Master of Science
Organizational Leadership Degree
Start leadership skill development in our streamlined graduate program.
Organizational Leadership Degree
Build expertise imperative for organizational leadership.
Discover your power to build leadership through effective practices and purposeful mentoring as you solidify your decision-making and problem-solving skills. Within the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership you’ll study areas of expertise that are imperative for success in leadership roles.
6 Areas of study for successful leadership.
Through exploring and discussing theory and research, you’ll analyze and apply principles from these areas to practical projects which you can showcase to your current or future employers. For example, you might choose to develop a white paper or presentation or prepare for a business certification.
- Organizational Leadership: Explore and develop your leadership capacity.
- Social Psychology of Leadership: Social influences, leader-follower behavior and group dynamics.
- Leadership Ethics: Practice ethical decision-making and self-awareness. Examine connections between character and organizational culture.
- Strategic Leadership: Create missions, goals and objectives and empower others to perform.
- Advanced Leadership Dynamics: Enhance leadership skills through mentoring and development. Guide an organization successfully through change.
- Creativity and Innovation: Promote critical thinking, foster engagement and improve organizational effectiveness.
More flexibility for your life in our online master's in organizational leadership.
As a cohort program, the online master’s in organizational leadership degree allows you to simplify your study experience with a course load that’s manageable for busy students. You’ll register for classes once at the beginning of the program without creating a new class schedule each term.
- Start the program in any calendar quarter
- Take a 3-week break between each course
- Enjoy no classes around most major holidays
Earn an MSOL + professional certifications.
Be the applicant with both an advanced degree and preparation for specialized certifications. You can prepare for as many as five highly recognized certifications. For example, the Key Leadership Skills Certificate (KLSC), Leadership Development Certification Program (LDCP), and Strategic Organizational Leadership Certification (SOLC). Become the one with sought-after expertise.
Take the next step in toward a master’s in organizational leadership. We’re ready to help you get there.
Courses
What You’ll Learn
At completion of the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership degree, graduates will be able to:
- Use leadership theory and research as a lens to analyze power, processes and culture in organizations.
- Discern how attributions, social perception, attitudes, personality and social behavior impact organizational leadership.
- Analyze the effects of individual and organizational variables on team processes and leadership effectiveness.
- Demonstrate ethical leadership by practicing moral awareness, moral behavior and socialized power.
- Apply principles of strategic leadership for effective organizational change, communication, alignment and performance.
- Recommend leadership practices to promote creativity and innovation in groups and organizations.
- Maximize executive leadership potential in organizations by leveraging social networks and establishing purposeful mentoring programs.
- Apply a leadership-as-practice approach to achieve collectively shared knowledge and process alignment in organizations.
- Critically analyze leadership research and theories to promote informed practices for effective leadership development and workplace democracy.
Organizational Leadership Degree Courses
Current students please login to BRUIN and select “Academic Progress” for your curriculum requirements.
Requirements (36 credit hours)
(Click a course name below to view course details)
Session 1
In this course, students explore the field of leadership by examining the history of leadership studies and leadership research methods. Contemporary leadership theories of change, transformation, service, mentoring, and leadership development will be examined. Students will also consider how individual differences, power, influence tactics, and diversity impact leadership emergence, effectiveness, and organizational practices.
You can customize the outcome of this course to your career goals and aspirations, based on one or more elements of MOL 645. Possible outcomes for this course include creating and writing a white paper, grant, training manual, conference presentation, or designing a custom project for your organization as agreed upon with the professor.
Session 2
In this course, students examine several major social-psychological theories and experiments that have informed the study of leadership. Classic experiments on obedience, conformity, social influence, and impression management will be critiqued to analyze how situations influence leader and follower behavior. Students will also learn how perception, attitudes, conflict, culture, and social behavior affect leader-follower interactions, and training, in functional and dysfunctional groups.
You can customize the outcome of this course to your career goals and aspirations, based on one or more elements of MOL 647. Possible outcomes for this course include creating and writing a white paper, grant, training manual, conference presentation, designing a custom project for your organization, as agreed upon with the professor.
Session 3
In this course, students explore the ethical foundations of leadership and examine how ethics predicts long-term leadership effectiveness. This exploration includes a focus on the moral character of leaders and how character affects ethical behavior, especially in times of change. Key research topics such as personal character, organizational culture, moral engagement, ethical decision-making, and crisis management will be presented.
You can customize the outcome of this course to your career goals and aspirations, based on one or more elements of MOL 649. Possible outcomes for this course include creating and writing a white paper, grant, training manual, conference presentation, designing a custom project for your organization, as agreed upon with the professor.
Session 4
In this course, students will discover how leaders affect organizational missions, goals, and objectives. Students will also consider the roles leaders play in inspiring, empowering, planning, and communicating strategic initiatives. Key approaches to external monitoring, competitive strategy, strategic performance evaluation, and change will be applied to real life organizations.
You can customize the outcome of this course to your career goals and aspirations, based on one or more elements of MOL 651. Possible outcomes for this course include creating and writing a white paper, grant, training manual, conference presentation, designing a custom project for your organization, as agreed upon with the professor.
Session 5
In this course, students learn about leadership research, frameworks, and models used to help organizations evaluate leadership effectiveness, address leadership challenges, and promote leadership development for improved leadership dynamics. Critical leadership studies will be used as the foundation to critique power relationships and mentoring practices to understand how leadership development is resisted or accepted in organizations.
You can customize the outcome of this course to your career goals and aspirations, based on one or more elements of MOL 653. Possible outcomes for this course include creating and writing a white paper, grant, training manual, conference presentation, designing a custom project for your organization, as agreed upon with the professor.
Session 6
In this course, students learn how leaders can facilitate creativity, innovation, and effectiveness in groups and organizations. The course presents a dialog of disciplines by exploring leadership through the humanities to uncover the hidden traditions of art, history, music, and literature in in modern business. Additional topics include critical theory, discursive approaches to leadership, and leadership aesthetics.
You can customize the outcome of this course to your career goals and aspirations, based on one or more elements of MOL 655. Possible outcomes for this course include creating and writing a white paper, grant, training manual, conference presentation, designing a custom project for your organization, as agreed upon with the professor.
University Accreditation
Bellevue University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org).
Whether a college, university, or program is accredited is important to students with financial aid, employers who provide tuition assistance, donors, and the federal government.
This program is considered a non-licensure degree/certificate program and is not intended for those seeking licensure or the practice of licensed profession. This program may be relevant to multiple occupations that do not require licensure and was not designed to meet educational requirements for any specific professional license or certification.
*Consult with an admissions counselor to determine your eligible credits, as well as to verify minimum graduation requirements for this degree. Transfer credits must be from a regionally accredited college or university. Bellevue University makes no promises to prospective students regarding the acceptance of credit awarded by examination, credit for prior learning, or credit for transfer until an evaluation has been conducted.
Format
100% Online learning that works for your life and your goals.
Our flexible online courses are designed to bring quality learning into a format that fits your schedule, without sacrificing meaningful faculty feedback and collaboration with peers across the country. Stay on track with the help of your Student Coach — with you from day one to graduation.
On-campus classes offered on a convenient schedule.
If you prefer an in-person learning experience, our Omaha-area campus offers classes that accommodate the working professional’s schedule.
Graduate with a stronger professional network.
Get to know a consistent group of peers as you earn your master’s in organizational leadership degree. As a master’s cohort program, you’ll move through courses on the same schedule as your classmates—making it possible to develop a stronger network and enjoy a more collaborative learning experience along the way.
Level up quicker with online learning, making a master’s in organizational leadership more convenient for you and your schedule.
Tuition & Financial Aid
Graduate degrees can be more affordable than you think.
Earning a degree is an investment in yourself. We want to help you make sure it’s a wise one.
2024 / 2025 Academic Year
$660 In-Class or Online Cost Per Credit
(Additional fees may apply to individual courses within your major requirements)
Curious about financial aid? We’ve got the answers.
As a graduate student, you may be eligible for up to $20,500 per year in unsubsidized Direct Student Loans.
And, students often apply for graduate program scholarships through Bellevue University or tuition reimbursement through their employers. Talk to us and we’ll help you explore your options.
Admissions
Start on the path to your master’s. No GRE or GMAT required.
We believe in reducing roadblocks to education. That’s why our admissions requirements focus only on what matters—helping hardworking students access the education they deserve.
For admission to Bellevue University, applicants must:
- Possess a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or a U.S. equivalent degree from a nationally or internationally accredited college or university.
- Have maintained a GPA of 2.5 or better from the most recent 60 credits of coursework earned toward the bachelor’s degree or have maintained a GPA of 3.0 or better in previous graduate level coursework earned toward the graduate degree.
If you haven’t already, take a moment to request information about your masters program and get in touch with our admissions team. We’ll help make sure you have what you need and answer your questions.
When you’re ready to apply, start your application online. You’ll then:
- Submit your deposit to Bellevue University. (You can do this at any point in the process.)
- Submit your transcripts from past institutions and any other required documentation.
- Complete the FAFSA and see what grants and loans you’re eligible for.
If you are an international student, please see the following specific information: International Student Master Admissions.
You'll just need to create an account and complete a pre-application to Bellevue University through Guild. Once you receive confirmation that your pre-application to Bellevue University has been approved, you'll need to complete the required steps to get fully accepted and registered. These include:
- Submitting transcripts from past institutions
- Submitting related documentation
Ready to get started?
Reach out to admissions.
- Get your questions answered about the Organizational Leadership Degree
- Understand your financial aid and scholarship options
- Map out a schedule that fits with your priorities
