What can you do with a MS in Organizational Leadership?

Discussion in 'Business and MBA degrees' started by iquagmire, Feb 2, 2012.

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  1. iquagmire

    iquagmire Member

    I am 1.5 classes away from my MBA in Marketing from Florida Tech. I'm thinking about another masters to augment and saw Quinnipiac's masters in Organizational Leadership and it seemed interesting. But no where in the literature did it say what you can really do with it. Any ideas?
     
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I can't resist:

    You can become a leader within an organization?
     
  3. iquagmire

    iquagmire Member

    LOL! I did set myself up for that one. But seriously, I meant is there a track like Accounting, Finance has. I just don't see the utility even in consulting. Any other thoughts?
     
  4. Petedude

    Petedude New Member

    With MBAs becoming a little too common nowadays, leadership programs are a good alternative. Many require some sort of business courses anyway.
     
  5. DxD=D^2

    DxD=D^2 Member

    Here is the difference between a MBA and a MS in Org Leadership:

    MBA are geared for those who solely want to become managers in an business unit of an organization. They generally give a general concept of multiple fields within an organization: accting, finance, mangmt, human resources, etc.

    Organizational Leadership tends to be a more general interdisciplinary studies major that encompasses leading an organization from the top down.

    The major difference is this, there are those people who are geared up to run the everyday operations of a business unit (MBA) and then there are those who are more innovative, and provide guidance and direction of where an organization should lead itself (OL).

    Also to answer you questions, you could do HR, Manage, Teach, Consult, or you could do nothing (the last is always an unfortunate option).
     
  6. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I think you're going about this backwards. You should first have a professional or personal goal and then you should look for a degree program that helps you reach it.
     
  7. _T_

    _T_ New Member

    After having many conversations on this very topic with my significant other ( I have a MBA, she has a MS in OL from Colorado State) I have come to side with what DxD expressed above. The MBA is more focused on management where the MS in OL is more concerned with organizational behavior.
     
  8. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    Funny this question should come up now. I just started (this week in fact) my new job in which I was told directly that my MBA made a difference in giving me the edge over other applicants who applied (this was during the interview).

    This week I was told that I would be leading facilitated discussions for our organization's various projects and their associated teams and be leading closing processes like "lessons learned" meetings, etc. I was asked by my boss' boss to tell him a little bit about my background in organizational leadership (which was the emphasis for my MBA). Fortunately I had a lot to talk about and he was sold that I was the man for the job telling me that although it's good that I have the MBA skills, they really have a need for a "leader" (his word) and "someone who can sell" (again his words) to apply soft skills in gaining buy in since the unit I am working for is newly founded (technically a PMO).

    The organizational leadership credential helped me in this situation but honestly leadership is something you either can do, can learn to do, or can't. Having the credential without meeting expectations is meaningless and most people seem to be able to key in quickly on who a "leader" is and who is not. I recommend having a passion to be a leader, a good test of effectiveness ("do you have what it takes") is if you can be effective leading teams in which you have no formal authority.
     
  9. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Darn! Kiz beat me to it.
     
  10. DxD=D^2

    DxD=D^2 Member

    Thanks __T__,

    I have been doing my research on the subject. I'm thinking about going to Woodbury University (Burbank, CA). It's not a DL school, but it's a cohort model one night a week class schedule, with one Online Class necessary. It's a nice one year accelerated program. :)
     
  11. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    This forum needs a like button...
    Get the leadership experience while pursuing the degree.
     

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