The MSOL Core

Focuses on leadership theory and practice in contemporary organizations, discussing, comparing, and contrasting theories of leadership, as well as factors that impact leadership in an organization. Students assess their own leadership style in the context of existing leadership models and potential organizational settings. Current topics and case studies in leadership are also discussed.

Addresses theories, methods, and challenges associated with organizational change. The course exposes students to forces that drive organizations to change, why organizations change or fail to change, impediments and barriers associated with change, and how change helps organizations become more competitive and profitable. The course also examines a variety of approaches, tools, and techniques for effective personal and organizational change.

Focuses on analyzing data for making high quality predictions and decisions. The course covers use of statistical packages to make sense of large sets of data and turn them into actionable information for various audiences. The problems faced by decision makers in today's competitive business environment are often extremely complex and can be addressed by numerous possible courses of action. Evaluating these alternatives and choosing the best course of action represents the essence of this course.

Communicating competently in the workplace requires the ability to express thoughts and ideas across all domains and barriers of an organization. From one-on-one interactions, conflict management situations, and large scale presentations, Strategic Communication is the backbone of a successful business model and it represents one of the most important foundations of career success.

Focuses on organizational performance management systems and individual performance appraisals, explored in relationship to other human resource activities and processes designed to achieve organizational success. The course builds requisite management and leadership competencies of assessing performance, providing feedback, coaching, motivating, engaging, and increasing employees’ achievement. Course utilizes lecture, readings, discussion, case studies, role plays, research, and/or personal peer feedback.

Taken at or near the end of the MSOL program, this course allows students to synthesize the theoretical knowledge acquired during the program to complete a basic business research project involving actual data in a realistic setting. Students will identify a problem, form a methodology for possible solution of a hypothesis, gather data, test the hypothesis, and form implementable recommendations.