Program Advisors: Boor, Fishbeck, Hager, Jiao, Kozojed, Sautner, Sovak, Traiser (Dean)

According to the Kellogg Foundation "many of the challenges that will be faced by the United States will require knowledge and actions that cannot be known today." The Master of Science in Strategic Leadership (MSSL) degree equips students with the insights necessary to plan for and address future opportunities and challenges.

The program includes key leadership elements such as leadership traits, ethics, motivation, creativity, vision, strategic planning, teamwork, technology, problem solving, forecasting, innovation, change management, and effective communication. Its focus is to provide a specialized degree for business leaders who want to advance their careers and engage in more senior management activities and responsibilities oriented toward shaping the future of their organizations. By taking a multi-disciplinary approach, the skills taught will be beneficial to individuals in any profession in a dynamic work environment and the degree can be completed in as few as 15 months.

The program is available both on-site and online. Students who take classes on-site meet one night per week for the duration of the program. Online classes can be taken any time of the day, seven days a week. The curriculum will be provided in a series of learner guides with detailed assignments for each week.

Program Outcomes 

• Critically discuss the newest approaches to organizational leadership
  
• Distinguish the need for leaders to understand the role of social responsibility and ethical behavior in leaders and organizations
  
• Formulate a plan to build an organizational culture and success
  
• Illustrate how organizations may capitalize on diversity in organizations
  
• Assess how globalization affects leadership in an organization
  
• Evaluate and recommend performance measures organizational leaders may consider
  
• Incorporate leadership into strategic planning
  
• Develop a plan to build leadership into an organization

Individuals holding a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution and who have an undergraduate GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) overall, or 2.75 during the last two years of the undergraduate degree, or 3.00 in a major field of study will be admitted to begin graduate study.

Applicants who do not meet one or more of the admissions requirements may have their applications reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

To complete the application process, applicants submit: 

• Completed University of Mary Graduate Studies application (to include goal statement essay)
  
• Official transcript from institution of higher education granting the bachelor's degree or higher
  
• Current Resume
  
• Two letters of recommendation from professional sources
  
• Application fee

After the successful completion of at least six semester credits of graduate course work and a review of academic progress by the graduate advisor, the student will be advanced to candidacy status according to the following criteria: 

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for graduate course work
  
• All graduate level courses must have a grade of C or higher to count toward the program requirements
  
• Acceptable personal, academic and professional conduct
  
• An approved program of study

90%-100% A
80%-89% B
70%-79% C
60%-69% D
0%-59% F

Required Courses for the MSSL 

• MPM 500 Introduction to Project Management
  
• MGT 505 Human Resource Management
  
• MGT 507 Influential Leadership
  
• MGT 554 Management Survey of Accounting and Finance
  
• MGT 603 Leading the Learning Organization
  
• MGT 635 Law in the Management Environment
  
• MGT 645 Organizational Communication and Transition Management
  
• MGT 696 Strategic Planning and Execution
  
• MGT 700 Management Seminar
  
• PHI 572 Ethics
  
• PSY 542 Group Dynamics Course Descriptions
  
• ALU 799 Graduate Assessment