Adult students have a unique approach to education, as they see it as an investment in their future with a specific and measurable outcome. “I put in this much, and I hope to receive this much in return.” When considering an Organizational Leadership degree, you may be wondering how it will apply to future career opportunities and how it will help you grow as an individual.
There are plenty of benefits to this field of study, as you will develop important skills that will help push you to the next level of your career, gain an understanding of how organizations function, and demonstrate your dedication to improving as a professional. As you consider degrees, it is important to understand what an Organizational Leadership degree is and how it can affect your future.
What is a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership?
A Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership is a degree program designed to prepare future leaders who understand how organizations work, how best to structure them, and how best to guide others to success. Those who study in this field will have an understanding of how human capital can help push an organization forward. They’ll also be able to analyze past projects using solid quantitative and qualitative data and explain where they succeeded, failed, or how they can be improved in the future.
What Will You Learn with an Organizational Leadership Degree?
There are several main areas that Organizational Leadership students focus on. They include communication, organizational behavior, human resources, analysis, and research. Understanding these concepts are key to being a well-rounded leader and individual within the organization.
Related resource: View the courses in SNU’s Organizational Leadership Program
Communication
Most Organizational Leadership programs, like SNU’s Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, will have multiple communication courses. These often focus on communicating with specific audiences and how best to get your point across, whether it's explaining research or helping an employee grow and develop professionally. For example, SNU’s communications courses included in the Organizational Leadership program are:
- Interpersonal Communication
- Technical Communication
- Applied Research and Reporting
- Croup and Organizational Communication
In a program with 30 core credit hours, this is an extensive dive into communication, with these type of classes composing almost a third of the program.
Organizational Behavior
Those who study Organizational Leadership, need to have a firm grasp on organizational behavior and how it affects organizations of all sizes and levels. Studying organizational behavior can help students understand how teams succeed and fail, how to set up projects for success, and how to initiate meaningful changes within an organization. These classes should give students a constantly growing view of organizational behavior.
At SNU, the organizational behavior classes are:
- Organizational Behavior I: Diagnosis and Planned Change
- Organizational Behavior Ii: Leadership and Management
The Organizational and Group Communication class also doubles as an opportunity to learn about organizational behavior as it applies to communication. By the end of these courses, you will know significantly more about how organizations work, and plenty of ideas for how to improve your existing workspace.
Human Resources
Many students who study Organizational Leadership will go on to have meaningful and impactful roles in human resources. However, human resources is about more than working with people and helping to create a comfortable workspace. There are also plenty of rules and regulations that human resources professionals have to take into consideration. These courses often cover recruiting, hiring, employee retention, ethics, and more. You should also have an understanding of Equal Opportunity Employment, affirmative action, and OSHA regulations as they apply to the workplace.
Analysis
Analyzing efforts and results is an important part of any leadership position. This degree program should prepare you with a keen analytical eye, as this skill will help you to lead successful projects, save money, help employees be more effective, and more. At SNU, students learn about different analysis methods and discover how descriptive and inferential statistics can help them serve their organization.
Research and Reporting
Analysis is only one component of research. In any Organizational Leadership degree, there should be a significant focus on research and reporting. At SNU, students take courses on research methods, and even conduct a research project of their own.
You may also expect to take courses on ethics, diversity, history, and professional development. By the time you reach graduation, you should be well-rounded with an understanding of how organizations work and how you can best serve the people who work within them.
What Can I Do with an Organizational Leadership Degree?
The type of jobs you can get with an organizational leadership degree are numerous. Companies of all kinds in sizes need visionary leaders who can support change and drive progress. They also need those who can build and sustain teams while facing difficult challenges. Some careers SNU’s Organizational Leadership graduates have undertaken are:
- Administrative Services Manager
- Compensation and Benefits Manager
- Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
- Training and Development Manager
- City clerk
- Project coordinator
- Sales manager
- Insurance underwriter
- Training and development manager
- Human resource manager
- Management analyst
These types of positions call for strong leaders with integrity, analytical skills, and the ability to work well within teams.
Why Get an Organizational Leadership Degree?
If you're wondering why to get an Organizational Leadership degree, the best reason to pursue one is because you believe that will help you on your path to your ultimate goals. If leading a team, approaching problems with an analytical mindset, and serving others is your idea of a dream position, an Organizational Leadership degree will likely help you along the way.
When going back to school for an Organizational Leadership degree, consider what type of program is best for you. If you are a graduate straight out of high school, a traditional program may best suit you. For those busy adults who may have gained some college credit, an accelerated program where you can attend class completely online or one night a week may best suit your needs as you work to support yourself and your family. SNU is dedicated to helping adult students reach graduation. For more information about our Organizational Leadership program and how to apply using our five-minute application, visit our website.
