MA in Leadership Studies (MLS)

The interdisciplinary program is designed to stress the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviors essential to successful organizational leaders. The curriculum components are designed to produce professionals capable of intelligent and creative analysis, communication, and action in leadership functions. Some flexibility in the curriculum is permitted to meet the diverse educational needs of our diverse array of students who are often at different points of time in their careers.

Program Highlights

• Requires a total of 33 credit hours (11 courses) to complete the program. .
• We are a non-thesis program. We offer a rigorous capstone course focused on ethical leadership to cater to the needs of our largely professional student base.
• We offer both online and hybrid (face to face). Students can take their courses entirely online, or in class, or do a combination of both.
• Program Policy: We accept no more than 9 credit hours (3 courses) of credit transfer to be used towards the 3 course concentration of the MA in Leadership Studies Degree Plan.
• The average length of the program is 2 years. It is possible to complete the program in 1.5 years – this will depend on the individual degree plan a student builds with the guidance of the program advisor.
  
  

Required Courses

1. MLS 5300: Contemporary Concepts of Leadership
   A review of fundamental principles and concepts of leadership, with analysis of classic literature and application to current issues.
   
   
2. MLS 5303: Applied Research Methods
   Focuses on methods of research used in leadership processes such as: interviewing, surveys, observational, and ethnographic research. Also, discusses basic methodologies in research. E.g. developing research questions, determining research variables, and assessing feasibility of various research methods.
   
   
3. MLS 5315: Organizational Theory and Behavior
   Introduction to the major theories in organizational theory and administrative behavior and their uses in diagnosing organizational problems. Addresses key organizational functions and emphasizes organization-environment relationships.
   
   
4. MLS 5321: Leadership in Complex Organizations
   Studies leadership in complex operating environments, such as those with multiple contexts, constituencies, and functions. Topics will include but not be limited to: diversity and leadership, conflict management, leadership and changes in organizational structures, and leadership in times of downsizing.
   
   
5. MLS 5326: Leadership of Organizational Change
   Studies leadership behaviors that initiate, implement and sustain transformational organizational change as well as incremental innovations. Focus is on follower/audience analysis, context analysis, strategy development and implementation.
   
   
6. MLS 5331: Leadership Communications
   Studies communication media/channels used in the process of exercising leadership, depending on audiences and contexts. Students develop and analyze messages used in the processes of leadership, including but not limited to motivation, inspiration, and decision-making.
   
   
7. MLS 5340: Team Based Leadership (Optional – can be taken as a concentration course)
   Studies leadership within team structures, and the exercise of leadership by teams, rather than individuals. Includes foci on collaborative leadership, connective leadership, cooperative leadership, and the effects of group dynamics on processes of leadership, such as decision-making.
   
   The final program requirement is the completion of the capstone course:
   
   
8. MLS 5351: Ethics and Leadership Capstone
   Requires students to study a leader or leadership situation in which the use, or absence, of ethical behaviors was critical and paramount. Course will include readings in ethics, in addition to materials used in previous courses, as preparation for completion of the capstone project.

Concentrations

Students who do not transfer any credit hours may choose from the 4 concentrations offered:

1. Leadership and Community Engagement 

2. Communication 

3. Public Administration

4. Intelligence and National Security Studies

Degree Plan

While every degree plan is developed in consultation with the program advisor based on a student's individual needs and unique situations, below is a general degree plan to help students get an approximate idea of the MLS program structure.

MLS Required Courses 

Check one:
Hybrid (face to face classes)
Online
Both

Required Courses: 24 credit hours 

Note: The Capstone course is an accumulation and demonstration of everything learned during the students' entire progress through the program. Thus, it should be the last course taken by students before graduation except for in special cases.

Concentration Courses

Check one:
Credit Transfer:Insert the number of credits transferred.
Elected Concentration: Insert one of the concentrations here

Concentration Courses: 9 credit hours

ALL REQUIREMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED WITHIN 6 YEARS OF GRADUATION DEGREE AWARD 

Program Advisor Signature and Date                                                Student Signature and Date

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