Master of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership
Earn Your Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership 100% Online
Strong organizations need strong leaders.
Central Penn College’s Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Organizational Leadership is a 33-credit, 100% online master’s degree designed for professionals who want to strengthen their leadership abilities, advance their careers and become more effective agents of change within their organizations.
The program combines leadership theory with practical, real-world application. You’ll explore ethical leadership, organizational behavior, communication, research, management and organizational development while learning how to apply those concepts to challenges you may already be facing in your career.
Whether you’re preparing for a leadership position, already managing people or looking to take the next step in your professional journey, Central Penn College’s Organizational Leadership master’s degree can help you develop the skills to lead with greater confidence, purpose and effectiveness.
Program Highlights
- 100% online coursework
- 33-credit master’s degree program
- Organizational Development concentration
- Applied, career-focused curriculum
- Emphasis on ethical leadership and decision-making
- Real-world projects connected to professional environments
- Applied Research Capstone
- Potential to receive up to nine life-learning credits, depending on professional experience
- Fall start
What Is a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership?
A master’s degree in Organizational Leadership is a graduate-level degree focused on helping professionals understand how people, teams and organizations work and how effective leaders can influence positive change.
Rather than focusing exclusively on one area of business, organizational leadership examines leadership from multiple perspectives. Students study topics such as communication, organizational systems, ethics, research, decision-making, organizational effectiveness and change.
At Central Penn College, the MPS in Organizational Leadership takes a practical approach to graduate education. Coursework is designed to connect leadership concepts with situations professionals encounter in businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and other workplaces.
Why Earn an MPS in Organizational Leadership?
Leadership is about more than having a management title.
Effective leaders need to understand people, communicate clearly, make ethical decisions, evaluate complex problems and help organizations adapt to change.
Central Penn College’s online Master of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership is designed to help students build those capabilities while continuing to work and manage their existing responsibilities.
Throughout the program, students examine leadership through interdisciplinary perspectives and apply what they learn to professional challenges. The goal is not simply to study leadership. It is to become a stronger leader.
100% Online Organizational Leadership Master’s Degree
Your career doesn’t have to stop while you earn your graduate degree.
Courses in Central Penn College’s MPS in Organizational Leadership are offered entirely online, providing working professionals with greater flexibility to balance graduate education with their careers and personal responsibilities.
Online courses still emphasize collaboration, application and professional relevance. Students engage with leadership concepts, research organizational challenges and complete projects designed to connect graduate-level learning with the workplace.
What Will You Learn in the Organizational Leadership Master’s Program?
Graduates of Central Penn College’s MPS in Organizational Leadership will be prepared to apply leadership concepts to complex workplace situations.
Through coursework and applied learning, students will develop the ability to:
- Apply leadership theories by connecting educational and professional experiences to organizational goals.
- Evaluate ethical leadership and understand how values influence leadership decisions.
- Analyze relationships between leaders and organizations to respond strategically to changing organizational and global needs.
- Understand research methodologies, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method research designs.
- Communicate effectively using appropriate resources and technology to deliver persuasive presentations to diverse audiences.
- Design and complete a field-specific research project that applies organizational leadership concepts, skills and professional experiences.
A Practical Approach to Leadership Education
Leadership challenges rarely have textbook answers.
That’s why Central Penn College’s Organizational Leadership program emphasizes the application of leadership concepts in real professional environments.
Students examine organizational challenges, evaluate different approaches and develop solutions using leadership theory, research and professional experience. Coursework is designed to help students strengthen skills they can apply in the workplace, including communication, ethical decision-making, strategic thinking, problem-solving and organizational analysis.
The program culminates in an Applied Research Capstone in Professional Studies, providing students with an opportunity to bring together what they have learned and apply it to a field-specific research project.
Can Professional Experience Count Toward My Master’s Degree?
It may.
Depending on your professional and life-learning experience, you may be eligible to receive up to nine life-learning credits toward the MPS in Organizational Leadership.
This opportunity recognizes that meaningful professional learning does not happen only in a classroom.
Eligibility for life-learning credit is evaluated based on applicable college policies and the individual student’s experience.
Who Should Consider a Master’s in Organizational Leadership?
Central Penn College’s Organizational Leadership master’s program may be a good fit for professionals who want to:
- Move into a leadership or management position
- Prepare for greater responsibility within their organization
- Improve their ability to lead teams
- Develop stronger communication and decision-making skills
- Better understand organizational behavior and workplace culture
- Lead organizational change
- Strengthen their strategic problem-solving abilities
- Apply research to real organizational challenges
- Build leadership skills that can transfer across industries
Because organizational leadership skills can be applied across many professional environments, the degree can be valuable to individuals working in business, healthcare, education, government, nonprofit organizations and other fields.
What Can You Do With a Master’s in Organizational Leadership?
A master’s degree in Organizational Leadership can help professionals prepare for leadership, management and organizational development responsibilities across a variety of industries.
Career opportunities and job titles will vary based on a student’s previous experience, industry and professional goals.
Why Choose Central Penn College for Organizational Leadership?
Central Penn College’s Master of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership is built around a straightforward idea: graduate education should be relevant to the work professionals actually do.
Students don’t simply study theories about leadership. They examine how those ideas can be used to communicate more effectively, make better decisions, solve organizational problems and lead people through change.
With 100% online courses, a 33-credit curriculum, an Organizational Development concentration and the possibility of receiving credit for qualifying prior learning, the program provides a career-focused path for professionals ready to take the next step.
Frequently Asked Questions About the MPS in Organizational Leadership
Is Central Penn College’s Organizational Leadership master’s degree online?
Yes. The Master of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership is offered 100% online, allowing students to complete their coursework without regularly traveling to campus.
How many credits is the MPS in Organizational Leadership?
The program requires 33 graduate credits.
Can my work experience count toward the degree?
Potentially. Depending on your professional experience, you may be eligible to receive up to nine life-learning credits toward the master’s degree.
What do you learn in an Organizational Leadership master’s program?
Students develop skills related to leadership theory, ethical decision-making, organizational behavior, communication, research, organizational development, strategic problem-solving and leadership effectiveness.
Is Organizational Leadership the same as an MBA?
No. While there can be some overlap, the degrees have different areas of emphasis. An MBA typically focuses heavily on business functions such as finance, accounting, marketing and operations. An Organizational Leadership degree focuses more specifically on leadership, people, communication, organizational systems, change and organizational effectiveness.
Who is the Organizational Leadership master’s degree designed for?
The program is designed for working professionals and others interested in advancing into leadership roles, strengthening their ability to lead people and organizations or developing skills that can help them take on greater professional responsibility.
Does the Organizational Leadership program include a capstone?
Yes. Students complete an Applied Research Capstone in Professional Studies, which allows them to synthesize concepts from throughout the program and apply them to a field-specific research project.
When can I start the program?
The Master of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership is a fall-start program.
Become the Leader Your Organization Needs
Organizations change. Industries evolve. New challenges emerge.
The leaders who make the greatest impact are prepared to communicate, adapt, make thoughtful decisions and bring people together around a common goal.
Central Penn College’s 100% online Master of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership can help you build those skills and prepare for the next stage of your career.
Ready to take the next step?
Request more information about the MPS in Organizational Leadership or apply to Central Penn College today.
Program offered
Online
In the news
Concentration
Concentrations in this Major
Organizational Development
The Organizational Development concentration prepares professionals to attain advanced leadership positions in their field. This program examines organizations through the lens of both psychological and sociological theory infusing the classroom with a dynamic, hands-on approach to problem solving in today’s business world. This concentration conveys a wide range of concepts, practices and principles regarding organizational systems, performance assessments, structural effectiveness and organizational design. Each course focuses on real-world skills and projects relevant to the students’ professions.
Courses
Leadership Power and Service
Perspectives of Ethics and Leadership
Leadership Communication
Applied Research for Professionals
Strategic Leadership and Planning
Applied Research Capstone in Professional Studies
Organizational Psychology
Organizational Development and Change
Organizations and Sustainability
Conflict Management
Careers you can pursue
- Upper-Level Manager
- Organizational Development Specialist
- Management Analyst
- Financial Advisor/Consultant
- Risk Analyst
- Corporate Financial Leader
- Business Owner
You will succeed if you are...
- Leadership experience or ability
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Open-minded
- Good Communicator
- Career-focused
- Lifelong Learner
- Motivator
89.2% of our graduates were employed in their chosen field or continuing their education within one year of graduation.
* Based on graduates whom we have information during a one-year period from 2024-25.
