Organizational and Strategic Leadership, M.S.

Overview

The Master of Science in Organizational and Strategic Leadership prepares individuals to assume greater leadership roles in the workplace and in their communities. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the curriculum offers a Franciscan, values-based, and global perspective to the study of leadership, organizational strategy, and effective management practices. Through intensive study, critical reflection, and experiential learning projects, students explore their personal philosophy of effective leadership and develop plans for mastering key leadership competencies. Consequently, graduates are better prepared to lead and develop healthy, productive organizations and make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Program Design and Required Courses

The Master of Science in Organizational and Strategic Leadership is designed in a unique accelerated format which enables students to complete the entire program in 18 months. Students begin their studies as a cohort group and become members of collaborative learning teams in each subsequent course and throughout the program. All courses integrate work and learning experiences and are taught by faculty who are practitioners/scholars with significant leadership and management experience.

The program consists of 30 required credits, all of which are delivered as ten (10) 3-credit courses in intensive eight-week modules. All courses are taught in a cohort seminar style and are highly interactive, through both classroom and online discussions. Each course includes research, reflection, and experiential learning components. The final Capstone Seminar involves the completion of an Individual Reflective Portfolio (IRB) an individual research project, and a boardroom style Capstone presentation.  In the form of the individual research project, the “deliverable” for the Capstone Seminar can be:  the creation of a new business model, a strategic plan or analysis, or a new program or service for a local nonprofit; but it must have socially or ecologically redeeming value in the Franciscan tradition.  For online cohorts, students are strongly encouraged to visit the campus at least once to meet the Director and tour the library and other instructional resources.

The Organizational and Strategic Leadership Program is organized into three integrated areas of study, each of which requires a specific grouping of courses.

• The first area of study, with the following group of required courses, enables the student to recognize the personal and professional competencies that are needed to be an effective leader.
  • OSL 500 The Challenges of Leadership  
  • OSL 510 Leadership Research and Evaluation  
  • OSL 570 Group Leadership  
• The second area of study, with the following group of required courses, focuses on the development of organizations and the application of leadership competencies.
  • OSL 520 - Effective Leadership and Change Management  
  • OSL 530 - Strategic Planning and Systems Thinking  
  • OSL 550 Fiscal Planning For Effective Leadership  
  • OSL 580 Knowledge Management  
• The third integrated area of study, with the following group of required courses, emphasizes the values of social responsibility, ethics, and civic engagement in developing a global perspective on major societal leadership challenges throughout the world. The program’s Capstone Seminar provides the students with an opportunity to synthesize knowledge and demonstrate mastery of key competencies in the field of strategic leadership.
  • OSL 540 Social And Ethical Responsibility of Leadership  
  • OSL 560 Public Policy and Administrative Law  
  • OSL 600 - OSL 600 Capstone Seminar and Master’s Project  

Program Outcomes

Successful graduates of Neumann University’s Master of Science in Organizational and Strategic Leadership will be able to:

• Clearly describe their personal philosophy of leadership.
• Apply the theories of strategic leadership to life and work situations.
• Demonstrate leadership in working with groups.
• Understand the strategy development and planning process for corporate and nonprofit organizations.
• Understand the systemic forces that drive change in organizations and individuals.
• Analyze public policy and legal issues in today’s global society.
• Demonstrate a worldview of complex problems and their potential solutions.
• Articulate the principles of the Catholic Franciscan Intellectual Tradition, with a particular focus on how those principles are applied to strategic leadership issues.

Admission Requirements

Applicants with a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited, degree-granting institution are eligible for entrance to the Master of Science in Organizational and Strategic Leadership program, subject to the approval of the Program Director.  Acceptance is on a competitive basis after submission of all credentials and an interview.  All applicants must submit the following:

• A completed Graduate Student Application, in person or online through www.neumann.edu.
• Official transcripts from the regionally-accredited institution which granted the Bachelor’s degree.
• Have an undergraduate or graduate GPA of 2.50.  Outstanding applicants whose GPAs are less that 2.50 may be considered for conditional acceptance (please refer to the Conditional Acceptance Policy in the Admissions Information section of this catalog).
• Résumé demonstrating at least three years of appropriate experience. 
• One official letter of recommendation from an academic professional, work supervisor, community leader, etc.
• A letter of intent describing how the Master of Science in Organizational and Strategic Leadership program fits in with the applicant’s overall career goals.
• Up to 6 graduate credits may be considered for transfer, if they serve as suitable, documented academic substitutions. And official academic transcript and course syllabi will be needed for evaluation possible transfer credits.

Once all admission materials have been received and processed through the Office of Admissions, the graduate Program Director will arrange for an interview, if appropriate, following a review of all candidate credentials.

Progression/Retention/Graduation Requirements

To progress in the Master of Science in Organizational and Strategic Leadership, all students must maintain an overall “B” average (cumulative 3.00 GPA) in all required courses and demonstrate satisfactory participation in the program. Completion of all degree requirements for the program must not exceed five years. Exemption to this time limitation must be applied for in a written request to the Director of the program. Graduation from the program is contingent upon the student (1) submitting a signed Application for Graduation form to the Registrar on or before the date specified in the Academic Calendar; and (2) successful completion of all course work, including reports of research and an effective formal presentation of his/her Master’s Project to a faculty committee.

A limit of three Incompletes given. The total number of Incompletes a student may receive in the MSOSL program is limited to three, with exceptions for Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title III of the Americans  with Disabilities Act of 1990; or due to medical necessities verified by a doctor.

Failing a course: No more than two failures (i.e. a final grade of “F”) may be incurred during the entire program, for which the student must re-take and successfully pass a failed course before proceeding to the next course. A third failure will result in a student being dismissed from the program.

Academic Advisor: The Program Director, also serves as the academic advisor for all students in the OSL program. Questions regarding specific course work should be directed to the course instructor. All other academic questions or advising requests should be forwarded to the Program Director, Dr. Samuel M. Lemon, via phone or e-mail: [email protected]  or 610-361-5239.