Leadership and Organizational Development, M.S.

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Students who have successfully completed the M.S. in Leadership and Organizational Development degree from Lakeland University should be able to:

Communicate effectively including the appropriate use of technology.
Identify managerial interpersonal skills needed to motivate employees and carry out business objectives.
Demonstrate effective ethical, professional, and collaborative behaviors.
Apply the discipline of leadership to creatively engage the community in meeting its challenges.
Apply theory and principles of group dynamics in assuming multiple group roles and responsibilities.

Admission Requirements for the M.S. in Leadership and Organizational Development in Addition to Those Listed Under General Admission Requirements

General Admission Requirements

Typically a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 or a minimum score of 500 on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is required for admission. However, admissions decisions are made with consideration of the candidate’s application in its entirety.
A written statement of purpose is required, indicating how an M.S. in Leadership and Organizational Development educational experience would help the applicant meet professional goals and what leadership or managerial skills the applicant would bring to this program. The statement should be limited to 250 words.
A current resume must also be submitted.

Conditional Admission Policy

An applicant may apply for conditional admission to the Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Development program. To be considered for conditional admission by the program director, applicants typically have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least a 2.5 and meet all of the following criteria:

A Statement of Purpose that reflects educational or career experiences that would help the applicant achieve academic success in the program.
Submission of three (3) letters of recommendations from supervisors or instructors that provide support and evidence of the student’s ability to achieve success at the graduate level.
Evidence of at least one of the following:
- The student’s GPA is at least a 3.0 during the last two years of the baccalaureate program (calculated on a minimum of 48 semester hours)
- Completion of six or more semester hours of program-approved post-baccalaureate courses. These courses must be at the advanced undergraduate or graduate level, taken within the last five years with a grade of B or better.
- A score of at least 450 on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)
- Completion of the MBA-level foundation courses (BA 600 and BA 610 ) with a grade of B or better.
The applicant’s conditional status will be reviewed once he/she completes six (6) semester hours of graduate coursework. An applicant in conditional status who achieves a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher may be granted full admission.

Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Development (30 semester hours)

Complete the following core courses:

Complete one of the following concentration areas OR

Complete nine (9) semester hours of any Business Administration (BA) or Leadership & Organizational Development (LO) courses offered:***

***Note:

Students completing a specific concentration must meet prerequisite course requirements.
A course used to satisfy the requirements of one concentration may not be applied to the requirements of another concentration.
Students completing Accounting, Finance and Supply Management concentrations are not financial aid eligible for prerequisite coursework that is outside the Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Development degree program requirements.
If a student wishes to pursue Accounting, Finance and Supply Management concentrations and does not meet the prerequisite requirements, the student may complete the prerequisite coursework at their own expense. Prerequisite coursework may not count toward degree requirements in the concentration.

Accounting Concentration

Nine (9) additional semester hours from the following:

Finance Concentration

Nine (9) additional semester hours from the following:

Healthcare Management Concentration

Hospitality Management Concentration

Nine (9) semester hours of BA 774 - Cooperative Education Experience-Graduate (3-6 semester hours) .

Students must enroll in BA 774 in their first semester in the Master’s program (M.B.A. or M.S. in Leadership and Organizational Development) in order to pursue this concentration.

Human Resource Management Concentration

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has acknowledged that the Master of Business Administration or Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Development with a concentration in Human Resource Management fully aligns with SHRM’s HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates. Throughout the world, 401 programs in 299 educational institutions have been acknowledged by SHRM as being in alignment with its suggested guides and templates. The HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates were developed by SHRM to define the minimum HR content areas that should be studied by HR students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The guidelines – created in 2006 and revalidated in 2010 and 2013 – are part of SHRM’s Academic Initiative to define HR education standards taught in university business schools and help universities develop degree programs that follow these standards.

Nonprofit Leadership Concentration

Project Management Concentration

Sport Leadership Concentration

Student Designed Concentration

Students may propose a nine (9) semester hour concentration in an area of professional interest. Students may fulfill the concentration requirement by completing current M.B.A. or M.S. in Leadership and Organizational Development program elective course(s) and any prerequisites, BA 795 - Special Studies Project course to pursue subjects or projects of interest Lakeland University may not offer, or a combination of the two. This concentration plan must be approved in advance by the Director of Graduate Business Programs.