Organizational Leadership, MS
Administrator, Executive, Innovation, Leader, Manage, Management, Manager, Managerial, Organizational, Organizations, Team, leadership, supervisor
Are you excited about developing or furthering your knowledge of organizational leadership in preparation for a managerial role or to enhance your career path? In this program, you'll have the flexibility to develop skills in a field that is in high demand and applicable to many professions.
The Master of Science program in organizational leadership is a flexible and forward-thinking program designed for professionals who want to strengthen their leadership capacity across diverse sectors.
This program offers a rigorous, research-informed foundation in organizational theory and practice. Students gain insight into strategic change, institutional dynamics, collaborative governance, conflict mediation, and the challenges of leading diverse teams. Emphasis is placed on actionable knowledge --- translating theory into effective leadership practice.
Students also develop advanced skills in research methods and data analysis, positioning them to assess organizational effectiveness and drive evidence-based decision-making.
A wide variety of leadership-focused electives --- such as nonprofit leadership, intercultural leadership, emotional intelligence and ethical decision-making --- enable students to tailor their coursework to their personal goals and career aspirations. Students are prepared to lead with insight and integrity, guided by expert faculty.
- College/school:
College of Integrative Sciences and Arts
- Location: Polytechnic, Tempe or Online
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
This program allows students to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. Accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for high-achieving students who want the opportunity to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of their master's degree. These programs feature the same high quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:
Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
33 credit hours and a thesis, or
33 credit hours including the required applied project course (OGL 593)
Required Core (12 credit hours) Required Methods Courses (3 or 6 credit hours) Restricted Electives (9 or 15 credit hours) Culminating Experience (3 or 6 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information For the required methods coursework, applied project students complete OGL 570, and thesis students complete OGL 574 and 575. Depending on their chosen culminating experience, students select three or five courses from an approved restricted elective list, which is available from the academic unit. Other courses may be used for the methods and elective coursework with the academic unit's approval.
OGL 510 Advanced Theories of Organizational Leadership (3)
OGL 520 Organizational Leadership: Social Psychological Perspectives (3)
OGL 530 Critical Perspectives in Leadership Theory (3)
OGL 540 Evidence-based Inquiry in Organizational Leadership (3)
OGL 570 Analyzing Organizations (3) or
OGL 574 Qualitative Data Analysis in Leadership Research (3) and OGL 575 Quantitative Data Analysis in Leadership Research (3)
OGL 593 Applied Project (3)
OGL 599 Thesis (6)
Students complete either an applied project or thesis for the culminating experience.
General university admission requirements:
All students are required to meet general
university admission requirements.
U.S.
applicants | International
applicants | English
proficiency
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any area or related field from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
Applicants are required to submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- letter of intent
- professional resume
- two letters of recommendation
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. The applicant is expected to have a TOEFL iBT® score of 4, or a score of 80 if taken before January 21, 2026 in a testing center; 7 on the IELTS; 115 on the Duolingo English test; or the applicant must have a passing score in the English for Graduate Admission online course through ASU Global Launch.
All applicants must submit a letter of intent that includes a detailed statement of purpose addressing how the program goals align with their personal and professional objectives. The essay should be a maximum of 500 words and is evaluated on the basis of content, presentation and evidence of graduate-level writing ability.
The professional resume or curriculum vitae is limited to two pages.
Applicants must submit two letters of reference that focus on their ability to do academic work. Friends and family members are not appropriate recommenders.
All applications are reviewed holistically, taking into account all application materials, including GPA, letters of recommendation, personal statement and work experience. Applicants should note that meeting any single requirement does not guarantee admission.
ASU offers this program in an online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. Applicants may view the program’s ASU Online page for program descriptions and to request more information.
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program’s learning outcomes include the following:
- Critically evaluate leadership literature in the disciplinary fields of psychology and sociology.
- Evaluate appropriate quantitative and qualitative assessment methods of data analysis
- Create an original scholarly project or thesis in the field of organizational leadership.
Professionals with skills and expertise in critical thinking, organizational social psychology, teamwork, strategic change and leadership theory are in high demand across global industries. Government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations and other employers need professionals with the variety of skills that are developed and refined throughout the program.
Career examples include:
- CEO
- college professor
- human resources manager
- market research analyst
- training and development manager
School of Applied Professional Studies
|
EDB 308
SAPSGrad@asu.edu
602-496-0446
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
