Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Oxford Women's Leadership Development Programme

Transform your career and strengthen your leadership skills through the Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme, a premium six-week online course from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Start date

15 October 2025

Price

$3,309 USD

Installment Plan

Course duration

6 weeks

Excluding orientation

Language

English

Access resources from start date

Effort

9–12 hours per week

Self-paced learning online

ABOUT THIS COURSE

Course overview

20% increase in global potential

Global GDP could rise by 20% with gender equality in employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.

World Bank (Mar, 2024)

14% gender wage gap

The gender wage gap in the United Kingdom stands at 14%, still reflecting the challenges female leaders face today.

World Economic Forum (Jun, 2024)

Duration: 6 weeks (excluding orientation)

In a world which needs leaders as never before, this is the time to develop your own leadership skills.

The Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme is designed to equip you to rise to the challenges you face, leading authentically, but with increased skill and confidence. With a 96% learner satisfaction rating,¹ this programme is a six-week, interactive and engaging course, which focuses on actionable, career-critical leadership skills and reflective growth, through three main themes – self-acceptance, self-management and self-development. You will learn to broaden your influencing skills, to negotiate effectively, and to develop your own sense of where you want your career to take you. You will also have the opportunity to connect with peers from around the globe, building your own network of women leaders who are facing similar challenges, and working on team and organisational transformation.

¹The learner satisfaction rating is the percentage of learners indicating the course met or exceeded their expectations in a mandatory course survey and includes all ratings received for this course in 2024 only.

Is the Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme for you?

The Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme is for women who are eager to elevate their professional impact and to develop as empowered leaders. Whether you’re a current executive looking to refine critical skills or an aspiring leader aiming to break into a more senior position, this programme offers structured guidance and support tailored just for you.

You will explore ways to address workplace challenges through real-world case studies and build a leadership approach rooted in your own authenticity. Designed for ambitious individuals, this programme will give you tools to create meaningful change for yourself and your organisation.

This Oxford Women's Leadership Development Programme is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, and may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies. The programme has an estimated 70 hours of learning.

Note: should you wish to claim CPD activity, the onus is on you. Oxford Saïd and GetSmarter accept no responsibility, and cannot be held responsible, for the claiming or validation of hours or points.

Course overview

Duration: 6 weeks (excluding orientation)

In a world which needs leaders as never before, this is the time to develop your own leadership skills.

Get this course for your team

Leading organisations recognise the value of this course and invest in it to enhance their employees' skills and expertise.

Get started

What will set you apart

On completing the programme, you’ll walk away with:

A clear understanding of your own leadership style, including your strengths and areas for growth, with the tools to address workplace challenges.

The ability to lead authentically, to influence decisions effectively, and to negotiate with skill in overcoming organisational obstacles.

Lasting connections with peers and world-renowned faculty through live online sessions and small group discussions, and unlimited access to both the official Oxford Executive Education Elumni group on LinkedIn and edX’s Career Engagement Network, offering you access to exclusive resources and events.

Practical skills, developed through hands-on assignments, which can be immediately applied in your professional environment, accelerating your growth and impact.

A certificate of completion from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, recording your investment in your own development as a leader.

Programme curriculum

As you progress through the fully supported, self-paced weekly modules of this premium online programme, you will master strategies that challenge traditional norms and build meaningful connections within a global network of aspirational women leaders.

Orientation module

Welcome to your Online Campus

Module 1

Accepting yourself as a leader

Module 2

Understanding your context

Module 3

Becoming an influential leader

Module 4

Negotiating as a leadership practice

Module 5

Developing as a leader: What can help you?

Module 6

Imagining your future possibilities as a leader

What past students
think

Helen F.

Past participant

“This course has come at a significant crossroads in my career, and it couldn't have come at a better time for me. The content is structured in a strategic way to help build familiarity and confidence with frameworks and apply these to your own context and experiences. I found this extremely useful in helping me understand past experiences and envisage where I can apply the learning in the future. The small group discussions were fantastic and having the opportunity to connect with a smaller cohort and share more deeply complemented my own learning in all the modules. I had a great sense of solidarity with other women all around the world who face similar challenges and have not always realised their own leadership strengths and potential.”

Programme Directors

The design of this online programme is guided by Oxford Saïd faculty, as well as industry experts, who will share their experience and in-depth subject knowledge with you throughout the programme. View the prospectus to see all the industry thought leaders featured on this programme.

Sue Dopson

Rhodes Trust Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Deputy Dean for People and EDI

Kathryn Bishop CBE

Associate Fellow, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

About the certificate

Learn more about women’s leadership development and earn an official certificate of attendance from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Assessment is continuous and based on a series of practical assignments completed online. In order to be issued with a digital certificate, you’ll need to meet the requirements outlined in the programme handbook. The handbook will be made available to you as soon as you begin the programme.

Your digital certificate will be issued in your legal name and sent to you upon successful completion of the programme, as per the stipulated requirements.

Oxford Women's Leadership Development Programme certificate

YOUR INFORMATION

Get more information

Answer a few questions and get more information about the programme.

FAQ

Want to know more?

GetSmarter operates as edX's partner for premium online short course products from the world's leading universities and institutions. With edX, we leverage our people, technology, and resources to power your education and your potential.

We deliver market-led courses that equip working professionals with the expertise required to upskill, reskill or kickstart a completely new career. Through a data-driven approach, we analyze future skills requirements and ensure all courses address this need. We ensure that leading universities and institutions are your expert guides and our people, technology, and resources are your engine – together we power more than just education, we power your potential.

Read more about GetSmarter here and edX here.

Find out more about GetSmarter’s approach to digital learning, course design, and online delivery here.

You can pay your course fees before the course starts, or you may opt for a split payment plan on courses that are nine weeks and shorter. For courses 10 weeks and longer, there is a three-part payment plan available. To find out more about payment options please visit our Payment and Financing page, or contact an Enrollment Adviser, to find out which option you qualify for.

GetSmarter's learning model is designed to help you, as a working professional, improve your skills without compromising on work and family responsibilities. The course work is broken up into weekly, manageable bite-sized modules, with incremental deadlines, designed to help you pace yourself over the duration of the course and allow you the legroom to work when it suits you best.

At the beginning of each module you'll be presented with the course content and assignments necessary for completion. You also have access to your Success Adviser who will help you manage your time, and support you with any administrative or technical queries you might have.

By improving your skills and industry knowledge, you'll have an influence on the success of your organization. Why wouldn't you ask your boss to help you fund your studies if it's going to have an impact on the way you do business?

Of our past students, 37 percent have received financial assistance from their employers. You can ask for help, too. Here is a guide to show you how to request financial assistance from your employer.

If you are a Learning & Development (L&D) manager, or involved in training and upskilling for an organization, you can request information regarding our corporate offering on our GetSmarter for business page.

As part of our commitment to your professional development, GetSmarter offers you a two-week period to change your course start date or request your money back if you’re not fully satisfied.

To qualify for a deferral of your course start date, or to cancel your enrollment and receive a refund of your course fee, your request would need to reach our Success Advisers before the release of Module 2. For more information, please read our Terms and Conditions.

The Online Campus will be your virtual classroom for the duration of your course. Through its easy-to-use interface you'll have access to a diverse variety of course content formats including: interactive videos, module notes, practice quizzes, presentations, assignment briefs, and additional web resources.

On the Online Campus, you'll also be able to ask questions and interact with your fellow students and teaching team through the discussion forums. If you are looking for your Online Campus login, please visit your Account page here.

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