MAOL Course Descriptions

PHASE ONE COURSES

LSTD 5003 Introduction to Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies 

Intensive course providing orientation to advanced interdisciplinary study, appreciation for standards of performance and scholarship appropriate to graduate study, development of skills necessary for success in academic research and writing in a graduate interdisciplinary program.

LSAL 5013. Interdisciplinary Foundations for Leadership. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing. An introduction to the concept of interdisciplinarity as an organizing principle for understanding and interpreting models, theories, and applications of leadership in a variety of organizational settings. Provides selected readings designed to reinforce the interdisciplinary approach to graduate studies in leadership. (F, Sp, Su)

LSAL 5053. Research Methods in Organizations. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing. Theories, techniques, and application of research designed to prepare leadership students to understand and respond to applied research involving organizational leadership and organizational settings. (F, Sp, Su)

PHASE TWO COURSES

LSAL 5113 Theories of Management and Leadership 

This course explores and analyzes the concept of leadership including such topics as leadership theory, changing leadership roles, power, decision-making, empowerment, vision, communication, diversity, and ethics

LSAL 5193 Creating, Leading, and Managing Change 

An examination of effective leadership skills necessary to create and manage change in a variety of organizational settings. Topics include leadership styles in change management, organizational change strategies, models, frameworks and the potential barriers to change in organizations.

LSAL 5133 Cultures of Organizations 

How you understand or explain a phenomenon – whether it be a static thing like a painting or a set of dynamic events such as group behavior in an organization – determines how you act. Your actions are then interpreted by many different people, and each will attach to it a unique explanation or interpretation.

PHASES THREE COURSES

Organizational Leadership Track

LSAL 5223 Financial Leadership

Introduces foundational accounting principles and financial concepts for non-financial managers. Topics include analysis of financial reports, communication of financial data to organizational leaders and stakeholders and financial planning.

LSAL 5283 Building High Performance Teams

Provides students with the knowledge needed to identify a group’s current functioning and build the necessary conditions to create a high-performance team. Explores components of teams and examines the qualities of one who is capable of leading groups of people effectively.

Nonprofit and Volunteer Leadership Track

LSAL 5323 Fundraising and Budgeting

Provides students with an overview of the history, philosophy, and ethics of fundraising and development. Students will learn about building relationships, goal setting, communication and how to build strategic fundraising plans to support a non-profit organization’s vision.

LSAL 5353 Nonprofit Governance

Provides students with an overview of key issues involved in the governance of nonprofit organizations and the role of nonprofit boards. Major governance models are examined and implications of using the different models are discussed.

Government and Military Leadership Track

LSAL 5403 Leadership in History

This course analyzes principles of leadership, using prominent examples drawn from history to discern patterns and test categories of and theoretical generalizations on leadership. The pertinent discussions aim to facilitate the understanding of leadership in different historical contexts. Consideration is given to success and failure, the relative importance of personality vs. circumstances, leadership characteristics and styles.

LSAL 5463 US Military Leadership: Insights and Applications

This is a graduate level course that studies leadership, both uniformed and civilian, in the United States military from 1775 to 2000. It does this within the context of the evolution of American military from a small 18th century army and wooden ship-and-sail navy to the globe-dominating colossus of the late 20th century. This context includes the impact of technology, maturing military theory and the changing position of the United States in the world. All of this produced diverse leadership styles which are illustrated in the careers of military leaders such as George Washington, U. S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, David Farragut, John Pershing, Hap Arnold, George C. Marshall and many others.

PHASE FOUR ELCP COURSES

LSAL 5903 - Experiential Leadership I

The course equips students with skills critical to developing strategy, maximizing their impact in leadership roles, and developing advanced leadership tools, including how to increase an organization's leadership capacity.

LSAL 5913 - Experiential Leadership II

Students critique personal leadership skills, abilities, and strategies to build a productive team through effective planning, coaching, and decision-making.

LSAL 5953 – Experiential Leadership III

Experiential application of leadership development skills, abilities, and strategies to enhance individual leadership performance and build productive teams and organizations through effective strategic planning, employee selection, succession planning, talent management, and training and development. Comprehensive Exam embedded in the course.

APPROVED ELECTIVES

LSAL 5153 Ethics in Leadership

An interdisciplinary inquiry into the nature of ethics, the relationship between ethics and morals, and the function of ethics in a social context. Major emphasis is on the effect of ethical decision making on successful leadership and the role that ethical behavior plays in the success of organizations.

LSAL 5173 The Individual and Leadership

This course explores the social, psychological, and behavioral characteristics of leadership, personal skills that enhance leadership ability, and strategies for dealing with interpersonal problems in organizations.

LSAL 5203 Leadership Issues in Decision Making

An interdisciplinary inquiry into the nature and attributes of rational and irrational decision making. Content will include research on how decisions must often be made with incomplete evidence, the use of cognitive psychology in decision making from a human intelligence perspective, and how decisions are made from a social and cultural process. Students will learn leadership decision making from individual, small group, and social environment contexts, as well as values of good decisions and the unintended consequences of poor decisions. 

LSAL 5223 Financial Leadership in Organizations

Introduces foundational accounting principles and financial concepts for non-financial managers. Topics include analysis of financial reports, communication of financial data to organizational leaders and stakeholders, and financial planning.

LSAL 5243 Project Management

LSAL 5253 Ethics in Organizations

LSAL 5273 Planning in Organizations

LSAL 5313 Organizational Communication

An interdisciplinary inquiry in the role information and knowledge management play in making decisions in organizations, fundamental issues in the management of information, how people in organizations exchange information, and ultimately how effective sharing of information leads to effective problem solving. 

LSAL 5333 Motivation and Leadership

Exploration of personal and work motivation, including discussion of relevant theories and their application in leadership and the workplace.

LSAL 5283 Building High-Performance Teams

Provides students with the knowledge needed to identify a group's current functioning and build the necessary conditions to create a high-performance team. Explores components of teams and examines the qualities of one who is capable of leading groups of people effectively.

LSAL 5293 Leadership in Practice

LSAL 5323 Fundraising and Budgeting – for nonprofits

Provides students with an overview of the history, philosophy, and ethics of fundraising and development. Students will learn about building relationships, goal setting, communication, and how to build strategic fundraising plans to support a non-profit organization's vision.

LSAL 5353 Non-profit Governance

Provides students with an overview of key issues involved in the governance of nonprofit organizations and the role of nonprofit boards. Major governance models are examined and implications of using the different models are discussed.

LSAL 5363 Staffing and Talent Management in Organizations

LSAL 5393 Followership

Introduction to the follower and the dynamics that result from followership in various organizational settings. Topics include theories and definitions of followership, categorization of follower types, and discussion of how followers can be a positive influence against ineffective or bad leadership.

LSAL 5403 Leadership in History

Analysis of leadership principles using prominent examples drawn from history to discern patterns and test categories and theoretical generalizations of leadership. Discussions aim to facilitate the understanding of leadership in different historical contexts. Consideration is given to success and failure, the relative importance of personality vs. circumstances, leadership characteristics and styles.

LSAL 5423 Women in Leadership

Exploration of women leaders and their influence on their respective societies, as well as contributions on a broader spectrum. Special attention is focused on how women leaders from different eras became change agents and what particular issues made them transformational leaders.

LSAL 5443 Religious Leaders for Social Justice

LSAL 5483 National Security Leadership

Discussion of leadership within the environment of the U.S. national security system. Course addresses the legislation that created the current national security system and examines the structure of the national security community, how it has evolved, and how it operates in practice.

LSAL 5463 US Military Leadership: Insights and Applications

Studies leadership, both uniformed and civilian, in the United States military from 1775 to present within the context of the evolution of American military from a small 18th-century army and wooden ship-and-sail navy to the globe-dominating colossus of the late 20th-century. Includes the impact of technology, maturing military theory, and the changing position of the United States in the world that produced diverse leadership styles which are illustrated in the careers of military leaders such as George Washington, U.S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, David Farragut, John Pershing, Hap Arnold, George C. Marshall, and many others.

LSAL 5513 Foundations in Coaching

LSAL 5533 Theories of Coaching

LSAL 5553 Assessment-Based Coaching

An examination of best practices for using assessment results to conduct data-driven leadership and executive coaching and to maximize coaching effectiveness.

LSAL 5573 Careers in Coaching

LSAL 5593 Development and Grant Writing

An in-depth exploration of the grant attainment process, including practical exercises in proposal writing and the grant review process.

LSAL 5700 Advanced Topics in Organizational Leadership

LSAL 5700 Financial Leadership

Introduces foundational accounting principles and financial concepts for non-financial managers. Topics include analysis of financial reports, communication of financial data to organizational leaders and stakeholders, and financial planning.

LSAL 5713 Significance of Race in American Society

Advanced studies in various organizational leadership topics, offered under stated titles determined each semester by the instructor involved. Intensive research on a topic related to the student's program of study

LSAL 5733 Overcoming Educational Inequality in America

LSAL 5793 Exploring Race and Gender in Film

LSAL 5920 Internship in Organizational Leadership

LSTD 5700 Advanced Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies

LSTD 5930 Feaver-MacMinn Seminar

LSTD 5940 Research Project in Liberal Studies

LSTD 5960 Directed Readings

LSTD 5970 Special Topics/Seminar

LSTD 5980 Research for Master's Thesis

LSTD 5990 Independent Study

Or other courses as approved by a faculty adviser and graduate liaison