aid — Your decision to pursue quality, Christian graduate education represents a valuable investment in your career and professional development. To assure your degree is also affordable, Cedarville graduate programs are competitively priced and can be supplemented with a variety of financial aid.

Graduate Certificate Cost Information

Program Start Dates — Applications are open year-round with multiple start dates to fit your schedule. Contact Graduate Admissions for more information.

Apply Now

Program Curriculum

You'll complete four three-credit online courses:

ITM 6800 — IT for Competitive Advantage

Explore how organizations use information and technology to support strategy, strengthen the partnership between business and IT, and create sustainable value. You’ll evaluate technology decisions like AI implementation and develop practical recommendations for improving your organization’s use of IT.

ANLT 6100 — AI Foundations for Leaders

Develop a practical, nontechnical understanding of how modern AI systems work, including the roles of data, training, and human decision-making. You’ll evaluate AI capabilities, limitations, risks, and organizational uses while examining ethical leadership and responsible adoption from a biblical perspective.

COM/ANLT 6400 — Transformation of Organizational Communication With AI

Learn to transform organizational data and evidence into clear, compelling messages using dashboards, data visualizations, and evidence-based narratives. You’ll also examine how AI is changing the creation and presentation of organizational communication and learn to evaluate AI-generated content for accuracy, bias, and potentially misleading claims.

ANLT 6600 — Leading the AI-Enabled Organization

Learn how to assess organizational readiness for AI, evaluate workforce implications, prioritize AI initiatives, and secure stakeholder support for change. You’ll develop a practical implementation plan for responsible AI adoption that incorporates human oversight, accountability, organizational objectives, and implementation priorities.

Program Format and Related Programs

Cedarville offers graduate and undergraduate programs with flexible completion options. You may also want to consider these related programs as you choose the degree or program that is the best fit for you.

Program Level and Format

  • Graduate
  • Online

Frequently Asked Questions About the Graduate Certificate in Strategic AI Leadership

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a technical background or programming experience to earn this certificate?

No. You don't need a background in programming or data science. Cedarville's graduate certificate in strategic AI leadership introduces the technical concepts behind AI in a way that's accessible to graduates from any academic background. Rather than learning to develop AI technology, you'll focus on understanding how it works so you can make informed decisions about its use in your organization.

Can I earn the graduate certificate in strategic AI leadership while completing my undergraduate degree?

Yes, depending on your eligibility. As a Cedarville undergraduate, you may be able to take three of the four required courses through your undergraduate block tuition. You could then finish the certificate with just one additional course after graduation. Talk with your academic advisor about fitting these courses into your degree plan.

Can I apply the certificate credits toward a master's degree?

Yes. You can apply all 12 credits toward the strategic AI leadership track or concentration in Cedarville's MA in Communication and Organizational Leadership (MACOL), MA in Strategic Innovation (MASI), or MBA. With the certificate completed, you'll already have one-third of the credits you need for any of these 33- or 36-credit-hour master's degrees.

Will I work on real-world AI applications during the program?

Yes. You'll explore how organizations can use AI to improve operations and make informed decisions. In your final strategic AI leadership course, you'll develop an AI implementation plan for your employer or a nonprofit organization of your choice. You'll also begin putting your plan into action, using AI tools to help develop and carry out the project.

Close-up of business professionals collaborating at a desk with digital tablets, charts, a calculator, and a laptop during a team meeting.

From the Director:

Learn About Career Services

Program Contacts

Photo of John Delano

John Delano, PhD

Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Robert W. Plaster School of Business; Professor of Information Technology Management

Contact

Photo of Kelley Anderson

Kelley Anderson

Graduate Enrollment Advisor for Business, Communication, and Innovation

Contact

Photo of Maggie Hess

Maggie Hess

Senior Director of Graduate Admissions

Contact

Robert W. Plaster School of Business

Program News

  • Students walking along a sidewalk on the campus of Cedarville University.

    Trustees Announce AI Certificate, Advance Florida Expansion

    Cedarville University’s Board of Trustees approved tennis complex renovations, new graduate programs, a Florida Advisory Council and faculty appointments while celebrating campus construction progress and honoring longtime faculty members for their dedicated service.