MPS in Organizational Leadership

Offered Virtually and On Campus

The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Organizational Leadership is a 30 credit-hour degree which provides students with an innovative curriculum focusing on the study of leadership in the context of modern organizations. The MPS in Organizational Leadership is intended to provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to be effective in a variety of settings. First, you will develop a deep understanding of how organizations function and the role leaders at all levels must play to improve the performance of organizations. Second, you will become proficient in indispensable skills of interpersonal relations, problem solving, collaboration and team building, motivation, and communication, which are all necessary to be successful in today’s society. Third, you will gain critical research and analytic skill essential for diagnosing organizational issues and develop important practical skills essential for initiating and leading change in your organization, profession and beyond. As a graduate of the MPS in Organizational Leadership, you will find yourself well prepared for the challenges of the future.

Graduates of this program will be both valuable and marketable in a wide array of occupational fields. By enhancing your leadership, communication, analytic and problem solving skills, this program will assist you in pursuing professional and personal goals. Application of this degree program is varied and limitless, opening career opportunities and mobility within organizations. MPS in Organizational Leadership students will find themselves well prepared to be productive members of the 21st century workforce.

Curriculum Outline

Core Curriculum (9 Credit Hours)

The core curriculum of the MPS degree program consists of three courses which integrate the important themes of leadership theory, knowledge and data analysis. According to Peter Drucker, we are living in an age of social transformation where our “economic order is based on knowledge, not labor or raw material or capital, as the key resource.” With this in mind, the MPS in Organizational Leadership degree is designed to incorporate exploration and understanding in ways which various “knowledges” are generated, applied, and managed in our information-based world. These courses are all built around the popular theme of “ways of knowing” and how the ways of knowing informs our understanding of leadership.

IDS	802	Ways of Knowing	3
LDRS	801	Theoretical Foundations of Leadership	3
LDRS	810	Qualitative Research Methods in Leadership	3

Organizational Leadership Concentration (12 Credit Hours)

The Organizational Leadership concentration area will challenge students to develop advanced knowledge of the discipline of organizational leadership and demonstrate superior communication and collaboration skills. Additionally, students will design and execute cutting edge research inquiries to provide organizational decision-makers with critical information necessary for enhancing individual, team and organizational effectiveness.

LDRS	802	Organizational Systems, Change and Leadership	3
LDRS	807	Leadership in Teams and Collaborative Environments	3
POLS LDRS	856 600	Advanced Research Methods - or - Seminar: Research Methods	3
LDRS	811	Organizational Intervention Strategies (LDRS 801 and 810 are pre-requisites)	3

Electives (6 Credit Hours)

Each student, in consultation with their major advisor, will tailor 6 credit hours of electives to meet his or her own specific needs, interests, and career goals. Our students are typically working adults with backgrounds in diverse settings. As a result, they often enter the program with a desire to complement their specific job-related functional skills demanded by today’s competitive labor market. Below is a list of numerous, pre-approved courses that can be included in a student’s program of study. Students must consult with advisors for approval of courses not presently in this list.

Select two of the following:
	LDRS	600	Seminar in Organizational Leadership	3
	LDRS	640	Principles of Civic Leadership	3
	LDRS	650	Principles of Organizational Leadership	3
	LDRS	670	Leadership and Personal Development	3
	LDRS	818	Ethical Leadership	3
	LDRS	870	Readings in Organizational Leadership	3
	IDS	805	Global Challenges: 21st Century Promises and Perils	3
	MGT	611	Human Resource Management	3
	MGT	614	Training and Development	3
	COMM	606	Conflict Management through Communication	3
	COMM	611	Organizational Culture and Climate	3
	COMM	613	Recruiting and Interviewing Techniques	3
	COMM	614	Organizational Coaching and Mentoring Communication	3
	SOC	665	Social Entrepreneurship	3
	SOC	670	Grant Proposal Development	3
	SOC	679	Community Theory and Development	3
	PSY	845	Experimental Methods	3
	PSY	846	Program Evaluation	3
	GSCI	625	Advanced Geographic Information Systems	3

Culminating Experience (3 Credit Hours)

All students will complete a 3 credit-hour, culminating experience project. Students can select between two primary options (research project or internship) which will be decided by the student in consultation with the advisor.

LDRS
LDRS

890
895

Internship in Organizational Leadership - or -
Research Projects in Organizational Leadership

Admission Requirements

Individuals seeking admission to the MPS in Organizational Leadership must have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0. Prospective students must also submit all relevant application material to the Graduate School. Students seeking admission to begin the graduate program for the fall semester must have completed admission packet on file at the Graduate School by March 1; students seeking admission to begin the graduate program for the spring semester must have a completed application on file at the Graduate School by October 1.

Graduate Faculty

Dr. Brent Goertzen, Associate Professor of Leadership Studies
Graduate Program Coordinator
785-628-4303
bgoertze@fhsu.edu

Dr. Curt Brungardt, Voss Distinguished Professor of Leadership Studies
785-628-5592
cbrungar@fhsu.edu

Dr. Justin Greenleaf, Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies
785-628-4303
jgreenleaf@fhsu.edu

Dr. Jill Arensdorf, Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies
785-628-4303
jrarensdorf@fhsu.edu

Contact Fort Hays State University’s Graduate School for an application packet or further details at: (785) 628-4236 or write Fort Hays State University Graduate School, 600 Park Street, Hays, KS 67601 or online at http://www.fhsu.edu/gradschl/

Learn more about the MPS in Organizational Leadership Curriculum.