Training government since 1921

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Federal leadership training built around every stage of a government career

Taught by leaders who have run federal teams, and delivered your way: onsite, live online, or self-paced.

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Federal leadership training at Graduate School USA: watch the overview

Trusted across the federal government

Since 1921
training the federal workforce
500,000+
government employees trained
125+
federal agencies served
200+
federally experienced instructors
400+
courses and certificates
All levels
across the federal leadership curriculum
U.S. Department of AgricultureU.S. Department of the TreasuryU.S. Department of CommerceU.S. Department of EnergyU.S. Department of Veterans AffairsU.S. Department of DefenseU.S. Department of Homeland SecurityU.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesU.S. Department of JusticeU.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Department of LaborU.S. Department of TransportationU.S. Office of Personnel ManagementU.S. General Services AdministrationU.S. Department of StateNASA

Agency seals reflect organizations Graduate School USA has trained. They do not imply endorsement by, or affiliation with, any federal agency.

Three ways to train your team

Every format draws on the same practitioner-built leadership curriculum and instructors who have done the work. Choose what fits your headcount, timeline, and budget, or combine them.

  • Private group training: bring Leading Strategic Change to the supervisors carrying one office through a reorganization
  • Open enrollment: send a newly promoted manager to The First 90 Days for New Federal Managers, live online or in Washington, DC
  • Self-paced eLearning: the L.E.A.D Certificate Program covers core leadership competencies in 40 hours, on the learner's own schedule
Graduate School USA instructors and federal staff working through a session together
A Graduate School USA advisor meeting one-on-one with an agency client

Private group training

Bring a cohort onsite and the change management, coaching, and accountability sessions run on your own cases: the reorganization already underway, the supervisors who were peers last quarter, the performance conversations your managers keep postponing.

  • Any course or certificate in our leadership catalog, delivered onsite, live online, or blended
  • A new course built to your specification when nothing off-the-shelf fits
  • Scheduled around your calendar, for a cohort of any size
  • Rostering, progress, and completion reporting for the whole group
Request private trainingGet a group quote

Open enrollment

Send one or two people to a scheduled public session when a supervisor is newly promoted or an executive is about to start a demanding role. Practicing hard conversations alongside leaders from other agencies is part of what makes these courses work.

  • A published schedule across the federal leadership curriculum, entry to advanced
  • Live online, or in person at 1050 Connecticut Ave NW in Washington, DC
  • No minimum headcount and no setup: register and go
  • The same instructors and materials as our private cohorts
Browse the course schedule
A Graduate School USA instructor leading a federal class

Self-paced eLearning

Self-paced study fits the leadership work a manager can practice alone: critical thinking, emotional intelligence, plain language writing. The L.E.A.D Certificate Program runs 40 hours on your own schedule, for people who cannot give up six days on a calendar.

  • Finish the self-paced version, then sit the same leadership course with an instructor free within the year
  • Decision scenarios and knowledge checks on real supervisory situations, not leadership theory slides to read
  • An always-available AI coach grounded in the course material, ready when a new supervisor faces a hard call
  • Enroll one newly promoted supervisor or an entire management cohort, with completion tracking either way
Browse self-paced courses
On-demand, self-paced learning at Graduate School USA
On-demand learning at Graduate School USA

From first-time supervisor to senior executive

Competency-based courses and certificate ladders spanning every leadership stage, anchored by the Center for Leadership and Management and aligned to the federal Executive Core Qualifications.

Browse all leadership training

Leadership development programs

Cohort programs by career stage, from aspiring supervisor to the ECQ-aligned Executive Potential Program.
Executive Potential Program Executive Leadership Program New Leader Program Aspiring Leader Program

Supervisory and management fundamentals

The core moves for anyone stepping from doing the work to leading it.
Introduction to Supervision From Peer to Leader: Successfully Navigating the Transition Leading and Managing Others Principles of Managing Organizations Leadership Skills for Non-Supervisors

Executive and senior leadership

Presence, survival skills, and the first 90 days for senior and executive roles.
Leadership Essentials Executive Leadership Excellence Executive Survival Skills Executive Presence for Government Leaders Preparing to Lead in the 21st Century The First 90 Days for New Federal Managers

Change management

Lead people through reorganizations, new mandates, and constant uncertainty.
Exploring Change at Work Understanding and Implementing Change in the Workplace Change Management for Leaders: Preparing for an Unknown Future Leading Strategic Change

Team leadership

Build, motivate, and hold high-performing teams accountable.
Leading Teams and Groups Jump-Starting High-Performing Teams: The Fundamentals Leadership, Motivation, and Accountability for High Performance Organizations

Coaching and mentoring

Grow your people with structured coaching and mentoring skills.
Coaching Skills for Today's Leaders Mentoring Skills Coaching Conversations: GROW-Model for Government Supervisors

Emotional intelligence and resilience

Self-awareness, stress, and burnout for public service leaders.
Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Resilient Leadership: Managing Stress and Burnout in Public Service Creating Healthy Boundaries for Federal Employees

Decision-making and critical thinking

Think clearly and decide well under real government pressure.
Critical Thinking Critical and Analytical Thinking Skills Decision Making and Problem Solving

Influence and communication

Move people and ideas without relying on positional authority.
The Power of Influence over Authority Leadership Communication Public Speaking and Presentation Mastery for Government Leaders Storytelling for Government Leaders: Communicating Mission and Impact Plain Language Writing for Federal Communicators Principled Negotiation Skills for Government Leaders

Relationships and coalition-building

Build the trust and coalitions that get cross-agency work done.
Leading Through Relationship-Building Building Coalitions at Work The Impact of Relationships and Coalitions Establishing Effective Relationships With Employees

Organizational and strategic management

Turn mission and resources into measurable, organization-wide results.
Strategic Planning for Government Organizations Creating a Results-Driven Culture Cultivating an Engaging Workplace Achieving Organization-Wide Results Managing Money, People, and Technology Applying Management Skills to Meet Organizational Goals

AI and technology leadership

Lead your agency's people through the shift to AI at work.
AI for Government Leadership and Management Government Leadership AI Bootcamp AI Change Management in Government

Government-specific and public service leadership

Purpose, budgets, and generations, built for federal and state service.
Leadership Rooted in American Principles: Serving with Purpose Leading a Multi-Generational Government Workforce Financial Acumen for Federal Leaders Financial Acumen for State Leaders The First 90 Days for New State Government Managers

Women's leadership

Advocacy, negotiation, and networking strategies for women leaders.
Empowering Women: Leadership Essentials Women in Leadership: Strategies for Success Negotiation Strategies for Women's Advocacy Networking Tips for Women in Leadership

Certificate programs

Three cohort certificates track career stage: Emerging Leader at Level I, New/Current Leader at Level II, and Experienced Leader at Level III, six days each. A fourth, the L.E.A.D Certificate Program, is a fully self-paced path through core leadership competencies in 40 hours.

Level I

Emerging Leader Certificate Program

For those stepping into leadership, building the skills to guide teams through change, foster collaboration, and drive results.

6 days
View the certificate
Level II

New/Current Leader Certificate Program

For those recently promoted or with five years or less in role, developing change management, team communication, and strategic decision-making.

6 days
View the certificate
Level III

Experienced Leader Certificate Program

For leaders with five or more years in role, advancing organizational strategy, change leadership, and team development.

6 days
View the certificate

L.E.A.D Certificate Program (Self-Paced)

A fully self-paced path through core leadership competencies you complete on your own schedule.

40 hours
View the certificate

Vetted procurement, right from the GSA Schedule

Graduate School USA is a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract holder, allowing federal agencies and other qualifying organizations to confidently purchase our services.

  • GSA MAS contract 47QRAA24D004K, SINs 611430 (professional training) and 541611 (management/administrative consulting)
  • Held as American Public Training LLC d/b/a Graduate School USA; UEI LA83MCFN1ST3; CAGE 99AA0
  • We work with your training office on the paperwork, whether a Schedule order, purchase order, or an SF-182.
View our GSA Schedule on eLibrary Email the group training team
Graduate School USA staff welcoming agency colleagues
A historical Graduate School USA faculty and leadership gathering, reflecting the institution's roots as the USDA Graduate School since 1921

An established federal training institution

Graduate School USA's federal leadership curriculum is designed and taught in-house by practitioners who have led federal teams and organizations, not licensed from a generic library.

  • Founded 1921 as the USDA Graduate School; 500,000+ government employees trained across 125+ agencies
  • ACCET-accredited (ACCET is a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accreditor)
  • Center for Leadership and Management runs ECQ-aligned executive development, including the Executive Potential Program since 1995
  • 200+ federally experienced subject-matter experts across 400+ courses and certificates
  • Available on an active GSA MAS Schedule (SINs 611430 and 541611)

Questions agencies ask

The answers training officers and program directors ask for most, in one place.

How does my agency buy training from Graduate School USA?
Graduate School USA holds GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract 47QRAA24D004K (SINs 611430 and 541611), so you can place a pre-priced order directly under FAR Subpart 8.4 without running an open-market procurement. We accept the SF-182, Schedule orders, government purchase orders, and purchase cards for micro-purchases.
Can we pay with an SF-182?
Yes. We accept the SF-182, purchase orders, and GSA Schedule orders under contract 47QRAA24D004K, and our group training team works with your training office on the paperwork.
Do your programs align to the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs)?
Yes. Our leadership development programs, including the Executive Potential Program, are built around the federal Executive Core Qualifications, so your people develop against the same competencies used to select and evaluate the Senior Executive Service.
What is the difference between private group training and open enrollment?
Open enrollment classes are scheduled public sessions anyone can register for, taken live online or at our Washington, DC campus at 1050 Connecticut Ave NW. Private group training delivers a course for your agency's own cohort, tailored to your mission and delivered onsite, live online, or blended.
Can employees train self-paced, and still take the live class later?
Yes. Our self-paced online courses let a learner start anytime and work at their own pace, and when you buy the self-paced course the learner may also attend the live instructor-led course for free within one year.
Can courses be tailored to our agency?
Yes. We tailor existing courses to reflect your agency's mission, policies, and real cases, and we can develop new courses for unique requirements, all delivered under GSA contract 47QRAA24D004K.
Can training be delivered virtually or in person?
Both. Courses are offered as live virtual instruction or in-person onsite at your facility or at our Washington, DC location, and some programs blend live sessions with self-paced work.
What if an employee needs to repeat a class?
We offer one free retake of a class within one year, so a first attempt is never wasted if someone is reassigned, deployed, or needs a refresher before applying the material.
What's new in your federal leadership training?
Our curriculum is refreshed to current federal law, policy, and practice; we added new AI courses for the federal workforce; courses now run in a modern learning portal, and self-paced courses add an always-available AI coach; and self-paced online options let a learner start anytime and still take the live class for free within a year.
Which certificate level fits a supervisor we promoted last year?
The New/Current Leader Certificate Program, Level II, is built for leaders recently promoted or with five years or less in the role, and covers change management, team communication, and strategic decision-making over six days. Level I, Emerging Leader, is for staff stepping into leadership for the first time. Level III, Experienced Leader, is for those with five or more years in role.
Our managers are leading an AI rollout. Is that a leadership course or a technical one?
It is treated as a leadership problem here, not a tools problem. AI for Government Leadership and Management, the Government Leadership AI Bootcamp, and AI Change Management in Government sit in the AI and technology leadership area. Agencies with a rollout underway can pair them with the change management courses, which are about leading people through new mandates and constant uncertainty.

Plan your agency's leadership training

Tell us your topics, headcount, and timeline, and we'll propose the right mix for your team.

Group training team
onsite@graduateschool.edu
Main line: (888) 744-4723

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