Major in Organization & Leadership
Leadership takes place in many levels throughout an organization — in interpersonal relationships, in small groups, and at the highest positions of administration. The Organization & Leadership degree prepares students to be dynamic members of their organizations through clear thinking, ethical decision making, a commitment to organizational effectiveness, and the linking of leadership theory to everyday practice.
“The College of Professional Studies has brought together a diverse group of people who share a desire to learn and grow. The college helped me realize that at any age, you can change and enrich your life through education and fellowship.” Charlotte Tisdale, Organization & Leadership '08 Purchasing Manager, Siemens Water Technologies |
Who is it for?
The Organization and Leadership degree is well suited to individuals with an interest in administrative, supervisory or managerial positions within the for-profit, not-for-profit or public sectors — positions which require both business acumen and an understanding of communication strategy and theory.
The strong liberal arts core combined with organizational leadership theory and practice develops a student who can think for her/himself, make well-reasoned decisions, values diversity, and can balance multiple perspectives. After completing the core leadership courses, students can specialize in one or more of the six areas of concentration, thus creating a degree tailored to their specific needs.
Careers
Business management; federal, state and local government administration; health care administration; human resource manager; manager information systems; manufacturing management; public administration; social worker; volunteer coordinator.
Core Leadership Courses (6 courses, 18 credits)
All students are required to take the following core leadership courses unless previous credit exists from another institution.
| ORLE 090 | History and Theories of Leadership | 3 credit hours |
| ORLE 123 | Ethics and Leadership | 3 credit hours |
| PRST 160 | Research and Inquiry Methods | 3 credit hours |
| ORLE 135 | The Culturally Diverse Organization | 3 credit hours |
| ORLE 146 | Systems Thinking | 3 credit hours |
| ORLE 197 | Integrating Seminar | 3 credit hours |
| Total Core Leadership courses | 18 credit hours |
Concentrations (5 courses, 15 credits)
To complete the Organization & Leadership major, students must choose one of six ORLE concentrations. Within each concentration, students must complete 5 courses for a total of 15 credits.
- Organizations and Organizational Development
- Leadership: Liberal Studies Perspectives
- Professional Communication
- Social Context
- Information Systems
- Commerce
ORLE Minor (7 courses, 21 credits)
To complete a minor in Organization & Leadership, students are required to take the following courses:
| ORLE 090 | History and Theories of Leadership | 3 credit hours |
| ORLE 123 | Ethics and Leadership | 3 credit hours |
| ORLE 135 | The Culturally Diverse Organization | 3 credit hours |
| ORLE 146 | Systems Thinking | 3 credit hours |
| Mandatory courses | 12 credit hours |
In addition, ORLE minors are required to take three additional upper division courses (300 and above), a total of nine elective credits.
| Mandatory courses for the ORLE minor | 12 credit hours | |
| Elective upperdivision coursework | 9 credit hours | |
| Total coursework for the minor | 21 credit hours |
PLEASE NOTE: Any student electing the ORLE major with the Professional Communication concentration cannot declare Professional Communication as a minor or a second major. Conversely, students may not select the Professional Communication concentration in the ORLE major if the Professional Communication major or minor have been declared. Also, any student electing the ORLE major with the Commerce concentration cannot declare a Professional Minor.
