Josh Bersin Institute x USC Marshall Executive Education
Global HR Excellence Certification
Build cross-domain expertise, practical real-world skills, and a systemic, AI-native view of HR.
Next Cohort: Sept. 8th – Nov. 25th
12-Week Cohort
~5-7 Hrs/Week
100% Online
Cohort-Based Learning
Galileo AI Suite Included
Certificate Overview
Today, HR excellence requires more than mastery of a single domain area – it demands an understanding of the connection between business functions and the ability to lead through disruption.
Navigate confidently across every HR domain – not just through one specialization
Respond to mergers & acquisitions, workforce changes, and technological disruption with confidence
Build AI fluency that drives strategy, inspires creativity, and centers on the human-side of business
Earn a credential that signals true capability and practical skills, not just study time
The Curriculum
12 Weeks to HR Excellence
Week 1
Systemic HR®
A foundational 4-hour course exploring how HR has evolved and what it takes to build a world-class HR function using the Systemic HR operating model.
Outcomes:
Trace HR's evolution from personnel administration to Systemic HR
Diagnose your function's maturity using the Systemic HR Maturity Model
Align HR strategy, operating model, and leadership as one interconnected system
Apply concepts directly to a real-world business transformation scenario
Week 2
HR Tech and Strategy
Discover how HR and business strategies align, explore emerging technologies, and learn how to build data fluency.
Outcomes:
Track the evolution of HR technology across three defining eras
Apply the four AI transformation stages to your organization
Identify six strategies that distinguish pacesetting HR tech organizations
Assess five core capabilities of a world-class HR tech professional
Week 3
Org Design
Challenge the prevailing fixation on org charts and reporting lines and apply the 7-element, 20-dimension Organization Design Framework.
Outcomes:
Explain why traditional org design is a paradigm problem
Distinguish four maturity levels and map advancement strategies
Build a four-level measurement plan for design initiatives
Demonstrate a consultative approach to organizational design challenges
Week 4
People Analytics
Build the consultative, storytelling, and strategic capabilities necessary to applying the Systemic Business Analytics Framework to real-world HR challenges.
Outcomes:
Define people analytics and trace its evolution to systemic business analytics
Diagnose your organization's people analytics maturity using a proven model
Demonstrate seven behavioral roles of a world-class analytics professional
Leverage AI tools to interpret, summarize, and tell compelling stories with data
Week 5
Talent Acquisition
Equip yourself with the frameworks, tools, and mindsets needed to shift from a reactive, transactional hiring approach to a strategic, AI-powered growth model that continuously supplies organizations with the right skills, at the right time, in alignment with business strategy.
Outcomes:
Leverage AI in recruitment as a strategic catalyst for measurable business growth
Evaluate TA maturity levels to benchmark your organizational performance
Activate the Human-Centered TA Framework to build a world-class TA function
Build a data-backed business case for AI-native TA transformation
Week 6
Total Rewards
Move beyond traditional comp-and-ben, explore pay equity as one of the most powerful and underutilized levers in HR, and learn how to build a rewards communication strategy that resonates with executives, managers, candidates, and employees alike.
Outcomes:
Define total rewards and explain pay equity as a business transformation strategy
Apply the Rewards Framework to diagnose and prioritize organizational investments
Leverage the Rewards Maturity Model to identify your organization's current level
Design a targeted rewards communication strategy across four distinct audiences
The Experience
Prove Your Capabilities Against Real Disruption
Complex, Ongoing Simulation
This certification isn’t based on theoretical case studies—over the course of 12 weeks, you will become enmeshed in a complex, multi-national organization, following the team through crises, responding to real-world challenges, and testing out your new cross-domain skills – acting and responding as a senior HR leader.
AI-Powered Learning
The future of business includes AI-empowered Superworkers. Build confidence in core HR capabilities while developing AI fluency throughout your certification journey, which is hosted in – and supported by – Galileo® Suite, Josh Bersin Company’s AI-powered expert assistant.
Cohort-Based Collaboration & Live Sessions
Work doesn’t happen in isolation, and neither should your certification experience. Learn alongside a global cohort of peers in live, expert-led virtual sessions, during which you can debate strategies, unpack complex systemic issues, and creatively experiment in real-time.
Expert-Evaluated Capstone Assessment
Certification requires demonstration of HR excellence and true understanding of featured domain areas. At the end of the program, industry experts evaluate your judgment and expertise through a rigorous capstone simulation and assessment.
Included With Your Enrollment: The Galileo Suite
Galileo isn't just a resource bundle—it's integrated into the curriculum. You will use it to solve problems, analyze data, and build the AI-fluency required for modern HR leadership.
Our Partners
The Global HR Excellence Certification features cutting-edge learner experiences thanks to leading technologies, including those by:
Additional Benefits
What You’ll Gain:
Global HR Excellence Certification
When hiring managers, team leaders, boards, and peers see this credential on your profile, they immediately know that you:
Understand HR as a system – not a collection of silos
Demonstrated competency through complex, realistic scenario assessments
Bridge the gap between HR and IT thanks to a deep understanding of modern technology
Possess cross-domain expertise evaluated and validated n partnership with USC Marshall School of Business
Josh Bersin Institute Alumni Community
As a certified HR Global Excellence professional, you stay connected to program alumni through:
A global network of HR and business leaders who share the same standards – across industries, geographies, and areas of professional focus
Annual and special briefings from Josh Bersin Company and industry experts to ensure your perspective evolves with the realities of HR
Exclusive events, roundtables, and resources designed to empower you to share your latest experience and stay sharp
Certification Program Partner
Rigor Meets Real-World Application
To ensure the highest standards in program rigor and candidate evaluation, The Josh Bersin Company designed and will deliver the Global HR Excellence Certification in partnership with USC Marshall School of Business. USC Faculty contribute to curriculum design, program facilitation, and capstone assessment evaluation.
The Experts
Designed for Reality by the Best in the World
Josh Bersin
CEO & Global Industry Analyst
Josh Bersin Company
Bill Pelster
Co-Founder
Josh Bersin Company
Amy Farner, EVP
Research & Head of Product
Josh Bersin Company
Jordan Hammerstad
Lead Analyst
Josh Bersin Company
Nive Aluri
Senior Manager
Josh Bersin Company
Peter Wilson Cardon
Professor of Clinical Business Communication
USC Marshall School of Business
Greg H. Patton
Professor of Clinical Business Communication
USC Marshall School of Business
Graham Batstone
Manager, Product Innovation & Human Enablement
USC Marshall School of Executive Education
Tim Blakesly
Assistant Dean
USC Marshall School of Executive Education
Who It's For
Built for Professionals Navigating Complexity
HR Generalists & Domain Specialists
For early career professionals expanding their perspectives, HRBPs moving into multi-domain roles, or HR specialists in TA, L&D, Comp, DEI, and more who need to understand how HR impacts the broader organizational system.
Senior HR Leaders & Consultants
For managers, directors, VPs, and external advisors looking to sharpen their cross-functional context, master the AI & technology landscape, and lead confidently to confidently contribute at the senior-most levels organizationally.
Business & Operations Executives
For managers and executives in other organizational functions like operations and technology who carry workforce decision-making responsibility to enhance their human-centered approach to leadership.
Lead the Next Era of HR
Traditional certifications teach the HR practices of yesterday. This elite, cohort-based program delivers a systemic, AI-native operating model powered by the Galileo® AI Suite. Step out of transactional silos, master modern workforce technology, and secure your place as a future-ready strategic leader.
Compare
JBI vs. Traditional Certifications
Traditional Certifications
| Traditional Certifications | |
|---|---|---|
| Cohort Community & Alumni Network | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Research-backed Frameworks | ||
| Instruct-and-Assess Approach | ||
| Ongoing Relevance | ||
| Evergreen Credential | ||
| Practical Leadership Transformation | ||
| Modern AI-integrated Experience | ||
| Enterprise Applicability |
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything You Need to Know Before You Enroll.
Additional Questions? View Our Dedicated Global HR Excellence Certification FAQ Guide
Enrollment
The World Needs HR Leaders Who Don't Freeze Under Pressure.
Earn the credential that proves your systemic approach to HR and the future-readiness of your skills.
Enrollment Deadline: September 1st
Cohort Start Date: September 8th
Certification Program Length: 12 Weeks