A Mini MBA Developed by DU, Tailored To You
The High Performance Leadership Program (HPL) is a flexible and accessible mini MBA designed to fit your unique schedule and career aspirations. Choose the courses that align with your goals and complete them at your own pace to earn your DU-accredited microcredential.
HPL equips you with the hard and soft skills critical to excelling in today’s business environment. Throughout our twelve-day equivalent program, you’ll gain knowledge in three areas:
- Leadership Experience
- Business Acumen
- Team Dynamics
Whatever courses you choose, you’ll receive an education made up of applicable and relevant content similar to a typical MBA program. Register now and empower yourself to succeed in your current role and prepare for the next stage of your career.
Earn your HPL microcredential and digital badge
Your Mini MBA Starts Here
You can complete the program’s three parts in any order, but we recommend starting with a Leadership Experience—an intensive five-day program that builds a strong foundation for effective leadership. Next, strengthen your Business Acumen skills by taking two to four workshops (a total of six days). Finally, complete your learning with a one-day team-dynamics workshop.
Browse our courses below to start building your mini MBA.
Leadership Experience
Choose 1 five-day leadership program.
Accelerated Leadership Experience
Five-day program
Designed for those currently transitioning into a management role or those already managing, Accelerated Leadership Experience is a five-day equivalent program offered in fall and spring.
Denver Leadership Experience
Five-day program
Designed for experienced professionals who are currently leading a team, an enterprise, or a global initiative, or who are leading major projects in a company or organization, Denver Leadership Experience is a five-day program offered in fall and spring.
Business Acumen
Choose 2 to 4 workshops, equal to 6 days of learning.
Build a Data Strategy Leveraging AI
Three-day workshop
This three-day workshop focuses on how to build and implement a data strategy to improve organizational performance. Build a Data Strategy Leveraging AI is offered once a year in spring.
Data Analytics for Decision Making
Three-day workshop
This three-day workshop focuses on the fundamentals of data analysis and its application to business. Data Analytics for Decision Making is offered once a year in the winter.
Power BI Bootcamp
Three-day workshop
This three-day workshop is a deep dive into the world of data and data visualization. Power BI Bootcamp is offered twice a year in fall and spring.
Finance for Non-Financial Managers
Three-day workshop
This three-day workshop introduces you to the essential accounting and finance skills any business professional needs to know. Finance for Non-Financial Managers is offered twice a year in the fall and spring.
Negotiating with Confidence
One-day workshop
This course outlines strategies and proven negotiation tactics to ensure you get the best outcomes possible during business negotiations. Negotiating with Confidence is offered once a year in the fall.
Sales Skills for High Impact
Two-day workshop
In this two-day course, new to mid-level sales professionals learn how to leverage the powerful skills of top performers while improving their interactions with customers. Sales Skills for High Impact is offered once a year in the spring.
Team Dynamics
Attend a one-day workshop.
Coaching & Feedback
One-and-half-day workshop
Coaching and Feedback is a hybrid intensive that sharpens your coaching skills and feedback delivery. Through research and hands-on exercises, you’ll gain actionable strategies to enhance communication, build trust, and boost team performance.
Effective Team Management
One-day workshop
Effective Team Management is designed for professionals managing teams while navigating relationships with superiors. It equips participants with tools for effective leadership in remote and hybrid workplaces, guiding them in assessing their leadership style, refining goals, and crafting personalized development plans. Whether overseeing a department or leading a volunteer group, expect benefits that enhance individual proficiency and contribute to organizational success.
Invest In Yourself and Your Career
Benefits for You
- Complete coursework at your own pace: Choose a start date and cadence that aligns with your professional & personal obligations
- Learn applicable and relevant curriculum from accomplished faculty and industry experts in an immersive university setting
- Earn a DU-accredited microcredential and digital badge to display on your LinkedIn
- Tailor your learning experience to your current career stage and future goals, ensuring maximum impact
- Differentiate yourself professionally by showing your commitment to continuous upskilling
- Learn alongside individuals from varying industries, expanding your perspective and professional network
Explore Your Options for Reimbursement
Many organizations provide financial assistance for professional development programs. Speak to your HR or L&D department to explore your organization’s professional development reimbursement policies.
You can download our professional development reimbursement kit as a helpful tool to utilize when discussing HPL with leadership.
Imagine Yourself as a High Performance Leader
High Performance Leader: John Adams
Principal Systems Engineer, Bluestaq LLC
Program Timeline: Four Months
“One of the main reasons I chose to complete DU’s High Performance Leadership Program was based on the quality of the Executive Education curriculum and faculty that I experienced during the Denver Leadership Experience. DU’s flexibility in tailoring the courses I needed to best fit my professional and personal needs was a plus. Prior to attending courses at DU, my personal and professional goals were to recalibrate how I manage and lead teams, be aware of my “blind spots”, and be more intentional in my day-to-day work. I also wanted to collaborate with other professionals outside of my industry and learn from their experiences. The relationships with classmates and faculty built during HPL continue today as additional resources. My experience at DU throughout HPL exceeded my expectations! I use the tools I learned at DU at my company, to include sharing best practices with my colleagues. It’s given me a renewed perspective and continues to pique my professional curiosity.”
High Performance Leader: Danielle Duran
Operations & Growth Consulting, DS Duran
Program Timeline: 1 Year
“As a first-time business owner and sole executive at my marketing agency, I decided to take the HPL program to round out some of the skills I missed out on by not having a formal business education, and to increase my level of confidence in my leadership skills. I felt like I was making wise strategic decisions and running my business well, but without anything to compare it to or a more experienced partner to bounce ideas off of, self doubt and second guessing often crept up on me. Taking the HPL program at Daniels was honestly pretty pivotal in both my personal and professional development. It gave me reassurance that my instincts often lined up with what the experts at Daniels advised and also provided an easy way round out of some of the areas I knew I was lacking in, like sales and finance, by being able to pick and choose some of the courses to take. There’s no doubt it helped me to become a better leader and more confident business owner.”
Additional Program Information
Microcredential Benefits
The High Performance Leadership Program (HPL) micro-credential, backed by the University of Denver’s more than 150 years of excellence, demonstrates competency in leadership, business acumen, and building teams. Upon completion, participants receive a digital badge, a clickable image that houses information validating these skills and that can be shared on social media, digital resumes and e-portfolios to increase marketability. Find more information about the University of Denver’s digital badging program here.
Who Should Participate
This flexible program is designed for professionals who wish to take their leadership and business acumen skills to new levels. If you are looking to upskill in today’s dynamic business landscape, HPL has an educational journey that is immediately applicable to your professional context.
Program Structure
Workshops can be taken in any order with any frequency. Programs and workshops generally occur twice a year, but schedules are subject to change. Reference the Executive Education Workshops page for more details.
The HPL program must be completed within five years.
Program requirements
There are no prerequisites or applications required to participate in HPL. Participants are not required to have completed an undergraduate program or be enrolled at DU.
Program Cost
HPL is a pay-as-you-go mini MBA. Program cost is determined by which workshops are included. The average cost is between $8,000 and $10,000, which includes a 15 percent discount on all classes. You can also discuss reimbursement options with your manager or HR team.
How to Enroll
This program does not require separate registration. Every time you register for and complete one of our applicable courses, you’ll gain credits towards program completion. When you have finished all program requirements, you will automatically earn your HPL microcredential.
More Details
Program begins at any time. See details below.
Earners of this micro-credential may also apply their leadership program towards the Family Business Leadership Program micro-credential.
Tuition & Cost (Credit vs. Non-Credit)
HPL is a pay-as-you-go mini MBA. Program cost is determined by which workshops are included and whether the participant chooses to take programs for credit or not-for-credit.
- The not-for-credit cost ranges between $7,922 and $9,772 and includes a 15 percent discount on programs and workshops. This is the most popular option as most participants are not seeking graduate-level credit for programs.
- Taking courses for-credit allows for transfer into select graduate programs that have electives. For more information on DU’s current tuition rates, check the Registrar’s website.
Should I Take Courses For Credit Or Non-Credit?
Non-Credit
This option is for participants who are not interested in receiving graduate level credit and are participating for professional development and to update their skills, knowledge and abilities. Upon request, Executive Education is pleased to provide a Certificate of Completion for professional development credit for any Executive Education workshop completed.
Credit – Graduate-Level Academic Credit
This option is for those interested in receiving graduate credits for their participation. In order to apply, you need to have completed your undergraduate degree and provide us with an unofficial transcript of that degree. These credits and your course grade will be on your official transcript. Please be aware that participants must complete a mandatory assignment (one per workshop) and once the workshop begins you are no longer able to switch your status from for-credit to non-credit.
*If you are a DU Employee wanting to use your tuition waiver, you will receive further instructions from Executive Education approximately 2 weeks prior to the start of your course.
**If you are in a Master’s degree program at DU, and want to take this class for elective credit, please contact us before you register for the class. Your academic advisor will need to be involved in the registration process and it will require prior approval.
If you are not sure which option to choose, please contact Camila for advising at Camila.Angelim@du.edu.
Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel your registration for this workshop, you may transfer your enrollment to a future session, send someone to take your place, or cancel anytime up to seven business days prior to the start of the first class.
Classes requiring an assessment such as Insights cannot be refunded after the assessment has been taken. Your enrollment will be automatically transferred to the next class and you cannot send someone in your place.
If you provide us with less than seven business day’s notice or fail to attend, you will be liable for the entire workshop fee and your enrollment will be automatically transferred to the next class.
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