This course provides an analysis of foundational theories and practices of leadership, emphasizing the application of theoretical concepts to real-life leadership situations. Also examined are the impact of organizational history and structure on today's leadership challenges.

This dynamic course offers a journey into the realm of leadership self-assessment and discovery, empowering students to explore their unique leadership potential and articulate their individual leadership style. Through the exploration of diverse leadership assessments, personal and professional experiences, values, and attitudes, learners will gain insights into their leadership capabilities. By delving into various inventories designed to identify and evaluate leadership competencies, students embark on a process of self-discovery, discussion, and analysis. Through engaging discussions, interactive activities, and reflective exercises, students not only uncover their leadership strengths but also develop a deeper understanding of their leadership style and its impact on organizational dynamics. This course serves as a catalyst for personal and professional growth, equipping students with the tools and knowledge to thrive as effective leaders in today's dynamic and evolving landscape.

This course will explore the complex interplay between communication, persuasion, influence, and motivation, and their impact on organizational behavior. Students will gain skills to become strategic communicators and influencers within organizations. Students will also examine various motivational theories and explore how these theories can be used to motivate and engage individuals and groups. This will be examined through the lens of systems thinking and the importance of being aware of the complexity of organizations as a whole system.

This course engages students in their discovery of skills, practices and theories related to organizational change. Students will identify key factors influencing organizational change, learn skills to minimize resistance to change and analyze key competencies of effective change leaders. Case studies will be examined as the course compares/contrasts different change models and distinguishes key success factors in making change efforts last within our organizations. Using their newly learned resources, students will develop a change leadership "roadmap" that integrates key learning objectives and demonstrates their success as a change leader. Psychometric instruments used in this course include: Tolerance for Ambiguity Scale, Big Five Personality Test.

This course provides students with an in-depth understanding of the principles and practices of change management. Building on foundational knowledge of change management, students will develop skills in leading and managing complex organizational change initiatives. Topics covered include advanced change management frameworks and models, organizational culture and change, stakeholder engagement and communication, change leadership and sponsorship, resistance management, change measurement and evaluation, and change sustainment.

This course provides students with the practical skills and knowledge needed to apply change management principles and practices in real-world settings. Building on foundational knowledge of change management, students will gain hands-on experience in managing change initiatives and developing change management strategies that align with organizational objective.

A complex, interconnected world requires diverse and dynamic teams to address challenges and produce the work product necessary in today’s organizations. This course explores the role of teams within organizations as well as the need for hybrid and virtual teams. Leadership and communication are critical for team success; however, when issues arise, teams need to manage conflict. The diversity of teams can lead to greater innovation and creativity yet can also contribute to conflict on the team. The course will investigate how leadership, communication, and conflict management can be used to develop high-performing teams and a culture of continuous improvement.

This course provides an overview of organizational and leadership coaching and introduces students to the 11 coaching competencies, their significance, and how to apply them in working with coaching clients. It also provides context for coaching credentials, niches and specialties, professional connections, and organizing yourself as a coach. The course provides an introduction to the role and application of ethics and standards in the professional coaching environment. It is a foundational class that will assist students in developing the knowledge and resources needed to handle ethical dilemmas that present themselves in the coach-client relationship.

This course teaches students how to apply various different coaching models and techniques to real-world coaching scenarios. The models offer a useful, powerful structure and steps to follow in the coaching process. Students will learn how to incorporate systems elements into coaching within organizational settings. Students will learn about qualitative and quantitative research practices and discuss how these are applied to the field of coaching. This course also provides students with an overview of how to use leadership assessments in a coaching relationship. These leadership assessments are often used in coaching to develop the client’s awareness, to jump start the initial phase of the coaching, and to provide data for goal setting and return on investment.

This course prepares students to take a national certification exam through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Students will engage in an in-depth exploration of the critical role that human resource management (HRM) plays in achieving strategic business objectives. Students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the strategic nature of HRM and the essential tools and techniques necessary for effective HR strategy implementation.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging help you develop the critical knowledge and skills to become an agent of strategic organizational change and inclusion. Students will learn how to identify, manage, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within organizations, as well as how to address bias and marginalization to cultivate a diverse and inclusive workplace community that inspires a culture of belonging.

This course is an experiential and theoretical exploration in an area of focused study regarding organizational development. Independent inquiry is directed by a member of the faculty. Students with well defined interest areas and practicum directions are encouraged to consider this mode of learning. Contact the program director for more information.

Training involves the identification of essential skills and outcomes, understanding both the systemic and human side of the enterprise, and skills in both design and delivery of learning. This course engages those topics and develops the skills essential to design and delivery of training. This course focuses on development of outcomes and competencies, and identification of best-practices and benchmark efforts. Consideration is also given to the notion of organizational learning.

This course focuses on the skills, and abilities needed by training and development professionals to ensure talent development is a primary mechanism driving organizational performance, productivity, and operational results.

Courses of particular interest to students are developed by the faculty and delivered throughout the year. Small groups of students are encouraged to gather for discussion of particular topics with members of the faculty.

This course explores the foundations of organizational consulting and the roles of internal and external consultants. Topics include the history of consulting, scoping and pricing projects, writing proposals and preparing contracts, and successfully navigating the consulting lifecycle from client entry, diagnosis, and from development to implementation and exit.  

This course explores the challenges of building a successful consulting practice and being an effective organizational consultant. Topics include creating a value proposition, building a brand, setting a strategy and implementing an operating model for a consulting practice as well as consulting competencies, ethical guidelines and professional development strategies for consultants.

This course delves into the core principles of ethical leadership, critical thinking, and strategic decision-making in today’s complex, global organizations. Ethical leadership has been proven to enhance employee engagement, organizational success, and long-term sustainability. Leaders must develop the ability to analyze diverse perspectives, values, and ethical frameworks to navigate modern challenges effectively. Through real-world case studies and industry applications, students will hone their ethical reasoning skills to make data-informed decisions that align with organizational goals. This course equips professionals with the tools to apply ethical leadership models, foster responsible decision-making, and drive positive change in their organizations.

This course provides students with processes and techniques for conducting applied research in the workplace, evaluating various programs and initiatives at work, and critically evaluating and interpreting data to create informed decisions. It focuses on developing decision-making skills and methodologies for examination, evaluation, and prioritization of workplace information. It takes a practical approach to research, prepares students to evaluate the quality of workplace research instruments and data, and builds a foundation for aligning organizational objectives to workplace data.

This three-credit course provides an opportunity for students to apply theory and learning from the MAOL program to the introduction of a collaborative change intervention in a real-life, organizational setting. By studying workplace scenarios and issues, students explore a vision for continuous improvement in the study of leadership. The Capstone process, which involves the student in conducting a detailed case analysis, includes a paper and presentation.