A typical day will feature a combination of lectures, reflection exercises, breakout sessions, networking opportunities, sector-based guest speakers, interactive exercises, and group work.

Four-day courses offered in-person occur between 9am and 4pm, with a short morning and afternoon break, and an hour break for lunch. Two-week virtual courses are held between 9am and 12 pm, with a short midmorning wellness break.

All Balsillie Executive Institute courses are offered in English, with the potential for a French option in select courses. Please contact us for more details.

As these courses are geared toward executive development for mid- to senior careerists, an undergraduate degree is desirable. Please refer to the course-specific pages for further information on prerequisites and target audiences.  

Yes. Upon completion of the course learning objectives, participants will receive a BEI certificate.

You must attend at least 80% of the course and meet the learning objectives to receive a certificate of completion. You are strongly encouraged to attend the entire course by arriving on time and staying until the end of the instruction time. This maximizes your learning and is least disruptive to the instructor and other participants.

Courses held at the Balsillie School are delivered as requirements for the completion of graduate degrees in Global Governance and International Public Policy. To learn more about these degree programs, click here.

Courses are generally offered as four full days or half days over the course of two weeks, making it a great option for busy people and those with full-time jobs. For more information on specific courses, please visit the Course

The learning platform access information, the course syllabus and agenda, and all required learning materials will be provided the week before the class commences. Any additional handouts developed by the course instructor will also be shared throughout the course through the e-mail provided upon registration.

All course discussions are held under the Chatham House rule, meaning participants are free to use the information received, but do not reveal the identity of who said it. This helps to break down barriers and create a collaborative and safe environment that stimulates the generation of ideas.

Although not required, all course agendas come with a list of recommended readings selected by the course instructor to deepen your understanding of the course’s core topics. An additional time commitment per day to cover those readings averages between 1 and 2 hours.