Choose your path:
on-campus master's degree of organizational leadership
Fall term classes start in September.
Connect in person with faculty and peers.
Earn your degree on your schedule
$680 per credit hour.
36 total credit hours.
develop the skills to lead with purpose and vision.
The Master of Science in Organizational Leadership program at Bellevue University prepares professionals to lead effectively within complex organizations by strengthening decision making, problem solving, and strategic thinking skills. Emphasizing leadership as a collaborative and relational process, the program focuses on how teams build shared direction, alignment, and commitment to achieve results.
Through study of organizational strategy, ethical practice, communication, and mentoring, you will develop the ability to influence culture, foster engagement, and enable others to lead. Graduates are equipped to guide teams, drive change, and strengthen collective performance across diverse organizational settings.
Study six core areas of leadership excellence.
Your coursework integrates theory, research, and practical application across six key areas of leadership development: Organizational Leadership, Social Psychology of Leadership, Leadership Ethics, Strategic Leadership, Advanced Leadership Dynamics, and Creativity and Innovation. In each area, you’ll analyze real-world leadership challenges and apply your learning to projects you can showcase to employers—such as white papers, presentations, or professional portfolios. These experiences help you bridge academic knowledge with workplace impact, preparing you to lead teams, mentor others, and strengthen organizational performance.
Flexible, career-focused learning for working professionals.
The online MS in Organizational Leadership is offered in a flexible, accelerated cohort format designed for busy professionals. You’ll register once at the start of the program and take one course at a time, with two- to three-week break between courses and no classes during most major holidays—allowing you to balance your education with work and life commitments.
what you'll learn.
In this program, you’ll build the strategic, ethical, and interpersonal skills to lead teams, drive organizational change, and foster cultures of innovation and collaboration.
upon graduation, students will be able to:
- Apply leadership theory and research to analyze power, culture, and decision-making in organizational contexts.
- Evaluate individual and organizational factors—including perception, behavior, and motivation—and their influence on leadership and team effectiveness.
- Demonstrate ethical leadership through moral awareness, responsible use of power, and values-based decision-making.
- Apply strategic leadership principles to strengthen communication, alignment, and organizational performance.
- Design leadership practices that drive creativity, innovation, and collaborative problem-solving.
- Integrate theory, research, and applied learning to inform effective leadership and influence organizational direction.
- Apply leadership judgment to evaluate and use emerging technologies, including AI, in organizational decision-making.
Awards
Bellevue Stories
Organizational Leadership degree courses
Current students please login to BRUIN and select “Academic Progress” for your curriculum requirements.
Requirements (36 credit hours)
This course explores the foundations of leadership through the study of leadership theory, research, and practice. Students engage with core leadership theories and frameworks within organizational contexts. Students analyze and apply leadership concepts to understand how individual differences, power, and influence shape leadership effectiveness and organizational dynamics, strengthening their foundation for applied leadership practice.
This course provides an applied experience in which students design a leadership-focused project aligned with concepts introduced in Foundations of Organizational Leadership. Students define a topic of interest and connect theory to practice. Through a structured, scaffolded process, students apply leadership theories and frameworks to real-world contexts, strengthening leadership thinking and translating ideas into meaningful, practice-based application.
This course explores key social and behavioral theories that shape leadership. Students analyze how perception, attitudes, social influence, and group dynamics influence leader and follower behavior. Students apply these concepts through a behavioral lens to understand how interpersonal and group processes shape leadership effectiveness and organizational relationships.
This course provides an applied experience that builds on concepts explored in Social Psychology of Leadership. Students select a topic from the course and develop a project grounded in real-world application. Students apply social and behavioral concepts to leadership, strengthening their ability to navigate complex interpersonal and group dynamics and influence outcomes in organizational contexts.
This course explores the ethical foundations of leadership and focuses on how ethical decision-making shapes sustained leadership effectiveness. Students analyze how moral awareness, character, and values influence leadership behavior—especially in times of change and uncertainty. Students apply ethical frameworks to leadership contexts, strengthening their ability to evaluate complex situations, make principled decisions, and lead with integrity in organizational environments.
This course provides an applied experience that builds on concepts explored in Leadership Ethics. Students design a project aligned with their professional goals, applying ethical leadership principles within a real-world or organizational context. Through a structured process, students apply ethical frameworks to leadership challenges, strengthening their ability to evaluate decisions, align actions with values, and lead with integrity in practice.
This course explores how leaders shape organizational direction, alignment, and performance. Students analyze how leaders influence strategy through decision-making, communication, and the alignment of organizational initiatives. Students apply and evaluate strategic thinking in real-world organizational challenges, strengthening their ability to guide direction, influence decisions, and drive performance.
This course provides an applied experience that builds on concepts explored in Strategic Leadership. Students develop a project focused on applying strategic leadership principles within an organizational context. Students apply strategic concepts to strengthen alignment, guide decision-making, and influence organizational performance.
This course explores advanced leadership frameworks and models for understanding leadership effectiveness within organizations. Students analyze leadership dynamics, including power relationships and leadership development processes. Students apply leadership frameworks through a leadership lens to understand how leadership practices shape organizational behavior and strengthen effectiveness in complex environments.
This course provides an applied experience that builds on concepts explored in Advanced Leadership Dynamics. Students develop a project focused on analyzing leadership dynamics and applying advanced leadership concepts in practice. Students apply and adapt leadership frameworks to strengthen leadership effectiveness and organizational practice.
This course explores how leaders drive creativity and innovation within organizations. Students explore interdisciplinary perspectives to understand how creativity shapes leadership and organizational thinking, including the influence of technology in shaping innovation. Students apply creative and innovative approaches to leadership, strengthening their ability to generate ideas, influence thinking, and guide innovation in organizational contexts.
This course provides an applied experience that builds on concepts explored in Leadership Creativity and Innovation. Students develop a project focused on applying creative and innovative leadership approaches within an organizational context. Students apply creative concepts to leadership, strengthening their ability to generate ideas and drive innovation in practice.
Major Requirements Credits
= 36 total credits*
University Accreditation
Bellevue University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission ( hlcommission.org ), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Whether a college, university, or program is accredited is important to students receiving financial aid, employers who provide tuition assistance, donors, and the federal government.
This program is considered a non-licensure degree/certificate program and is not intended for those seeking licensure or the practice of licensed profession. This program may be relevant to multiple occupations that do not require licensure and was not designed to meet educational requirements for any specific professional license or certification.
*Consult with an admissions counselor to determine your eligible credits, as well as to verify minimum graduation requirements for this degree. Transfer credits must be from a regionally accredited college or university. Bellevue University makes no promises to prospective students regarding the acceptance of credit awarded by examination, credit for prior learning, or credit for transfer until an evaluation has been conducted.
learn, connect, and thrive on campus.
Vibrant campus life
Make the most of your time on campus with student organizations, athletic events, and a tight-knit community that makes learning even more rewarding.
A true classroom experience
Engage in face-to-face learning with live lectures, interactive discussions, and real-time feedback from professors who are invested in your success.
Support every step of the way
From academic advising to career services, you’ll have a network of support to help you thrive.
State-of-the-art facilities
Access modern classrooms, study spaces, and hands-on learning environments designed to prepare you for the real world.
Prefer to learn Online?
grow with faculty who’ve been where you are.