Executive Education

Stanford offers many opportunities for working professionals to learn new skills and meet their personal learning goals, wherever they are in their life or career. 

Stanford Center for Professional Development

Housed within the School of Engineering, the Stanford Center for Professional Development (SCPD) is a leader in global, online and extended education, increasing access to Stanford teaching and research and fostering a global community of learners, industry leaders, and educators. SCPD works closely with faculty across Stanford University to design and deliver educational programs to learners worldwide. SCPD operates and manages Stanford Online, Stanford’s online learning provider, offering people around the world access to credit-bearing graduate courses and degrees, credentialed professional and executive education, and lifelong learning programs developed by Stanford faculty.

Graduate School of Business executive education

Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) Executive Education offers programs that are designed to enhance the participant’s leadership skills, build his foundation in general management, and connect to a global network of peers.

The GSB offers a frequently updated portfolio of open enrollment executive education programs ranging from several days to several weeks in length. All programs feature Stanford faculty members as instructors, complemented by distinguished guest speakers and visiting academics.

The GSB also collaborates with select organizations to design and deliver custom executive programs that address an organization’s specific business challenges. To ensure maximum impact and relevance, these custom programs involve close cooperation between an organization’s executive leaders and senior Stanford faculty.

Local Governance Summer Institute

LGSI@Stanford offers city managers, county executives, regional directors, and other senior local government officials the opportunity to exchange and acquire tools for improving local government performance and enhancing prospective analytical capacity to innovate and anticipate societal change. The program strengthens individual capacities in public finance, negotiating, and strategic planning skills, while exposing participants to innovative solutions and technological advance supporting the emergence of smarter, more resilient, sustainable, and equitable communities in California and around the world.

First Nations' Futures Institute

The First Nations' Futures Institute focuses on building capacity in indigenous communities through a two-week program held at Stanford in the early fall. The program consists of various lectures, presentations and dynamic learning experiences focused on social, economic, environmental and cultural aspects.