Lifelong learning opportunities are plentiful at Wilkes.
Wilkes offers workshops, professional development and continuing education courses throughout the year in a variety of fields.
Online Leadership Courses
- Date: Dec. 22, 2025 - Jan. 9, 2026
- Location: Online
- Cost: $200/class
Available Classes
Leadership Through Film
Master foundational leadership skills by watching, analyzing, and discussing compelling on-screen stories. Become familiar with core processes and practices essential for success in any business, sports, or organizational setting. Gain the self-awareness and practical tools to lead under pressure by dissecting crisis management and vision-casting from Hollywood's best.
Entrepreneurship Through Film
Learn the nuts and bolts of the entrepreneurial mindset—from spotting opportunities to navigating failure—all through the immersive lens of cinema. Get familiar with foundational processes and practices for opportunity recognition, idea generation, and venture development. Start thinking like a founder during this intersession. Analyze cinematic entrepreneurs to understand strategy, pitching, and risk-taking in business.
Leadership in Sports
Discover how elite coaches, recruiters, and club directors build unified, high-performing teams and inspire their constituencies through effective leadership. Go beyond theory to focus on real-world, successful sports leaders and the specific practices they use to drive results. Translate the proven strategies of sports champions into leadership techniques you can apply to any professional or organizational environment.
Instructor
Dr. Kedir Tessema, Associate Professor from Sidhu School of Business teaches all classes.
Dr. Kedir Tessema graduated from University of San Diego in 2015 with a PhD in Leadership Studies. Having completed his study at a university that first started offering Ph.D in Leadership Studies, Dr. Tessema began teaching graduate courses at Shenandoah University with a rank of Visiting Assistant Professor. In Aug. 2017, he was appointed Assistant Professor at Wilkes University. Dr. Tessema teaches courses both in the undergraduate and graduate programs.
Dr. Tessema has published more than 16 peer reviewed articles. His research interest includes interdisciplinary topics such as leadership discourses, leadership education and workplace sensemaking behaviors of employees, culture, and social media and higher education leadership.
What We Offer
We offer non-credit courses, seminars, conferences and institutes relevant for many fields and interests, including:
- Accountants – Accredited by the PA State Board of Accountancy and NASBA
- Enrolled Agents and Tax Professionals – IRS Approved Provider
- Attorneys – partner with the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association
- Nurses – Approved Provider by the PA State Nurses Association
- Pharmacists – Accredited by ACPE
- Engineers – ABET accredited baccalaureate programs
- Sewage Enforcement Officers – DEP approved sponsor
- AP Teachers – College Board Endorsed Institute
- Arts & Cultures - Our non-credit courses expand your horizons
- Business, Industry, Government and Non-Profits - in cooperation with the Wilkes Small Business Development Center, we provide training and development resources for organizations throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Corporate and Professional Training
In today's business environment, the key to success is the ability to adapt to change. At Wilkes University we are committed to helping our local businesses with their search for the newest approaches, technologies, and skills needed to remain competitive.
The Center for Continued Learning at Wilkes University can assist you by assessing the objectives of your business and matching your needs relevant, up-to-date content and highly skilled instructors. In cooperation with the Wilkes Small Business Development Center external website, we can provide a seamless, vertically integrated learning experience.
Contact Margaret Petty at the Center for Continued Learning at (570) 408-4460 to experience our personalized service, make arrangements for courses at your business or to tour our state-of-the-art facilities.
Questions?
Please contact the Center for Continued Learning at (570) 408-4460 or via email at continuedlearning@wilkes.edu email link.
Act 48
Act 48 legislation governs continuing education (CE) requirements for teachers and educators in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Wilkes University is a state-certified provider of for-credit courses that fulfill Act 48 requirements. Our extensive schedule of graduate courses, certificate programs and masters degrees in education offered on-campus and at numerous satellite locations makes us one of the primary providers of Act 48 credit in Eastern Pennsylvania.
To learn more contact the Graduate Education office at (570) 408-4235.