Master of Science in Organizational Leadership,
Project Management Specialization
Online COURSES
Year-round
enrollment
245K+ Alumni Worldwide
Master of Science in Organizational Leadership, Project Management Specialization Overview
This specialization explores principles, concepts, tools, and techniques to improve project performance and organizational effectiveness. Project Management is one of the fastest growing professional disciplines. Students examine all aspects of company projects including cost estimates, budget management, cost control, risk assessment, bid negotiation and contracts, and performance reporting critical to the success of any organization. The graduate specialization provides curriculum for students aspiring to take on project management responsibilities. This specialization focuses on risk management, procurement, monitoring, and multi-project management.
Basis for Admissions
Admission to the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership program requires a conferred bachelor’s and/or a conferred master’s or doctoral degree from a regionally or nationally accredited academic institution. In addition to these general requirements, MSOL applicants have two options for entering the program:
- Direct Entry – Individuals with a previously completed bachelor’s degree in business from a regionally or nationally accredited academic institution may immediately begin the MSOL program.
Note: Students who complete the University’s BBA bridge path in Business Leadership may be eligible to apply four graduate-level courses from the BBA program to the MSOL program. Graduate-level courses completed in the BBA bridge path must be completed with a grade point average of 3.0 (grade of “B”) or better.
- Evaluation Track – Individuals who do not meet direct entry requirements will begin their degree plan with MSOL-5000 – Leadership Development and Practice, followed by SKS-5001 – Comprehensive Strategic Knowledge Studies, and upon successful completion of SKS-5001 take the remaining courses in their degree plan.
Students who feel that they have the business background and knowledge are allowed to take a test-out exam that covers the major business areas. The student must score 70 or above on the exam and can be taken no later than two weeks prior to the beginning of SKS-5001 course. This can be discussed with your enrollment or academic and finance advisor.
Students who enter through the evaluation track and do not immediately test out of SKS-5001 prior to having the course placed in their degree plan are not permitted to participate in the Accelerated MSOL program.
Course Details
Degree Requirements
The Master of Science in Organizational Leadership is a 30 credit program comprised of 18 core credits, 9 specialization credits and 3 capstone credits. Graduates of the program must complete 30 credit hours. Students may select a discipline-specific specialization of their interest.
Students assume full responsibility for understanding both the foundational, specialization and capstone requirements of the program. Switching programs after completing coursework may result in reevaluation, monetary loss, loss of credit hours and/or the need to take additional credit hours. Students’ Academic and Finance Advisors can assist with any questions related to program requirements.
The University may accept a maximum of 12 semester credit hours in transfer toward the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership for graduate course work completed at an external accredited college or university with a grade of “B” or better. See the Transfer Credit Policy for additional information.
Note: Students with a conferred BBA degree from the University who complete graduate-level coursework with a grade of “B” or better to satisfy required undergraduate specialization credit hours may be eligible to apply up to 12 graduate-level credit hours from the BBA program to the MSOL program. Please see the Bachelor of Business Administration program for program-specific course requirements.
Course Sequence
Course Name
In this course, you will begin to develop and enrich your leadership skills, while exploring historical trends in management through the lens of leadership theories and behaviors. In the leadership role, you will analyze and apply concepts and models to real organizational situations. Through self-assessments, explore your own leadership style, skills, and goals to create a personal leadership profile that will grow throughout the program.
In this course, you will begin to develop and enrich your leadership skills, while exploring historical trends in management through the lens of leadership theories and behaviors. In the leadership role, you will analyze and apply concepts and models to real organizational situations. Through self-assessments, explore your own leadership style, skills, and goals to create a personal leadership profile that will grow throughout the program.
In this course, you will continue your journey of leadership development through introspective reflection, examining your personal/organization values in business and societal settings. You will develop skills in ethical decision making to further enhance organizational performance and goal achievement.
Today’s organization is immersed in a competitive and dynamic environment requiring adaptive organizational structures to increase capacity and create a framework for development and growth. Within the organizational environment, leaders must be equipped to resolve conflict. The emphasis in this course is on leadership and relationship styles among individuals within the organization. You will develop skills needed to lead diverse teams, develop others, and apply strategies to create a culture of continuous improvement.
Leading change is one of the most important and difficult challenges facing any leader. This course is an introduction to the role of leadership in managing change and responding to organizational crises. As a leader, you will analyze strategies for managing change as a constant state, evaluate situations for potential crises, and develop proactive approaches for crisis management. Effective communication strategies are key to successfully leading through these situations.
Organizational strategy is impacted by increasing globalization, uncertainty in the marketplace, and disruptive innovation. Leaders must respond by creating an organizational learning culture to promote strategic innovation, and adapt and grow in a constantly changing environment. This course helps you build the capacity for strategic leadership to meet organizational challenges. In the role of leader, you will learn to develop leadership strategies, skills, and tools required for creating a plan to reinforce organizational strategies and competitive growth.
You will learn to use data analytics that can be used for leadership development to guide your decisions, set priorities, and determine where to invest your times and resources. You will also utilize data analytics to assess an organization’s ability to effectively use data to compete in the 21st century marketplace.
Specialization Course 1
Specialization Course 2
Specialization Course 3
In this capstone course, you will have the opportunity to apply the concepts and principles that you have learned throughout your Master of Science in Organizational Leadership program, after you first identify a challenge or issue that you choose to investigate, utilizing an organization that you are familiar with. This can include issues of diversity and awareness, communication problems, leadership issues, and conflict, to name a few. You will begin by recognizing the applicable stakeholders and then use relevant knowledge and data to construct a plan for addressing and resolving the challenge. The project will culminate in the creation of an assessment strategy for evaluating plan results. An important component of this course is a comprehensive self-analysis of your preparedness to act in a leadership role including an understanding of your own bias’, through the finalization of your Personal Leadership Profile that you have been working on throughout your degree program.
Project Management Specialization Courses
Course Name
Project Procurement Management includes the processes necessary to acquire the materials necessary for the project team to perform their mission. This course includes contract management and the change control processes required to administer contracts or purchase orders issued by project team members.
Project risk is an uncertain event or condition that can have either a positive or negative effect on a project’s objectives. This course includes the processes concerned with conducting project risk management planning, identification, analysis, mitigation and monitoring and control.
This course will explore techniques and skills that can mitigate human resource problems in the project and program environment. Such problems can cause delays, erode quality, increase costs, and result in high levels of stress for everyone on the project team. This course will introduce and investigate soft skills utilized in management, leadership, and team building that can be applied to manage tough human resource issues. Students will examine concepts of leadership and organizational behavior to promote their effectiveness as both project leaders and project managers. Integration of tools and technology such as social media and management of virtual and multi-cultural teams will also be studied.
Learning Outcomes
Students earning the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership degree with a Project Management specialization will learn to:
- Assess the current state of leadership practice within a given profession
- Evaluate the components of leadership that contribute to the health of an organization
- Apply best leadership practices within a given organization
- Evaluate themselves as leaders
Program Disclosure
Successful completion and attainment of National University degrees do not lead to automatic or immediate licensure, employment, or certification in any state/country. The University cannot guarantee that any professional organization or business will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any certification, licensure, or related exam for the purpose of professional certification.
Program availability varies by state. Many disciplines, professions, and jobs require disclosure of an individual’s criminal history, and a variety of states require background checks to apply to, or be eligible for, certain certificates, registrations, and licenses. Existence of a criminal history may also subject an individual to denial of an initial application for a certificate, registration, or license and/or result in the revocation or suspension of an existing certificate, registration, or license. Requirements can vary by state, occupation, and/or licensing authority.
NU graduates will be subject to additional requirements on a program, certification/licensure, employment, and state-by-state basis that can include one or more of the following items: internships, practicum experience, additional coursework, exams, tests, drug testing, earning an additional degree, and/or other training/education requirements.
All prospective students are advised to review employment, certification, and/or licensure requirements in their state, and to contact the certification/licensing body of the state and/or country where they intend to obtain certification/licensure to verify that these courses/programs qualify in that state/country, prior to enrolling. Prospective students are also advised to regularly review the state’s/country’s policies and procedures relating to certification/licensure, as those policies are subject to change.
National University degrees do not guarantee employment or salary of any kind. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to review desired job positions to review degrees, education, and/or training required to apply for desired positions. Prospective students should monitor these positions as requirements, salary, and other relevant factors can change over time.