Business and Administration

Overview

In addition to University Requirements:

• Core Area (15 units)
• Emphasis Area (15 units)

Minimum Units for Completion	30
Additional Admission Requirements	Admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
Emphasis, Minor, Certificate	Emphasis, minor, and/or certificate are required.
Some online/blended coursework	Required
Progression Plan Link	View Program of Study

Purpose Statement

NAU’s Master of Organizational Leadership degree prepares experienced professionals from a variety of business, government, and nongovernmental organizations, for management and leadership responsibilities. 
 
NAU’s organizational leadership program equips students to solve real-world organizational challenges.  Students learn how to manage and strengthen the components of an organization by analyzing and applying leadership theory; by engaging diverse cultures through effective communication and conflict negotiation; by strategically planning, implementing and evaluating initiatives; and by effectively managing projects to accomplish broader goals.  Students learn how to understand organizational problems, develop effective solutions and lead their implementation.  The capstone course integrates program academic knowledge and leadership skills through an analysis of case studies and emphasis-driven research papers that integrate graduate-level research, analysis and writing.
 
Our Master in Organizational Leadership will provide you with the opportunity to delve deeply into the knowledge and skills of organizational leadership, or specialize in your personal area of interest. Students interested in a deep development of organizational leadership principles will learn how to manage information systems and human capital, engage in effective decision-making, and lead change initiatives.  Students interested in specializing in their personal area of interest may choose an emphasis in:

• Project Management, (wherein students will learn to estimate project costs, schedule and control projects, expand their repertoire of project management strategies and methodologies, and apply their project skills to real-world scenarios) or
• Justice Studies (wherein students explore and analyze current issues influencing the criminal justice field and propose practical, evidence-based solutions).

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Understand and Apply Theory

• Examine administration, leadership and organizational theories, and knowledge of ethical and effective management.
• Apply theories to effectively and ethically manage diverse cultures emerging within organizations.
• Appropriately integrate and apply administrative, leadership and organizational theories to scholarly knowledge from the student’s emphasis area.

2. Communication: Design, write and produce documents meeting professional standards their emphasis area.
 
3. Research & Program Evaluation

• Conduct research studies and program evaluations in a manner that meets rigorous methodological standards.
• Ensure research designs and program evaluations are conducted in a manner that they can produce useful, actionable results. 
• Apply findings from research and program evaluations to improve organizational effectiveness.

 
4. Problem Solving: Analyze problems and create solutions using a variety of qualitative and quantitative problem-solving processes, technologies, systems approaches, and innovative/creative thinking.
 
5. Professional Experience: Demonstrate professional skills applied to practical problems by consistently meeting deadlines, and working both independently and collaboratively in teams.

Organizational Leadership Emphasis Outcomes:

• Effectively apply the various roles of management information systems toward advancing strategic goals and the operational success of an organization.
• Critically appraise the impact of managerial practices on human capital resourcing, and develop solutions to employment management issues.
• Introduce, explore and overcome resistance to change.
• Implement tools to make decisions in a variety of situations, engage human capital in achieving goals and evaluate the results of decisions.

 
Project Management Emphasis Outcomes:

• Forecast time, resource, and budgeting requirements for a project to coordinate the work within a project team and meet project objectives.
• Analyze how issues of cost and schedule impact project development and implementation.
• Apply the theoretical and practical aspects of project management to formulate strategies enabling organizations to achieve strategic goals using projects.

 
Justice Studies Emphasis Outcomes:

• Apply leadership and criminological theories to develop effective strategies for leading within a criminal justice organization.
• Assess current ethical issues impacting the criminal justice field and develop practical solutions for addressing such issues.
• Evaluate current issues impacting the criminal justice field and propose strategies for effectively leading in the current environment.