PCBS BUILDS BETTER BANKERS AND LEADERS
Our three-year resident program includes three two-week sessions designed to deliver an in-depth exploration of today’s most important financial and economic topics, practical management tools and strategies, and the integrated application of leadership, risk management, and financial performance. Most core courses include an extension assignment completed between resident sessions to reinforce learning and support real-world application.
Upon completing all three resident sessions and required extension work, graduates earn a graduate-level Certificate in the Business of Banking, along with an Executive Leadership Certificate from the prestigious Foster School of Business at the University of Washington.
A BETTER PERSPECTIVE ON BANKING
We offer three resident sessions because there’s simply no shortcut to a great education. True mastery doesn’t come from short seminars—it comes from deeper, sustained learning over time.
PCBS provides meaningful face-to-face time with instructors, giving students the opportunity to ask questions, exchange ideas, and learn through discussion. This interactive experience strengthens analysis, problem-solving, and strategic thinking—and helps students turn knowledge into real-world impact.
Program Details
Year 1
Delve into dynamic leadership skills and in-depth analysis of critical financial and economic topics including credit risk and financial performance management.
CORE COURSES (100% of Curriculum)
- Relational Leadership (1 week)
- Credit Risk Management (2 weeks)
- Managing Bank Financial Performance (2 weeks)
- Finance and Credit Analysis (2 weeks)
- Macro Economics for Bankers (1 week)
Four extension assignments on the first four courses are completed between the first two resident sessions.
Year 2
Develop practical management tools and strategies in leadership, risk management, and financial performance. A broad range of elective courses are offered in addition to the core courses.
CORE COURSES (50% of curriculum)
- Culture, Community & Connection in Banking
- The Strategic Leader: Transforming Organizations Through Systems & Influence
- Asset Liability Management* (ALM): Knowing Your Risk & Reward
- Enterprise Risk Management* (ERM): Managing Risk in a Dynamic Banking Environment
Electives (50% of curriculum)
Students select four one-week electives. (See examples below.)
*One extension assignment covering materials from the ALM and ERM courses and an original management report are completed between the second- and third-year sessions.
Year 3
Apply and integrate learned leadership skills with credit and financial performance principles through our Bank Management simulation. Students choose four electives in addition to the simulation experience.
CORE COURSES (50% of curriculum)
- Bank Management Simulation
- Leadership Speaker Series
Bank Management Simulation
Our Bank Management Simulation program brings bank management theory to life in a dramatic and engaging way. Students assume the roles of senior bank officers and make various decisions regarding bank assets, funding, and staffing as they compete against one another. Throughout the two-week resident session, teams integrate their leadership practices into this widely acclaimed computer simulation program.
CHOOSE THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE PEAK PERFORMANCE
To supplement our rigorous required curriculum, PCBS offers a comprehensive selection of electives available to second and third-year students. Students may choose from a variety of topics to enhance their individual career paths and expand their ability to run a financial institution more effectively.
The elective examples are listed below. New electives are added to each session as critical industry concerns evolve.
- Advanced Credit: Unraveling the Mysteries of Credit Approval
- Banking on Leadership: Defining the Dynamic Leader Within
- Create, Organize and Persuade: A Leader’s Guide to Communications
- Creating Competitive Advantages for Community Banks
- Cybercrime: A Banker’s Guide
- Emotional Intelligence Skills for Team Leaders & Managers
- Financial Markets and the Economy
- M&A Simulation: The Anatomy of a Merger
- Mastering the Art and Science of Banking
- Practical Financial Planning
- Strategic and Capital Planning
- The Bank Investment Portfolio: A Key to Balance Sheet Success
- The Growth Challenge: Proven Strategies to Drive Results
- Advanced Asset Liability Management
- Asset Protection and Estate Planning
- Using AI to be a Better Banker
- Courageous Leadership: Moving from Manager to Leader
- Delivering Effective Business Presentations
- Innovation Part 2: The Bank Innovation Lab
- Leading Change: People + Process = Sustainable Change
- Treasury & Cash Management: Principles and Practices
- Negotiation Mastery
- Data Science & Analytics
- Law, Compliance, and Social Responsibility
- Payment Trends and Disrupters
- Real Estate Credit and Investment
- The Board, Shareholders, and M&A: Legal and Practical Concerns
- Using Digital Marketing, Social Media, and AI to Build Visibility Online