Executive Education FAQs
General Executive Education
We offer three main types of executive education programs:
- Custom Programs designed in partnership with organizations to address their specific leadership and business needs. These are tailored learning experiences built for teams or companies.
- Open Enrollment Programs for individual professionals who want to strengthen their leadership, strategy, or business skills. These short, intensive programs are open to participants from a wide range of industries and backgrounds.
Industry Certifications and Bootcamps that provide targeted, skills-based training in high-demand areas. These programs help professionals earn recognized credentials, stay competitive in their fields, and demonstrate expertise to current or future employers.
Many of our open enrollment programs award a non-credit certificate of completion from Wake Forest University, School of Professional Studies or Wake Forest Executive Education. Some programs may also align with external professional designations or continuing education credit. Details are listed on each program page, and our team is happy to help if you have specific certification questions.
You can reach our Executive Education team at executivewake@wfu.edu. A member of our team will respond promptly to answer your questions.
For Corporate Clients (Custom Programs)
We design leadership and business programs tailored to your organization’s goals. Offerings range from short workshops to multi-module development learning journeys, focused on areas such as strategy, innovation, change leadership, and organizational transformation.
Every program begins with a discovery process. We listen to your priorities, challenges, and culture, then co-create a curriculum that blends faculty expertise, case studies, and applied learning relevant to your organization.
We regularly run programs at our Charlotte and Winston-Salem campuses, at client headquarters around the world, and online through interactive virtual formats.
Depending on complexity, design can take anywhere from 6–12 weeks. We move quickly when needed, but we balance speed with quality to ensure the content resonates with your participants and aligns with your objectives.
Our programs are developed and taught by Wake Forest faculty who bring together three key strengths: excellence in the classroom, cutting-edge research, and real-world industry experience. Many are active consultants and thought leaders, which allows them to connect theory with practice and translate emerging insights into tools you can use immediately. This unique combination ensures that every program delivers both academic rigor and actionable learning.
We work with you to define learning objectives and success metrics upfront. Post-program surveys, participant feedback, and organizational impact assessments help ensure learning translates into measurable results.
It depends on your goals. Leadership cohorts often range from 20–40 participants, but we can design programs for smaller executive teams or larger groups when needed.
Yes. We build programs for leaders at all levels, from high-potential managers preparing for their first leadership roles to senior executives driving enterprise-wide change.
Pricing depends on program length, format, faculty involvement, and customization. We provide transparent proposals outlining different scenarios so you can choose the option that best fits your budget and goals.
Yes. Many clients enhance programs with one-on-one coaching, 360-degree assessments, or post-program projects to reinforce and sustain learning.
Yes. We’ve partnered with organizations across industries including healthcare, financial services, energy, technology, and manufacturing. While every engagement is unique, we can share sample program outlines to illustrate our approach. When requested, we can also provide references from current or past clients.
Our Executive Education team is fully engaged from the earliest stages of program design through final implementation. You’ll have a direct point of contact who ensures clear communication, tailored support, and seamless coordination every step of the way. From shaping the curriculum with faculty to managing participant communications and on-the-ground logistics, our team handles the details so you can stay focused on the impact and outcomes.
For Individual Professionals (Open Enrollment Programs)
We offer short, intensive programs designed to help professionals strengthen a variety of critical business skills (e.g. leadership, strategy, finance, marketing, innovation, governance, AI implementation, etc.). Each program delivers practical tools you can apply immediately in your role.
Participants come from a variety of industries and roles, ranging from managers preparing for broader leadership to senior executives refining their strategic toolkit. The diversity of backgrounds enriches the learning experience.
In-person programs typically run for a full day. Virtual programs are delivered in three-hour sessions spread out over several weeks. Specific dates and time commitments are always listed on the program website at the time of registration, so participants can plan ahead with confidence.
We offer both. In-person programs are typically held at our Charlotte or Wake Downtown campus, or other designated locations, while virtual programs provide a highly interactive, live online experience. Specific program locations and modalities are published at the time of registration to support planning and provide flexibility for participants.
Our programs are taught by university faculty who are not only accomplished teachers but also active researchers and advisors to industry. They bring the latest insights from their academic work together with practical experience from the field, creating a learning environment that is both rigorous and immediately applicable. An added benefit of open enrollment programs is the opportunity to learn alongside participants from a wide range of industries and roles. Each person brings their own perspective and challenges, enriching class discussions and creating valuable opportunities for peer learning and networking.
Some programs are designated as formal certificate programs, such as our Certificate in Leadership, where participants earn a certificate after completing all program requirements. For other courses, we can provide a certificate of completion upon request, for participants who may want to use it towards continuing education credits, credentialing, or employer documentation.
Executive Education programs are non-credit offerings and are not eligible for traditional financial aid or university scholarships. Many participants are sponsored by their employers. Wake Forest faculty, staff, and alumni are eligible for discounts and we work with organizations sending multiple attendees on special pricing. Please reach out to our team to learn more about available options.
We understand that schedules can change. That’s why we offer flexible transfer options – if something comes up, our team will work with you to apply your registration fee to a future program. Cancellation policies and withdrawal timelines are outlined on each program page, and we recommend reviewing them in advance so you know your options before committing.
Immediately. Our programs are intentionally designed to deliver tools and frameworks you can put into practice as soon as you return to work.
Visit our catalog of courses. Use the filter options at the top to narrow your search by interest. Select the course you would like to enroll in. If the course is currently accepting registrations you will be able to add it to your account. You will be prompted to set up an account and checkout by submitting payment. Once you have completed the process, you will be added to the course and be able to access the Welcome module information. Additional course resources will become available closer to the start date.
Participants who withdraw at least 10 days prior to the start of a course will receive a full refund of course fees paid. Additional Terms & Conditions related to open enrollment course can be viewed here.
Please reach out to the Executive Education team at executivewake@wfu.edu.