The benefit of learning together with your friend is that you keep each other accountable and have meaningful discussions about what you're learning.
Courtlyn
Promotion and Events Specialist
Drive strategic directions and succeed as a board member
Download Brochure
January 4, 2024
6 weeks, online
4–6 hours per week
Our participants tell us that taking this program together with their colleagues helps to share common language and accelerate impact.
We hope you find the same. Special pricing is available for groups.
The benefit of learning together with your friend is that you keep each other accountable and have meaningful discussions about what you're learning.
Courtlyn
Promotion and Events SpecialistToday’s organizations are working harder than ever to adapt to a rapidly changing world. This requires effective corporate governance that can help them increase their accountability and avoid major disasters while also being more responsive to stakeholder concerns and more transparent with investors. Whether you’re already on a board or looking to join one, this program will help you navigate unexpected enterprise risks while capably monitoring financial performance. From the technical responsibilities of a board to the nuances of guiding an organization through contemporary challenges, you’ll get a comprehensive overview of the role of corporate governance and gain critical insights into the realities of board service.
More than three-quarters of corporate and private equity executives interviewed said they incorporate ESG metrics in setting valuations and assessing risks.
Since 2020, about 72 percent of new directors are from under-represented groups.
Wharton’s Corporate Governance program explores the role, structure, and responsibilities of corporate governance to help you succeed as a board member. This program will enable you to:
Begin the program by learning the basic structure and responsibilities of a board as an organization’s top level of governance.
Explore the features of an inclusive board culture and its role in leveraging diverse talent.
Articulate the role of the board in CEO compensation and succession planning.
Describe how a board should manage crisis situations and/or internal investigations.
Gain insights into the challenges and benefits inherent in ESG and outline considerations for developing an optimal organization-level ESG strategy.
Recognize the influence of non-market factors (such as external social, political, and legal forces) on organizations.
Begin the program by learning the basic structure and responsibilities of a board as an organization’s top level of governance.
Describe how a board should manage crisis situations and/or internal investigations.
Explore the features of an inclusive board culture and its role in leveraging diverse talent.
Gain insights into the challenges and benefits inherent in ESG and outline considerations for developing an optimal organization-level ESG strategy.
Articulate the role of the board in CEO compensation and succession planning.
Recognize the influence of non-market factors (such as external social, political, and legal forces) on organizations.
Discussion Boards
Polls
Reflections
Industry Examples
Assignments
Live Office Hours
Try-it Activities
Self-Study Quizzes
This online program provides real-world learning examples to help you understand the realities of corporate governance in practice through the experiential lens of leading global brands.
Analyze Apple’s board demographics to understand the value of diversity in background, experience, and skill sets.
Understand the importance of board accountability and how a captive board can reduce oversight in governance via this example of Disney’s board being comprised of friends and acquaintances of its president, Michael Ovitz.
Understand the impact of non-market factors through this example of the pharmaceutical organization, Mylan.
See how some companies (Starbucks,in this case) take diversity to heart and the influence that a diverse board can have.
Recognize the impact of diversity in background, experience, and skill sets through an analysis of Wells Fargo’s board composition.
This program enables you to explore the processes and responsibilities that drive corporate governance. It also includes a handbook where you can reflect on the program content and how it can help you succeed in a board member role. Topics addressed in the handbook include:
Mary-Hunter McDonnell
Associate Professor of Management, Organizational Behavior, The Wharton School
Mary-Hunter McDonnell studies organizational behavior within challenging institutional contexts, such as contentious social environments and uncertain regulatory environments. Her research draws on organizational theory and political sociology to explore political interactions between corporations and their myriad stakeholders. In particular, she is interested in how a company’s interactions with its stakeholders shape corporate social activity and non-market strategy.
Her work also sheds light on the mechanisms that stakeholders use to enforce social norms for corporations and to punish corporate transgressions. She has published articles in leading peer-reviewed scholarly journals, including the Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, the American Sociological Review, Organization Science, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Psychological Science, as well as law reviews, including the Cornell Law Review and the Harvard Human Rights Journal. Her dissertation won the Best Dissertation Prize from Oxford University’s Centre for Corporate Reputation, and her work was also awarded the Best Paper Prize at the 2014 Strategic Management Society annual conference. She currently serves on the editorial boards of Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, and the Academy of Management Journal.
Professor McDonnell holds a PhD in Management and Organizations from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, a JD from Harvard Law School, and a BA in Philosophy from the UNC Chapel Hill.
Sean P. McDonnell
Upon successful completion of the program, you will earn a digital certificate of completion from the Wharton School.
Download BrochureNote: After successful completion of the online program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed to you in the name you used when registering for the program. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wharton School.
After reviewing the information on the program landing page, we recommend you submit the short form above to gain access to the program brochure, which includes more in-depth information. If you still have questions on whether this program is a good fit for you, please email learner.success@emeritus.org, and a dedicated program advisor will follow-up with you very shortly.
Some programs do have prerequisites, particularly the more technical ones. This information will be noted on the program landing page, as well as in the program brochure. If you are uncertain about program prerequisites and your capabilities, please email us at the ID mentioned above.
Note that, unless otherwise stated on the program web page, all programs are taught in English and proficiency in English is required.
More than 50 percent of our participants are from outside the United States. Class profiles vary from one cohort to the next, but, generally, our online certificates draw a highly diverse audience in terms of professional experience, industry, and geography — leading to a very rich peer learning and networking experience.
Check back to this program web page or email us to inquire if future program dates or the timeline for future offerings have been confirmed yet.
Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page.
We have designed this program to fit into your current working life as efficiently as possible. Time will be spent among a variety of activities including:
The program is designed to be highly interactive while also allowing time for self-reflection and to demonstrate an understanding of the core topics through various active learning exercises. Please email us if you need further clarification on program activities.
More than 300,000 learners across 200 countries have chosen to advance their skills with Emeritus and its educational learning partners. In fact, 90 percent of the respondents of a recent survey across all our programs said that their learning outcomes were met or exceeded.
All the contents of the course would be made available to students at the commencement of the course. However, to ensure the program delivers the desired learning outcomes the students may appoint Emeritus to manage the delivery of the program in a cohort-based manner the cost of which is already included in the overall course fee of the course.
A dedicated program support team is available 24/5 (Monday to Friday) to answer questions about the learning platform, technical issues, or anything else that may affect your learning experience.
Peer learning adds substantially to the overall learning experience and is an important part of the program. You can connect and communicate with other participants through our learning platform.
Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week, so you can gauge what will be required before you enroll. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page. All programs are designed to fit into your working life.
This program is scored as a pass or no-pass; participants must complete the required activities to pass and obtain the certificate of completion. Some programs include a final project submission or other assignments to obtain passing status. This information will be noted in the program brochure. Please email us if you need further clarification on any specific program requirements.
Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a smart digital certificate. The smart digital certificate can be shared with friends, family, schools, or potential employers. You can use it on your cover letter, resume, and/or display it on your LinkedIn profile.
The digital certificate will be sent approximately two weeks after the program, once grading is complete.
No, only verified digital certificates will be issued upon successful completion. This allows you to share your credentials on social platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
No, there is no alumni status granted for this program. In some cases, there are credits that count toward a higher level of certification. This information will be clearly noted in the program brochure.
You will have access to the online learning platform and all the videos and program materials for 12 months following the program start date. Access to the learning platform is restricted to registered participants per the terms of agreement.
Participants will need the latest version of their preferred browser to access the learning platform. In addition, Microsoft Office and a PDF viewer are required to access documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and transcripts.
Yes, the learning platform is accessed via the internet, and video content is not available for download. However, you can download files of video transcripts, assignment templates, readings, etc. For maximum flexibility, you can access program content from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device.
Video lectures must be streamed via the internet, and any livestream webinars and office hours will require an internet connection. However, these sessions are always recorded, so you may view them later.
Yes, you can register up until seven days past the published start date of the program without missing any of the core program material or learnings.
The program fee is noted at the top of this program web page and usually referenced in the program brochure as well.
Yes, you can do the bank remittance in the program currency via wire transfer or debit card. Please contact your program advisor, or email us for details.
Yes! Please email us with the details of the program you are interested in, and we will assist you.
Please email us your invoicing requirements and the specific program you’re interested in enrolling in.
Yes, the flexible payment option allows a participant to pay the program fee in installments. This option is made available on the payment page and should be selected before submitting the payment.
Please connect with us via email for assistance.
You may request a full refund within seven days of your payment or 14 days after the published start date of the program, whichever comes later. If your enrollment had previously been deferred, you will not be entitled to a refund. Partial (or pro-rated) refunds are not offered. All withdrawal and refund requests should be sent to admissions@emeritus.org.
After the published start date of the program, you have until the midpoint of the program to request to defer to a future cohort of the same program. A deferral request must be submitted along with a specified reason and explanation. Cohort changes may be made only once per enrollment and are subject to availability of other cohorts scheduled at our discretion. This will not be applicable for deferrals within the refund period, and the limit of one deferral per enrollment remains. All deferral requests should be sent to admissions@emeritus.org.
Flexible payment options available.