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Top Organizational Leadership Online Master’s Programs

Do you see yourself advancing in your career to lead and mentor employees?

Do you want to do this in a non-profit, governmental, or business setting?

But you can’t picture yourself pursuing an MBA degree?

Don’t worry. We have the perfect solution for you. It’s an online master’s degree in Organizational Leadership!

This is one of the most popular online master’s degrees. The Organizational Leadership master’s provides graduates skills to manage people and businesses. It is just like a traditional MBA degree.

Yet it has an educational approach that is unique. It puts more emphasis on qualitative and skills-based experience. 

But don’t think that this means this degree is all warm-fuzzies with no substance.

The  top 30 ranked degree in organizational leadership have rigorous coursework. This type of business administration curriculum can help you. You will become a well-rounded leader of tomorrow. 

A degree in organizational leadership will help you develop skills like:

  • conflict resolution
  • business-place ethics
  • community development
  • corporate social responsibility
  • leading organizations with proper communication
  • business decision making
  • managing conflict in real world situations
  • strategies for motivating employees
  • global leadership
  • organizational behavior and organizational contexts
  • organizational culture and organizational structure
  • developing strategic goals

Organizational Leadership graduates learn to manage. You will learn to encourage others to maintain a healthy, inspired workplace.

You’ll be able to pursue optional concentrations. Courses cover topics like:

  • data analytics
  • ethical business practices
  • healthcare management
  • strategic human resources management
  • supply chain management
  • identifying future innovations
  • strategic organizational leadership/strategic planning
  • legal and ethical issues in business management 
  • leadership theory

These experiences prepare busy professionals for career opportunities of all kinds. That’s in about any job market. You’ll learn the essential skills necessary to work with a diverse group.

Not sure what to look for? Want the top online master’s in organizational leadership?

Check out our methods below for picking the best of the best. Then look at our countdown to the number one pick for best online master of organizational leadership degree!

What Do I Need to Apply to an Online Master’s in Organizational Leadership?

To apply for a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership, a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership is a good first step.

You don’t always need a bachelor’s degree in that discipline. Some schools allow applicants with degrees in related fields. Examples include:

  • human resources
  • business administration
  • economics

You will need to submit official transcripts. Undergraduate transcripts often must show an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. You may need to submit proof of full time work experience. This should show experience handling leadership responsibilities.

Pay close attention to application deadlines. Some schools have hard admit dates.  Others operate on a rolling basis.

Plan to provide:

  • standardized tests (often GMAT scores)
  • two letters of recommendation
  • an essay

International students may need to submit other documentation. 

You’ll take classes on either a part time or full time basis. 

You may complete:

  • required courses
  • electives
  • a capstone experience

The capstone project provides real world work experience. All other courses besides the culminating experience are online.

Most programs take between two and four years to complete. This varies, though.  Some part time students take six years to complete their programs or even more. 

Also pay attention to financial aid requirements in addition to admission requirements. Total tuition rates for online students tend to be low. But costs do still add up. Look into any and all financial aid opportunities. There are special discounts available for service members. 

Look for a school with regional accreditation. A regionally accredited institution must meet rigorous curriculum standards.

Examples of organizations that list all the accredited college options include:

  • Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
  • Higher Learning Commission
  • New England Commission of Higher Education
  • North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
  • Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Most programs offer a flexible curriculum. You can pursue a full course load while continuing to meet your full potential at work. Some offer concentrations. There are often even graduate certificates. You can pursue the courses that interest you most.

What Can I Do With an Online Master’s in Organizational Leadership?

Are you curious about what earning an online organizational leadership master’s might do for you? In short – this. Career advancement and career opportunities in all realms of the business world.

  • Operations manager
  • HR manager
  • Business managers and other executive positions
  • Supply chain manager
  • Management consultants
  • Training and development manager
  • Public policy creation
  • Business talent development and team building
  • Business management instructors/professors

Of course, graduates find work as other managers of all kinds of 

An online organizational leadership program will provide you with the professional experiences you need to fulfill all kinds of personal and professional obligations. 

If you want to earn a higher annual salary, then pursuing a degree in organizational leadership is a smart choice. 

Quick Links to Our Top 10 Online Master’s in Organizational Leadership

  1. Gonzaga University
  2. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
  3. Regis University
  4. University of Wisconsin-Platteville
  5. Colorado State University-Global Campus
  6. Quinnipiac University
  7. Saint Louis University
  8. Lewis University
  9. Colorado Technical University
  10. Johns Hopkins University

How We Chose the 30 Best Online Master’s in Organizational Leadership

To find the top online master’s in organizational leadership, we did hard work.  We only looked at available information to the public. This was from such sources such as:

  • US News and World Report
  • Forbes
  • the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
  • the school websites

These three factors influenced our determination:

  • The extent to which the program accommodates working professionals
  • Reputation of the school
  • Affordability

There are plenty of other schools that didn’t make the final cut of our top 30 degrees in organizational leadership. They include:

  • Pepperdine University
  • Baker University in Baldwin City (Baker University offers a master’s in organizational leadership perfect for working professionals)
  • Jacksonville University
  • Arizona State University
  • San Diego State University
  • Western Governors University
  • Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, MN
  • Purdue University Fort Wayne
  • George Washington University

So if you see a school missing, know that there are plenty of other options out there. 

So is a degree in organizational leadership worth it? Absolutely. Let’s dive in to our ranking of the best online programs in organizational leadership!

30 Best Organizational Leadership Online Master’s

#30. Fort Hays State University

Master of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership Online

Fort Hays State University

Fort Hays State University is home to another one of the best organizational leadership online masters.

The school offers a multi-disciplinary Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree. It has a concentration in Organizational Leadership. Fort Hays State University has Virtual Campus that is open for students to begin classes in spring or fall. 

This is a 30 credit hour program.

There are three required core classes that cover theory. You’ll also learn research methods.

Then there are twelve required major credit hours in topics such as:

  • Leadership in Teams and Collaborative Environments
  • Organizational Intervention Strategies

The three final credits consist of either on internship or a research project. Online through the Virtual Campus is the only way to access this degree without special permission. 

#29. Charleston Southern University

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

Charleston Southern University

Charleston Southern University offers a top online master’s in organizational leadership

The MA in Organizational Leadership is 33 credit hours. There are eleven classes total. These use Charleston Southern’s “Encounter-Engage-Energize model of faith integration.”

This model allows faculty to teach the central theories and methods of leadership. These are rooted in the Christian faith tradition.

There are nine credit hours of foundational classes. These include:

  • Fundamentals of Leadership
  • Managing with Excellence and Integrity
  • Business Ethics from a Christian Worldview

These are followed by twelve credits of core coursework. This rounds out the online organizational leadership master’s. That includes classes like:

  • Power and Influence
  • Organizational Change and Transformation

The program culminates with nine credit hours of electives. There are also three hours of a capstone course. This is Leadership Dynamics and Decisions.

#28. Creighton University

MS in Organizational Leadership

Creighton University

Another top online organizational leadership degree can be found at Creighton University.

The 36 credit Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (MSOL) online program at Creighton University is a well-crafted, strategic and ethical degree. 

This organizational leadership degree features required courses in subjects such as:

  • Strategic Orienteering and Execution Tactics
  • Communicating and Leading Across Cultures
  • Approaches to Human Capital

That is plus concentrations:

  • Business Leadership
  • Healthcare Leadership
  • Organizational Leadership

These concentrations are available to students in other programs. It’s not just the online master’s in organizational leadership. Students at Creighton University can  focus on the areas they need to study to succeed.

Student support is also available to help distance students succeed. There is:

  • a 24/7 help desk
  • student services coordinators
  • a career center (to name a few)

#27. Western Kentucky University

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

WKU

The online MA in Organizational Leadership degree at Western Kentucky University is a customizable program with 30 credit hours.

Nine required core course credit hours in topics such as:

  • Effective Leadership Studies
  • Leadership Ethics
  • Leading Teams
  • Elements of Public Administrations

Students then choose twelve credit hours of electives to customize their degree from within the department or any other department at the school. That is with prior approval.

Courses are presented in an asynchronous format. Students can study at their convenience.

Rolling admission leads to two enrollment dates during the year. Western Kentucky University provides prospective students with several resources before they even apply.

These include a “Distance Learning 101” tutorial. This organizational leadership master’s degree also has a team of support professionals.

#26. Azusa Pacific University

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

Azusa Pacific University

This program requires 33 program credit hours. The online Master of Arts in Leadership and Organizational Studies (MLOS) degree at APU is one of the best strategic human resources management degrees. It is ideal for working professionals.

The degree is through the University College (UC). This is APU’s distance learning and nontraditional “campus”. Coursework for the program occurs in a set order. There are two classes a semester.

The eleven required classes include such topics as:

  • Group and Team Dynamics
  • Leadership and Managerial Ethics
  • Improving Quality and Productivity

#25. Trevecca Nazarene University

Master of Organizational Leadership

Trevecca

This master of organizational leadership focuses on the “three levels of leadership:

  • Personal Leadership Development
  • Interpersonal Leadership
  • Organizational Impact

The Master of Organizational Leadership (MOL) degree at Trevecca Online focuses on elements of:

  • communication
  • religion
  • business

It has the cohort model for coursework delivery. This provides students with a community of fellow learners. That is an intentional goal of Trevecca Online.

The 33 credit program allows students to take courses in topics such as:

  • Leading in Diverse Communities
  • Cultivating Networks and Fundraising

It is envisioned to be completed in eighteen months. 

#24. California Baptist University

MA in Organizational Leadership

CBU

California Baptist University offers another top master of leadership degree. The online MA in Organizational Leadership degree takes twelve months. Then, students can move on to that leadership job at the most accelerated-pace. 

The California Baptist University online program offers flexibility and support to its online students.

Classes start every eight weeks. There are three semesters a year.

Students can get started fast. They move through the program to move on to the profession of their dreams. CBU offers many resources to the online student. These include:

  • an Academic Success Center
  • Personal Enrollment Counselors
  • Career Services

The 30 required credit hours include classes like:

  • Conflict Resolution and Negotiations
  • Organizational Communication
  • Leadership Across Cultures

#23. University of South Dakota

Master of Science in Administration

University of South Dakota

The 100% online Master of Science in Administration (MSA) program. It has a concentration in Organizational Leadership offered by USD is “designed for mid-career professionals.”

Specializations include:

  • Health Services Administration
  • Long-Term Care Administration
  • Criminal Justice Studies
  • Addiction Studies
  • Interdisciplinary Studies

This online master’s is a flexible program with the same professors as on-campus. It offers training and development in the ideal degree.

The online master’s focuses on:

  • leadership skills
  • communication methods
  • conflict mediation

The MSA in Organizational Leadership curriculum is relevant and applicable. Core classes include:

  • Budgetary and Fiscal Management
  • Administrative Thought and Ethics

Nine credit hours cover the Organizational Leadership specialization electives.

#22. Wheeling Jesuit University

Master of Science in Organizational Leadership

If you’re looking for one of the best organizational leadership programs in the country, this private institution is one of the best. The online master’s degree has the same standards as the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership program on-campus. The online master’s has the added bonus of flexibility.

All in all, the online MSOL at WJU is a solid degree. Classes exist in the cohort format. The program is 33 credit hours. The classes in this master’s degree break down into a set sequence of coursework. It takes around twenty-two months to complete.

The classes in this master’s degree cover topics including:

  • six credits of foundations
  • five credits of environmental dimensions
  • eight credits of structural dimensions
  • seven credits of personal dimensions
  • even credits of a thesis that students are to work on for fourteen months

These topic areas focus on key elements in leadership in a cohesive way. 

#21. National University

Master of Science in Organizational Leadership

National University

You’ll find one of the best master’s degrees in organizational leadership at National University.

The National University online MSOL is a broad-focused and skill-based program. It has enrollment dates at the beginning of every month.

These master’s degrees include core topics like:

  • Ethics and Class Theory
  • Analysis and Decision-Making
  • World View & Adult Development

These make up the required 45 quarter units of core coursework for the master’s degree. Students must also choose two electives from the School of Business and Management. This completes the degree with nine more quarter units.

Or students can opt for the Specialization in Community Development. The specialization requires eighteen quarter units (four classes):

  • Global Development
  • Human Environments
  • Culture and Change
  • Planning and Evaluation

These master’s degrees exist in the School of Business and Management’s Leadership. It is combined with the Human Resource Management department.

#20. Southern New Hampshire University

MA in Organizational Leadership

Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University offers one of the best online leadership masters degree programs. This is a school that has participated in online learning for over twenty years! There are a variety of master’s degrees to choose from.

But the organizational leadership courses are some of the best.

Southern New Hampshire University Online has perfected online student support. Admission counselors guide students through the application process. They can also help discuss financial possibilities. 

The master’s degree is made up of six core courses. There are three electives with a leadership focus. There are also three electives with a business focus.

The required 36 credits can be completed in as little as fifteen months.

Some students at Southern New Hampshire University may need to take two brush-up courses. These are:

  • Mathematics and Statistics for Business
  • Economics for Business

That’s if they don’t have a strong background in those topics. These two courses count towards the three required business electives.

Students will take courses like:

  • Responsible Corporate Leadership
  • Human Behavior in Organizations

#19. Norwich University

Master of Science in Organizational Leadership

Norwich University

The online Master of Science in Leadership program at Norwich University is supported by almost two centuries of leadership training. The organizational leadership programs here feature stellar faculty teaching the curriculum.

There are four possible enrollment dates a year for the program. This master’s degree program has 36 credits. It is an eighteen to twenty-four month-long program.

Six courses exist over eleven week terms. All students in this master’s degree program start with the three six-credit core courses:

  • Leading Change in Organizations
  • Leadership Fundamentals–Ethical Leadership and Value-Driven Organization
  • Emotional Intelligence & Leadership Style

The next step in these organizational leadership programs is to take three six-credit electives. Concentration areas include:

  • Organizational Leadership
  • Public Sector/Government/Military Leadership
  • Human Resources Leadership
  • Leading Change Management Consulting

The Organizational Leadership concentration focuses on:

  • strategy
  • communication
  • organizational behavior

#18. Robert Morris University

Master of Science in Organizational Leadership

Robert Morris University

The online MSOL degree is through RMU’s School of Communications and Information Systems Department of Organizational Leadership. It is another one of the best organizational leadership programs in the country.

This organizational leadership master’s gives graduates a serious edge.

This master’s in organizational leadership is an interdisciplinary program. It takes at least 36 credits to graduate. Students start with twenty-one credits of core coursework.

Examples of core classes include:

  • History and Theory of Leadership
  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Legal Issues for Leaders in Organizations
  • Group Dynamics and Interpersonal Relationships

All students complete an “Organizational Leadership Capstone” as a final project. 

#17. Lincoln Christian University

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

Lincoln Christian University

The MA in Organizational Leadership (MAOL) at LCU is another one of the best organizational leadership programs you will find.

This organizational leadership master’s encourages students to take one asynchronous class at a time over a period of twenty-one months.

The online MAOL program is both flexible and accommodating of busy schedules. This makes it perfect for organizational leaders who work full time. 

The organizational leadership master’s features courses like:

  • Vision, Values and the Voices in Organizational Leadership
  • Dynamics of Conflict and Change in Organizational Leadership
  • Interpersonal Leadership for Organizational Effectiveness

LCU wants students to learn using their faith as a cornerstone and guiding principle.

LCU prides itself on being a different kind of school community. This is both on-campus and online. This online organizational leadership master’s offers a community designed for students who “crave a life of meaning.”

#16. Crown College

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

Crown College

Crown College states on its website that its online MAOL program is unique. In fact, it’s one of the best master’s degrees around for aspiring organizational leaders!

This organizational leadership master’s boasts a curriculum that “educates students in leadership philosophy, skills and strategies.” This is all from a Christian perspective.

The 36 credits program takes two years. The curriculum of this organizational leadership master’s begins with a 24 credit “core phase.”

Students then go on to choose one three credit general elective and nine credits of electives. These form their degree “emphasis tracks.” There are twelve tracks to choose from. They cover both religious:

…and secular fields:

Online students in this strategic human resource management program don’t have to come to campus for any reason during their master’s degrees. 

#15. Regent University

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

Regent

Regent’s School of Business and Leadership has offered an online MAOL program since 1997. Students in the online master’s in organizational leadership know they have a quality program. It has perfected online delivery.

This online master’s in organizational leadership allows students up to five years to complete the 33 credit program. The organizational leadership online courses exist in eight week sections.

Core courses make up twenty-one of the required credits. The master’s in organizational leadership includes classes like:

  • Information Research & Resources
  • Motivation, Teams, Coaching & Mentoring
  • Future Studies
  • Kingdom Business
  • Small Business Information Technology
  • Servant Leadership

Students in this master’s degrees can also opt to not have a specific concentration. Instead, they take “individual special topics” courses of their choosing.

#14. University of Saint Francis

Master of Organizational Leadership

University of Saint Francis

The Master of Organizational Leadership (MOL)  program is one of the best in the world. It gives aspiring organizational leaders the knowledge and skills they need for success. This master’s degree in leadership online is in USF’s prestigious business school. This is the Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership.

Online courses are taught by the same faculty as the on-campus courses. Classes in the organizational leadership program are asynchronous.

Students can choose from concentrations like:

  • Non-Profit Organization
  • Higher Education
  • For-Profit Organization
  • Healthcare Services.

Twenty-four of the required 36 credits are core courses. These include:

  • Ethics and Franciscan Values Business
  • Organizational Communication and Diversity
  • Leading Change

All students in the program must finish with a Capstone Senior Project. They can create it to fit in with their goals. They create their ideal organizational leadership online degree under advisement from an Academic Advisor.

#13. Indiana Wesleyan University

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

Indiana Wesleyan University

The ease of registering for classes in an organizational leadership online program cannot get any more convenient than the online MA in Organizational Leadership. This is at Indiana Wesleyan’s School of Service and Leadership.

Students register for classes in this cohort program once. They never have to worry about it again.

The master’s in organizational leaders has 36 credits. It can be completed in twenty-three months. That’s if students take the courses one at a time in the prescribed order. Classes break down into five sections of study:

  • Foundations of Leadership
  • Transformational Leadership
  • Organizational Foundations
  • Practical Leadership

There is also a final Leadership Thesis.

Students get to participate in:

  • virtual tours
  • video presentations
  • case studies
  • interactive CD-ROM or Web-based activities
  • simulations

This allows them to process the information they learn.

#12. Saint Joseph’s University

Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership

Saint Joseph University

The 36 credits online Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership (MSODL) degree at SJU focuses on people.

Teamwork is an integral part of the organizational leadership master’s degree. Students take all of their ten, three-credit classes online. They also participate with their classmates in a four-day, six-credit on-campus residency in Change Leadership.

Admissions is rolling. There are six enrollment dates a year. Past experience is a key admissions requirement. SJU requires eight years of relevant, professional work experience.

Aspiring organizational leaders can take classes such as:

  • Organizational Change and Culture
  • Learning Design and Leadership
  • Career Development

Students can complete the degree in two years.

#11. University of Denver

Master of Science in Organizational Leadership

University of Denver

Through DU’s University College the online Master of Science in Leadership and Organizations is a degree taught by some of the best in the business.

University College has a unique approach to teaching. It offers students access to some of the best professors in the higher education world.

This organizational leadership program has 48 credits to graduate. Aspiring organizational leaders take classes such as:

  • Cultivating and Sustaining Donor Relations
  • Building the 21st Century Organization
  • Large Scale Interventions

Concentrations include:

  • Human Capital in Organizations
  • Organizational Development
  • Philanthropic Leadership
  • Project Management
  • Strategic Innovation and Change

#10. Johns Hopkins University

MS in Organizational Leadership

Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins’ Division of Public Safety Leadership offers one of the best master’s in organizational leadership you will find.

The 36 credits program is a new version of the successful on-campus program. It boasts of graduating more “than 70 Police Chiefs.”

This organizational leadership online master’s degree program has a focus on public safety and law enforcement. This cohort model program can be completed in under two years.

Students take classes such as:

  • Crisis Mitigation, Management, and Communication
  • Ethics, Integrity, and the Responsibility of Leaders
  • Individual and Group Dynamics

#9. Colorado Technical University

MS in Management

Colorado Technical University

The Master of Science in Management (MSM) at Colorado Technical University is another top master’s degree program. It prepares students with courses in Organizational Leadership and Change. This online master’s degree program at CTU is well-rounded.

This forty-eight credit program is made up of twenty-eight core courses. Aspiring organizational leaders take classes to prepare them as training and development managers. Core classes include:

  • Applied Managerial Marketing
  • Strategic Management in Dynamic Environments

The Organizational Leadership and Change concentration makes up the remaining twenty credits. Those classes cover subjects such as Foundation of Organizational Design.

#8. Lewis University

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

Lewis University

Lewis University offers an online Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (MAOL) degree program that is one of the best. 

These organizational leadership online programs focus on “the human side of leadership in the workplace.”

This 36 credits program provides students with five different concentrations:

  • Higher Education Student Services
  • Nonprofit Management
  • Organizational Management
  • Professional and Executive Coaching
  • Training and Development

Studnets take core coursework in subjects like:

  • Leading Change
  • Psychology of Motivation

These make up twenty-four of the required credits. The remaining twelve credits focus on the student’s chosen concentration. Six start dates a year are offered. This gives students the opportunity to complete the eight-week long courses. It can be done in about eighteen months to two years.

#7. Saint Louis University

Master of Arts in Leadership and Organizational Development

SLU

The online Master of Arts offered through SLU’s School for Professional Studies produces talented graduates. The program focuses on:

  • systems thinking
  • behavioral science
  • applied analytics

This 36 credits degree can be completed in two and a half years.

Coursework is broken down into graduate required courses. Core classes in this organizational leadership program include:

  • Contemporary Organizational Leadership
  • Organizational Dynamics
  • Talent Management and Development
  • Future-Focused Leadership

Students must also complete a Capstone project to finish the program. 

#6. Quinnipiac University

MS in Organizational Leadership

Quinnipiac University

Quinnipiac University offers another excellent online leadership masters degree. 

The MSOL through Quinnipiac University Online helps students “develop the self-awareness and understanding of others.”

It offers “four professional focus tracks” in:

  • Health Care Management
  • Human Resource Leadership
  • Public Service/Nonprofit Leadership
  • Strategic Leadership

Students can customize their degrees. This allows them to maximize their academic potential for career success.

The thirty-three credit program devotes nine elective credits to four concentration areas. The other twenty-four credits are core requirements. There is also a capstone course.

The core coursework covers topics such as:

  • Leadership Across Boundaries
  • The Power & Politics of Communication
  • Ethics & Governance

Quinnipiac University offers many services. These include academic advising, tech support and financial aid.  

#5. Colorado State University-Global Campus

MS in Organizational Leadership

Colorado State University Global

CSU-Global Campus offers a MSOL that will help students to: “develop expertise in:

  • evaluating business research
  • organizational innovation
  • decision making
  • communication
  • organizational psychology
  • business ethics
  • team leadership

There is both a Research track and a Practitioner track. There are fifteen specializations.

Some of the specializations offered are:

  • Applied Business Management
  • Criminal Justice Leadership
  • Human Resource Performance
  • Online Learning Innovation and Design
  • Fraud Management

The program is 36-39 credits. The number of credits for these master’s degrees depends on if the student’s GPA was less than 3.0 as an undergraduate.

#4. University of Wisconsin-Platteville

MS in Organizational Leadership

University of Wisconsin-Platteville

The UW-Platteville Master of Science in Organizational Change Leadership is one of the best for working professionals. These organizational leadership online programs exist through the Distance Education program. This 30-39 credit program is 100% online. Foundational courses include:

  • Applied Accounting
  • Human Resource Management
  • Research Methods

These are optional. It depends upon a student’s chosen emphasis. Students must also take courses like:

  • Organizational Communication
  • Intercultural Change Leadership
  • Consumer Behavior
  • Creative Problem Solving

There are six credits in optional emphasis areas. These are:

  • Healthcare
  • Project Management
  • Human Resources. 

#3. Regis University

MS in Organizational Leadership

Regis University

You will find another top online organizational leadership master’s degree at Regis University.

Regis University has six start dates a year. This is a 30 credit program.  Classes occur in eight week terms.

Students take nine credits in foundational courses:

  • Logic and Critical Analysis
  • Leading in a New Era
  • Business Intelligence and Analytics

This is followed by eighteen credits of required courses. There is also a three credit-hour Capstone course titled “Leading Responsible Organizations.”

#2. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

The Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (MAOL) is online through Saint Mary’s. This organizational leadership online program develops the knowledge and skills students need. It helps them succeed in strategic human resource management.

To ensure success, all students receive a brand new “iPad®. This is loaded with a mobile learning platform” unique to Saint Mary’s.

This organizational leadership program is a thirty-six credit hour, twenty month program. The coursework exists in six themed “clusters” of asynchronous coursework:

  • The Learning Leader
  • The Connected Leader
  • The Global Leader
  • The Organizational Leader
  • The Change Leader
  • The Adaptive Leader

Students move through courses together as a cohort. In addition to challenging coursework taught by a strong team of experienced faculty members, students bond with and learn from each other in their cohorts in classes such as:

  • Collaboration and Teamwork
  • Power and Influence
  • Strategy and Innovation

#1. Gonzaga University

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

Gonzaga

Last but not least is Gonzaga University. Gonzaga University is home to the best online masters organizational development.

This program contains thirty credit hours that take less than two years to complete. Some people may think that the online MAOL offered through Gonzaga Online is a no-frills program. That couldn’t be farther from the truth!

Gonzaga University requires fifteen credit hours of required courses. There are fifteen of electives in its online masters. Concentrations include:

  • Servant-leader 
  • Global Leader

You will complete one three-day on-campus residency. There are multiple study abroad and domestic immersion possibilities. That makes this degree a cut above.

Electives include “Renaissance Leadership in the 21st Century.” This is a study abroad class offered in Florence, Italy. There’s even a three-day immersion experience in Mt. Adams, WA. This is called “Leadership and Hardiness.” Students have several life-changing experiences from which to choose.

Each online student is provided with a faculty advisor to help them navigate their education. Support starts from the very beginning with Admissions Counselors and faculty members. 

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Michael Templeton
Managing Editor

Kacey Reynolds Schedler
Contributing Editor