Master of Arts with a Major in Leadership

34 Semester Credit Hours
Note: Students may not proceed into the first course without first attending a financial and student services orientation.

LDSP 5000: Introduction to Graduate Studies. 1 credit

Successful executives assess and plan their own development. This course will draw on the latest research concerning professional development, enabling students to assess their own level of professional development and consider various strategies for improvement. In particular, students will evaluate their managerial and leadership competencies from several perspectives. Students will also formulate an individual action plan for improving their managerial and leadership competencies. (3 weeks)

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LDSP 5010: Preparing for Professional Progress.
3 credits

Successful executives assess and plan their own development. This course will draw on the latest research concerning professional development, enabling students to assess their own level of professional development and consider various strategies for improvement. In particular, students will evaluate their managerial and leadership competencies from several perspectives. Students will also formulate an individual action plan for improving their managerial and leadership competencies. (6 weeks)

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LDSP 5260: Advanced Power Writing. 3 credits

Paperwork is the life blood of organizations. This course will focus on preparing persuasive memos, letters, and reports used in a wide variety of organizational settings and executive functions. Students will develop skills related to synthesizing, organizing, and transforming ideas and beliefs into executive documents that lead to successful outcomes within the organization. Particular emphasis will be placed on the style, content, and mechanics of executive writing. (6 weeks)

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LDSP 5200: Leadership Theory and Practice. 3 credits

This course will serve as the foundation course for the leadership major. The course will examine classical as well as contemporary leadership theories. Students will define leadership and explore such constructs as the need for principled leadership, the scope of leadership and the relationship of followership. Students will also develop leadership models for the 21st century. (6 weeks)

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LDSP 5410: Values Based Management. 3 credits

Personal values affect organizational behavior. This course allows students to differentiate, evaluate, and critique various individual, cultural, and organizational value systems. Emphasis is placed upon recognizing both the legal and ethical issues involved in the integration of these value systems within the organizational context. (6 weeks)

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LDSP 6210: Organizational Systems and Structure.
3 credits

Organizations are continually evolving. This course will allow students to examine and evaluate various strategies that organizations adopt to organize and structure work environments, and determine when each is most appropriate. The course will draw heavily on current theory with a special emphasis on systems thinking. Students will be required to analyze and integrate systems theory to organizational structures and issues. (6 weeks)

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LDSP 5310: Organizational Information. 3 credits

Executives must understand data reports. This course will evaluate the various financial and operational reports generated by organizations. Particular emphasis will be placed on analyzing and interpreting data for the purpose of making both operational and strategic management decisions.
(6 weeks)

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LDSP 6220: Organizational Culture and Politics.
3 credits

Organizations are political systems. This course examines various determinants which influence how executives manage people in complex organizations. Students will analyze the role of individual and group attitudes, norms, and subcultures within organizations, as well as the importance of developing shared values. Students will also analyze organizations in terms of prevailing internal political systems. (6 weeks)

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LDSP 6310: Organizational Influence and Power.
3 credits

Executives must influence others effectively. This course provides students the opportunity to appraise the influence of personality, situational and cultural factors on decision-making. Special emphasis will be placed on relating current theories of influence, motivation and power to organizational leadership issues. (6 weeks)

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LDSP 6610: Managing Organizational Conflict. 3 credits

Conflict within organizations is inevitable. This course allows students to examine and analyze the current research on individual and organizational conflict. Students will evaluate models and strategies for managing conflict in a productive manner, emphasizing win-win principles. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding and integrating the role of various personal and organizational value systems in conflict situations. (6 weeks)

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LDSP 6720: Developing Effective Decision Models.
3 credits

Success demands good judgment. This is an interdisciplinary course designed to help students integrate practical experience and theoretical insights to develop creative, imaginative, flexible, and practical actions. Emphasis will be placed on evaluating and selecting appropriate tools, procedures and behaviors for solving organizational problems and making sound managerial decisions. (6 weeks)

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LDSP 6810: The Capstone Experience. 3 credits

This course provides students the opportunity to demonstrate and integrate their mastery of the entire curriculum content by addressing real organizational issues. Emphasis will be placed on selecting, evaluating and analyzing a current issue, and then designing and formulating a plan that appropriately addresses the issue. The outcome will include a thesis-type report and presentation demonstrating individual and team competence. (6 weeks)

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All courses within this curriculum must be taken, and all courses must be taken in the prescribed sequence. Any exceptions must be approved by the graduate faculty. If attendance is uninterrupted, this curriculum can be completed in approximately 16 months. Shorter College reserves the right to change the courses and to revise the course sequence.