MS Leadership & Graduate Certificate in Leadership Course Descriptions
Below find MS Leadership & Graduate Certificate in Leadership course descriptions.
Required Graduate Leadership Seminar
LDRS 500 – Principled Leadership Seminar – 0 Credit Hours
Free course with required completion in first semester enrollment.
Core Courses
PSYC 570 – Social and Cognitive Foundations of Interpersonal Behavior – 3 Credit Hours
This course presents a survey of the scientific study of social influence, emphasizing that a fundamental understanding of the basic forces affecting how individuals think and behave in social settings serves as a cornerstone of effective interpersonal behavior and sound leadership. Prerequisite: None
LDRS 722 – Leadership in Organizations: Principles and Practices – 3 Credit Hours
This course is a seminar that focuses on the understanding and application of organizational theory and leadership principles. In addition, the course will include components on developing individual leadership skills and different theories of organizations. The applications component of the course will include a variety of approaches such as cases, films, guest speakers, individual self-assessments, role play, team building exercises, and a leadership portfolio. Prerequisite: None
LDRS 723– Communications for Leadership – 3 Credit Hours
This course provides insight on the role of organizations as communication systems in which effective writing and speaking are crucial. Emphasis is on developing awareness of verbal and written styles, interpersonal skills, and creating a repertoire of writing and speaking strategies. Prerequisite: None
LDRS 710 – Ethics, Values, & Principled Leadership – 3 Credit Hours
In this course students will study ethics, to include its philosophical foundations. Students will also learn and practice ethical decision-making through dilemma resolution processes. Leadership virtues, values, and character will be emphasized as leadership essentials. Servant leadership, authentic leadership, and the role of individual spirituality will be explored. Principled leadership will be defined as the subscription to a particular set of positive values. Prerequisite: None
LDRS 711 – Leading Change: Organization Development and Transformation – 3 Credit Hours
In this course students examine the leadership processes associated with achieving effective change, including transformational and situational leadership. Students will study the conscious and purposeful processes involved in developing an organization’s capabilities targeted toward achieving its mission. Students will engage in organizational diagnoses and study leader intervention methods aimed at achieving organizational change with the goal of improvement toward mission accomplishment. Prerequisite: LDRS 722
LDRS 712 – Leading Teams: Coaching, Culture, Diversity, & Globalization – 3 Credit Hours
This course focuses upon team development through leadership in an environment characterized by diversity. Students learn about effective team development strategies and the role that leaders play in coaching. Students also examine the role of culture in organizations as it impacts behavior, group effectiveness, and the capability of the organization to learn. Globalization and international cultures are also explored. Prerequisite: None
LDRS 714 – Strategic Leadership, Vision, Mission, and Contemporary Issues – 3 Credit Hours
The critical importance of vision as purposeful direction in emphasized in this course. Strategic leadership is examined as the alignment of the organization with its environment in terms of mission orientation. Contemporary issues are derived from the examination of the current environment for leadership and leaders. Prerequisite: LDRS 722 or PSYC 570
Research Courses
PSCI 501 – Research Methods in Social Science – 3 Credit Hours
An examination of methods in the scientific study of social phenomena with emphasis given to the systematic study of society and contemporary research problem in the social sciences, including research design, data collection, data analysis, and computer applications. Prerequisite: None
EDUC 512 – Data Collection & Analysis – 3 Credit Hours
Coursework designed to introduce the graduate student to quantitative methods to include construction of assessment instruments analysis and interpretation of quantitative data. Students will be required to develop minimum competence in use of microcomputers for descriptive statistical analysis and word processing. Emphasis will be placed on the development of skills in critical analysis of literature relating to effective schools. The ability to analyze research data should result in improved by professional performance. Prerequisite: None
Capstone Course
LDRS 715 – Leadership Capstone Project – 3 Credit Hours
Students will conduct a formal research project under the guidance of a professor who serves as the project monitor. The project will focus upon leadership or a topic directly related to leadership. Prerequisites: This course should be taken within the last six hours of a student’s MS Leadership program of study.
Elective Courses
LDRS 713 – Leadership Self-Appraisal – 3 Credit Hours
Leadership development is the ongoing desire to create and enhance the ability of people to work together to achieve direction, alignment and commitment (Paterson, et al, 2017). This effort begins with every individual leader understanding themselves and seeking to lead in an authentic and selfless manner. This course helps students discover their leadership styles and preferences, using readings, videos, and proven surveys. More important, the course will help students demonstrate their leadership to others. Prerequisite: None
LDRS 733 – Nonprofit Leadership – 3 Credit Hours
Nonprofit organizations play a vital role in our pluralistic society. The shared governance model, funding structure, and policy constraints present complex leadership challenges for nonprofit executives, board members, staff, clients, and financial supporters. This course will prepare nonprofit board and staff members to navigate these unique challenges and strategically optimize opportunities to advance their organizational missions. Prerequisite: None
LDRS 733 —Crisis Communication and Leadership – 3 Credit Hours
Due to its unexpected arrival and catastrophic potential, a crisis can overwhelm an individual, an organization, and a nation. This course explores how leaders respond to crisis through the use of communication skills and strategies. Particularly, case studies will illustrate the organizational and rhetorical contexts that leaders of all industries need
to identify in order to respond effectively and appropriately to internal and external stakeholders before, during, and after a crisis. Prerequisite: None
LDRS 766 —Human Resource Development – 3 Credit Hours
This course examines Human Resource Development (HRD) as a field through the learning, development, and behavior of humans in social systems. These systems include but are not limited to, workforce, education, and family. Research from Management Science, Education, Psychology, and Sociology strengthen HRD theory and practice. The purpose of this course is to explore the integration of the individual into work organizations by examining work issues in learning, training, leadership, and psychosocial development. A primary focus of this course is on applied performance management informed by human sciences research as a tool that can be applied to productivity. Prerequisite: None
Note: This course relates to, but is distinct from, MGMT 732 Human Resource Management.
PSCI 500—Seminar in Social Science – 3 Credit Hours
An interdisciplinary introduction to the social sciences with an emphasis on the perspectives and patterns of inquiry of several subfields. This course surveys the empirical and theoretical contributions of different social science disciplines in order to provide a fundamental understanding of the dynamics of individual and group behavior. Topics include ethics, social science methodology, and the key criticisms of these methods. Prerequisite: None
PSYC 500 – Human Growth & Development – 3 Credit Hours
An analysis of the principles of human development with emphasis on the contributions of biological, social, psychological, and multicultural influences as applied to an understanding of cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development across the life-span. Particular emphasis will be given to the psychobiological nature and social context of development as well as cultural and ethnic variations impacting on developmental processes. Prerequisite: None
Graduate Certificate in Military Leadership Course Descriptions
LDRS 500 – Principled Leadership Seminar – 0 Credit Hours
Free course with required completion in first semester enrollment.
LDRS 711 – Leading Change: Organization Development and Transformation – 3 Credit Hours
In this course students examine the leadership processes associated with achieving effective change, including transformational and situational leadership. Students will study the conscious and purposeful processes involved in developing an organization’s capabilities targeted toward achieving its mission. Students will engage in organizational diagnoses and study leader intervention methods aimed at achieving organizational change with the goal of improvement toward mission accomplishment. Prerequisite: LDRS 722
LDRS 750 – Evolution of Military Leadership Thought – 3 Credit Hours
This foundational course utilizes principles, theories, and empirical models of effective and principled leadership to explore the development of military leadership thought. Leadership will be examined as a behavioral science and applied in the specific context of military teams, units, and organizations. The course welcomes graduate students from various organizational and career backgrounds who are interested in military leadership. Prerequisite: None
LDRS 751 – Survey of U.S. Military Leaders – 3 Credit Hours
This course gives the student the opportunity to apply the leadership theories and models learned in LDRS 750 to examine U.S. military leaders. The course will focus on selected U.S. military leaders. These leaders will be examined for their historical significance, their successes/failures, their styles, their backgrounds, how they developed as leaders, and their leadership skills and effectiveness. Prerequisite: LDRS 750
LDRS 752 – Survey of World Military Leaders – 3 Credit Hours
This course examines military leadership in world history, identifying the qualities and precepts of military leadership to distill applicable principles and instructive examples for contemporary and future leaders. It examines military leadership at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels, and across multiple eras. The focus is on non-American military leaders. Prerequisite: LDRS 750
LDRS 753 – Strategy and Contemporty Military Leadership Issues – 3 Credit Hours
This course focuses on contemporary military leadership issues derived from the examination of the current environment for military leadership. In addition, the course covers the basics of strategy and will include a significant examination of U. S. military strategy. Prerequisite: LDRS 750