Mar 28, 2024  
2013-2014 
    
2013-2014 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Leadership MA


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MA Program

The overall goal of the MA Leadership program is to develop students with a strong sense of personal mission and global understanding, as well as appropriate competencies. Students are encouraged to ask the question: How can I develop competencies that will contribute to my context? Students will take a number of core required courses that will provide them with theoretical underpinnings for the competencies. The personal mission will help guide students’ final research project which is a substantial piece of work demonstrating leadership toward change.

This degree accommodates campus students desiring to take either the campus or job-embedded option.

MA Job-Embedded Option

Participants may select to become part of a cohort following the job-embedded option of the program which requires the developing and demonstrating of 10 leadership competencies within their work context in consultation with an advisor. This option replaces the areas of concentration and the courses LEAD680 Internship and LEAD647 Creative Critical Thinking. Participants in the job-embedded option are required to:

  • Participate regularly and actively in a Leadership and Learning Group at least seven times a year.
  • Maintain employment throughout the program.
  • Complete the development and presentation of a portfolio based on the participant’s LLP, documenting satisfactory completion of the required competencies.
  • Develop and demonstrate ten leadership competencies.

The final presentation of the portfolio and the leadership research project in the job-embedded option will usually be organized by the coordinator of the cohort or program.

Basic Degree Requirements for MA—36 credits


MA Project—6


Community Service—6


LEAD 680  Internship: Community Service. Each student will spend one semester engaged in some form of community service which will be individualized according to mission, interests and talents. This can be either domestic or international (or a combination) and will be chosen in consultation with the advisor. The community service period should directly feed into the MA project.

Portfolio Areas of Concentration—9


Students are required to choose one option from each of the three clusters of MA competencies listed below. Two additional competencies must be selected to complete a total of 5 required competencies. Students will take credits appropriate to the aim of each competency, producing a final portfolio presentation.

Competencies of the MA Leadership Program


Leadership requires theoretical knowledge and practical application in the following core competencies:

1. Leadership and the Self:


This cluster of competencies focuses on the self awareness and the personal and professional identity required when practicing leadership.

  1. Philosophical foundations—Leadership functions within the context of multiple perspectives and understands how their own worldview influences their practice.
  2. Ethics, values, and spirituality—Leadership functions from a set of principles and standards that guides their work and all their relationships with others.
  3. Learning and human development—Leadership understands the principles of learning and is committed to and practices continuous personal, interpersonal, and organizational learning.

2. Leadership with Others:


This cluster of competencies focuses on the interpersonal aspects of leadership. Growth and development of others is an essential function of leadership.

  1. Effective communication—Leadership fosters effective communication in all internal and external interactions, to establish and maintain cooperative relationships.
  2. Mentor/coach—Leadership promotes relationships that are trust-centered, providing the kind of empowerment that results in personal and performance improvement toward satisfying mutual objectives.
  3. Social responsibilities—Leadership understands social systems and is accountable to others and endeavors to see that family, community, and environmental needs are met in local and, as appropriate, in global ways.
  4. Teamwork—Leadership involves developing relationships between coworkers passionately committed to their end goal and valuing the group needs above individual needs. Family, community, and environmental needs are met in local and, as appropriate, in global ways.

3. Leadership through Organizations:


This cluster of competencies focuses on the organizational aspects of leadership. Leadership sets direction in ways that facilitate achievement of organizational goals.

  1. Resource development, human and financial—Leadership appropriately allocates and manages human and financial resources for healthy and strategic outcomes.
  2. Implementing change—Leadership involves working with others in order to collaboratively shape the vision and strategy for change, as well as being capable of facilitating the change process.
  3. Organizational Development— Leadership is committed to improving both the organization’s performance and the individual development of its employees.

Note:


Students will give a final presentation open to the whole community in which they present their leadership journey, including their original mission, their portfolio, their community service and their research project. These should form a cohesive whole.

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