Once enrolled, students have lifetime access to the course and can complete it at their own discretion. While the course is fully self-paced, we designed it for students to complete it in approximately 8-12 weeks. This timeframe keeps the learning fresh, ensuring students can effectively build on the knowledge and skills introduced in each module.

We structured the Nova course to fit your unique schedule and professional goals, providing flexibility without sacrificing quality or outcomes. Start when you’re ready and take the next step in your career journey with Nova!

The Chief of Staff Certification course was built for current and aspiring Chiefs of Staff, Executive Assistants, business school students, future entrepreneurs, and anyone else looking for hands-on practice in the daily functions of the Chief of Staff role. A CoS role is great for anyone interested in supporting a business leader and learning how a company operates at the highest levels. The course is relevant across industries and geographies, with students from around the world benefitting from the training Nova provides.

You will gain the foundational skills needed to excel in a Chief of Staff role through hands-on, real-world practice. Key learning areas include business planning, strategic prioritization, executive project management, AI utilization, executive communications, employee programs, storytelling, leadership, professionalism, networking, and more. Students will leave with a comprehensive understanding of the Chief of Staff role and the immense value it brings to an organization, along with lifetime access to tools, resources, and the Nova network of alumni.

Nova Chief of Staff Certification is fully online and self-paced, so it works with your schedule and goals. The course’s six modules each contain approximately 5-10 hours of content, totalling over 50 hours of comprehensive training for students.

Most students complete the course in 8-12 weeks. However, you have the flexibility to progress as quickly or as gradually as you like, as there is no deadline to finish. This format allows you to balance learning with your existing commitments while building foundational skills in areas such as strategic prioritization, executive project management, and leadership.

This course is designed to set you up for success in landing and excelling in a Chief of Staff role. Through the 50+ hours of real-world practice in the things a CoS does every day, you’ll gain in-depth knowledge of key Chief of Staff duties and leave with a comprehensive portfolio showcasing your work. You will also receive over 30 templates and tools to help you excel on the job, as well as a professional slide deck and a one-page summary of your newly acquired skills to share with potential employers or during interviews. Additionally, graduates gain access to an exclusive LinkedIn group for networking, discounted student coaching packages for continued growth, and a digital badge and certificate of completion to elevate your professional profile. This comprehensive support ensures you are not only prepared for the role but stand out as a top candidate in your job search.

Just click the “Enroll Now” button above and follow the prompts!

A Chief of Staff is a CEO or Founder’s right hand, their strategic thought partner who is focused on the leader’s priorities. A CoS can manage large scale projects, create and implement strategic plans, and facilitate high-level meetings and engagements. Chiefs of Staff are highly organized and masters of follow-through. Depending on the size and needs of the business, they may also oversee functions like employee culture, operations, or HR. 

A Chief of Staff allows a CEO or Founder to stay focused on their vision (the “what”) while a CoS steps in to focus on the execution (the “how”). Chiefs of Staff drive organizational clarity by helping lead an effective Rhythm of Business, removing friction and roadblocks, driving process and efficiency, strategic planning, resourcing, and many other capabilities, all dependent on what the leader and organization needs.

Executive Assistants and CoS both support CEOs or Founders, and at first glance it may be hard to understand the difference: both drive organization and focus, and keep the CEO/Founder. However, an EA focuses on detailed tasks including expenses, travel, meeting and scheduling logistics, including personal errands and support for their leader. The CoS is a senior-level leader who is a strategic thought partner to the business leader, and may act as their proxy in certain situations. A CoS can manage complex company wide initiatives, lead large teams, oversee operational aspects of the business, and drive strategic planning at a high level.

COOs and CoS are both strategic, senior leadership roles focused on major company initiatives, but the key difference between the two is that the COO is focused on the overall health of the total business, where the CoS is a role truly designed to support the CEO or Founder and their specific priorities. This includes CEO communications support, priorities alignment and driving, and more. The CoS role is more behind the scenes than the COO, which is more of an outward-facing role.

CEOs or Founders often turn to hiring a CoS when they realize that they are spending too much time on tactical, executionary items like planning, tracking, and follow up tasks, and not enough time on the strategic, visionary items necessary to guide their business. Additionally, CEOs or Founders often feel they are missing the organizational rigor in their operating rhythm, business planning, and preparedness.

A CoS can step in and take executional and operational items off a founder’s plate, drive priorities and transparency, ensure leadership teams are focused in the same direction, and create and lead operating cadence/rhythm of business, all leading to greater organizational clarity and focus.

Nova’s Guarantee

We believe in the impact of our course—and our students do too. If you complete the program and don’t find it valuable, we’ll refund your enrollment. To date, with over 1,000 students, we’ve never had a refund request based on dissatisfaction.

Yes! If you’re PACE-certified through the American Society of Administrative Professionals (ASAP), the Nova Chief of Staff Certification course (available online and in-person) has been calculated by PACE for 2.2 CEUs toward your 2.4 CEU recertification requirement.

This means completing our course will help you fulfill nearly all of your 24 months of PACE recertification needs while building valuable skills for your role.