Negotiation Essentials
Who This Program Is For
The Negotiation Essentials program is designed for professionals seeking to become more effective, confident negotiators. Whether you’re managing vendor relationships or leading team conversations, you’ll gain strategies to handle both everyday and high-stakes negotiations with greater control.
Program dates:
Jan. 29–Feb. 26, 2026
Format:
100% online (live virtual sessions)
Time commitment:
Five live virtual sessions over five weeks, each lasting two hours, held on Thursdays from 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
Fee:
$2,400
Practice Negotiation in Real Time
Develop core negotiation skills through live virtual sessions with expert faculty and peer-to-peer simulations. Over five weeks, you’ll engage in a variety of challenging exercises and receive real-time feedback in a supportive, cohort-based environment.
You’ll leave with the confidence and proficiency to adapt your approach across a range of negotiation settings, whether you’re claiming value in a competitive exchange or creating mutual gains in a multi-party conversation.
Key Themes and Topics
This program explores the following focus areas to deepen your expertise:
Bargaining
Learn the essential terms and strategies for competitive, distributive negotiations. Build confidence with foundational tactics that prepare you for effective one-on-one bargaining.
Conflict Styles
Explore your natural approach to conflict and understand how it shapes your negotiation results. Discover ways to leverage your strengths and adjust your style to different situations.
Multi-Issue Negotiation
Navigate the complexity of negotiating multiple issues by balancing competing priorities. Identify when and how to use integrative tactics to find mutually beneficial solutions.
Advanced Value Creation
Focus beyond immediate wins to uncover the deeper motivations and long-term objectives of the other party. Develop creative approaches that expand value for everyone involved.
Communication Modes
Examine how factors like tone and timing influence negotiation outcomes. Understand how your messaging affects trust, clarity and the overall result.
Earn Certificate Credit With This Program
Learn How the Certificate WorksMeet Your Instructor
Allison Elias
Assistant Professor of Business Administration
Assistant Professor Allison Elias teaches courses about communication and negotiation in Darden’s MBA and EMBA programs as well as to executive education learners. She was a nominee for the 2022 Outstanding Faculty Award at Darden, and one of her courses has been rated among the top 10% of all Darden electives (for course content and instructor quality). She received a Wells Fargo Award for Excellence in Course Materials in 2024.
Meet AllisonWork Toward Finishing Your Online Management Certificate With Additional Programs
Expand your leadership and technical skills with programs that count toward the Management Development Certificate. Each is designed to enhance your expertise and accelerate your growth.
Leading Mindfully: Mastering Difficult Conversations
Develop the emotional intelligence to handle high-stakes conversations with empathy. Grounded in mindfulness practices, this program helps you lead with purpose under pressure.
Duration: Four weeks
Fee: $3,800
Explore Program
Collaboration and Influence
Learn to lead through influence, not just authority. This program equips you with frameworks and tools for building trust, managing team dynamics and achieving results through effective collaboration.
Duration: Five weeks
Fee: $1,700
Explore Program
Project Management Essentials
Learn to lead projects with clarity and confidence. This program covers the fundamentals of planning and execution, ensuring your projects deliver value on time and on budget.
Duration: Eight weeks
Fee: $2,400
Explore Program
Accounting and Finance Essentials
Build financial fluency and understand the metrics that drive business decisions. You’ll learn to interpret financial statements, manage budgets and communicate financial insights with confidence.
Duration: Seven weeks
Fee: $2,400
Explore Program
Leadership Essentials
Elevate your leadership with core principles of effective management. This program helps you lead with vision and inspire your team using real-world tools and insights.
Duration: Six weeks
Fee: $2,400
Explore Program