Leadership and Organizational Management (M.S.A.)

Faculty

Dr. Kelley Wood, Assistant Professor of Business Administration (program chair)

Description

The Master of Science in Administration (MSA) promotes and facilitates the development of leaders in public, private, and nonprofit organizations by focusing on key competencies, which positively influence others to achieve goals and realize a shared vision. Learn real world applications of behaviors and attitudes of effective leaders rooted in positive values aligned with your organization’s strategic vision and mission. The MSA offers courses to help leaders develop unique attributes of self-awareness, self-mastery, interpersonal influence, critical thinking, and a problem-solving mindset. MSA leaders influence organizations, agencies, and associations in the private, nonprofit, non-government, and government sectors including, private business, consulting groups, government agencies, public utilities, schools, colleges, workplaces, healthcare facilities, and public health settings.

The Master of Science in Administration (MSA) is an alternate weekend, 36-credit, 20-month program with an 18-credit focus in the following career specializations:

• Health Advocacy
• Human Resource Management
• Dynamic Leaders and Organizations

Specialization Requirements

Health Advocacy

Help others by advocating and promoting sustainable health practices with people who struggle with health while facing disparities and inequalities in healthcare.  Healthcare as a practice, and as an industry, has become more complex and difficult to access and navigate, especially for disparate populations previously unattended or unrecognized. Increasingly the need for advocates in healthcare has become integral to successful health care.

Health Advocacy encompasses a range of practices and perspectives, which include improved health for individuals, families, and communities at the local, state, national, and international level. Advocates are involved in effecting cognitive and behavioral change to enable an individual’s control over her or his health; direct patient care advocacy for access and services; advocate for policies that transform healthcare systems to be more accessible, just, and compassionate for those who are disenfranchised or unrecognized as well as those who otherwise have access and care.

ALL of the following health advocacy courses (18 credits):

HADV 601 Health Disparity and Social InequalityIn this course students explore and define their roles as health advocates for populations suffering from health disparities. Students assess differences in health, which result from environment, care (access, quality, or utilization), health status, or lack of awareness of health outcomes. Students will distinguish between disparities due to inequity (differences in rates of health outcomes) and disparities due to inequalities (unnecessary, unavoidable, unfair, and unjust health outcomes). Issues of social inequality and social justice are intertwined with health disparity, especially for disadvantaged and minority populations. Students analyze and categorize patterns within the health determinants of populations to identify disparitie s and th eir related social factors compared to non-minority or majority populations using data from the DHHS, CDC, NIH, Healthy People, and other sources. Students evaluate the effects of health disparities within specific populations, identify health determinants and social aspects influences on the health disparity, choose an appropriate comparison group, determine the appropriate measures, and evaluate existing programs, initiatives, or individual behaviors for effectiveness.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
HADV 603 Cultural Competence in Health AdvocacyIn this course students examine the biases and assumptions, both explicit and implicit, her or his own, or those of health systems and health providers, that influence the access to quality care for individuals and communities who are from emerging minorities and low socioeconomic or otherwise disadvantaged populations. Students develop an awareness and appreciation of the roles of cultural norms, language, nonverbal communication, interpersonal space, and other cultural nuances have in providing culturally competent health care. Students appraise the demographic and accreditation requirements employing the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards to develop systems to implement and practice culturally compet ent heal th care.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
HADV 621 Health Advocacy: Access and NavigationIn this course students determine the appropriate roles a health practitioner might adopt to promote an individual or community’s health care experience and to improve health outcomes. In an increasingly complex healthcare market and range of treatments it is important for the health care advocate to be able to assess a patient’s diagnosis, risks, needs, and recommended treatment to direct individuals or communities to the best experiences and outcomes. This is critically important for minority, disadvantaged, or special populations who are often unaware of the severity of their conditions and potential health outcomes. Students demonstrate the ability to inform and educate individuals or communities of their health status, treatm ent plan s, access to quality care, community health services, and to advocate to insurance systems and health institutions in an ethical and caring manner to improve health outcomes and social inequalities.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
HADV 631 Health Advocacy and Behavior ChangeStudents engage in examining the relationships between behavior, choice, good health, and an improved quality of life for populations experiencing health disparities. Students will evaluate health behavior change models and theories for their application to behavior change and improving quality of life. Behavior change is essential to improving the health and quality of life for individuals and communities, especially for those who are experiencing health disparities. Unhealthy behavior and lifestyle choices effect much of the chronic ill health of the U.S. population. Health behavior intervention plays a key role in preventative health care. Chronic ill health is influenced by socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors leading to a grea ter heal th disparity for populations, which lack access or are disadvantaged due to social inequalities. Students conduct a needs assessment for a chronic health issue effecting individuals or communities experiencing health disparities, determine an effective health behavior model or theory and a working hypothesis, and develop a behavioral change program (method/intervention) to impact the quality of care and quality of life for populations effected by health disparities.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
HADV 641 Epidemiology and Biostatistics in HADVIn this course, students become conversant with the foundations, principles, and language of epidemiology and biostatistics to analyze and assess public health reports and literature, from the CDC, NIH, WHO and other sources, regarding health conditions, health disparities, research results, interventions, and program evaluation. Students develop hypotheses concerning individuals or communities and their health disparities, determine means to test those hypotheses using descriptive and inferential statistics, which requires the ability to analyze and assess statistical tests and determine the reliability of experiments to further their comprehension of a populations, needs, expected outcomes, and likelihood of success for health promotio n programs.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
HADV 699 Capstone in Strategic Planning for HADVThis is the final course in the MSA in Health Advocacy program and the final product represents a culmination of students’ journey and learning. Throughout the program students have developed logic models and an intervention map describing a program to influence an individual or community’s health disparity, and to improve their expected health outcome through intervention, programmatic support, grant funding, or policy change. The successful student is able to synthesize their knowledge and experiences to develop programs, apply for grants, write policy to serve the population and influence the health disparity. In this course students use their interv ention p lan to develop a strategic plan that can be applied to affect a targeted outcome. Students describe the problem, the outcomes and objectives, determine a research hypothesis concerning an intervention, develop a plan for a program/grant/policy, the organizational supports, and a plan for implementation. Students the collect and analyze primary and or secondary data to support the validity and viability of the strategic plan. Students are expected to express an understanding of a holistic understanding of the population, health condition, the needs assessment, intervention/program/grant/policy, and the organizational support necessary. This course is expected to be completed in the student’s final semester. Students must pass this course with a B or better to qualify to graduate from the MSA in Health Advocacy program. Required for all students in the program.
3 credits
Prerequisites: INT 601 and the successful completion of at 27-30 credits prior to the Capstone semester.

ALL of the following leadership courses (18 credits):

ADMN 601 Excellence in Managing Contemporary OrganizationsReviews principles of effective management, and surveys contemporary and historical research on organizational effectiveness. Emphasizes skill development in managing basic administrative and managerial functions, including decision making, planning and implementation, problem solving, and communication. Experiential learning methods, such as case studies, simulations, and role playing, are employed extensively.
3 credits
ADMN 603 Excellence in Leadership: Theory and PracticeExcellence in Leadership: Theory and Practice is an introduction to historical and current leadership theories, effective contemporary leadership practices, and how the scholar and the practitioner might inform each other for greater effect. This course will emphasize the student's analysis of themselves as leaders while preparing them to make use of their strengths and opportunities. Topics included in this course will include transformational leadership, women in leadership, multicultural leadership, classic management theories, and ethical management. Formerly titled Theories of Leadership and Organizational Change
3 credits
ADMN 607 Accounting and Finance for Evaluation and ControlThe Accounting and Finance for Managerial Evaluation and Control course emphasizes the use of accounting and financial information to fa cilitate effective management decisions. Topics include the accounting process, the accounting cycle, accounting systems, inventories, investments, cost determination, cost control and analysis, budgeting, analysis of financial statements, and capital investment analysis. Students in this course will use spreadsheet software to develop and analyze data. This course requires computer literacy and access outside the classroom to a computer with spreadsheet software. Formerly ADMN 607 Financial Management for Non-Financial Managers.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 613 Ethics for LeadersIn the Ethics for Leaders course students will compare and contrast ethical frameworks, stakeholder relationships, and social responsibility in decision making, risk management, and corporate governance. Students will exercise critical thinking, consider the elements of ethical decision making, analyze current and emerging ethical issues in the business environment, appraise the role of values, morals of relevant stakeholders through advanced readings, analysis and presentation of alternative outcomes based on and case studies form current business and organizational contexts. Students will demonstrate values based leadership through advanced readings, experientia l exercises, the examination of case studies, and presentation of analysis and negotiated resolutions.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Student must have completed a minimum of 21 graduate credits.
ADMN 628 Project ManagementThe Project Management course provides the framework for managing a project from initiation to project completion, from a systems perspective. This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of the project management (PM) life cycle and the core PM processes—initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling—that are essential to effective project management. Areas covered include managing team structure, scheduling, budgeting, costing, resource allocation, staffing, communication, quality management, risk management, and procurement.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
INT 601 Intro to Research Design and MethodsThis course instructs students in the importance of research design and methods in producing reliable and verifiable data for use in making evidence based analysis and conclusion in applied "real world" research that will have a direct relation to the student's career. Students will learn to define scientific knowledge and how worldviews and philosophical underpinnings inform research methodologies, cite and reference in APA style, and write an argument in an academic voice. Topics covered in this course include developing a research topic, identify, analyze, and synthesize literature in the field of study, writing the literature review, developing the research question, a review of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research methodologies and designs, units of analysis, ethical issues and the role of an institutional review board in conductin research, data collection, describe and analyze the data, test hypotheses, form a reasoned argument and conclusions based on a synthesis and evaluation of the evidence provided by the research design. Students may use this course to develop a pilot study for their thesis or capstone course. Formerly: ADMN 609, COM 602 and ISS 680
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None

Human Resources Management

Promote an inclusive and engaged workforce of talented and committed individuals in vibrant and energetic organizations.  Human Resources Management has rapidly evolved from a functional to a strategic member of any organization, agency, or association; collaborating with executive leadership and senior management to engage teams in the vision and goals of an organization.  Human Resources professionals are leaders who understand the purpose of the organization, the global environment, and climate to promote the ethical treatment of diverse individual members and facilitate the development and retention of top talent and high performing members.

ALL of the following human resources management courses (18 credits):

HRM 603 Negotiation & Conflict in HRMHuman Resources occupies a unique position in organizations, which requires both the protection, development, and management of the workforce and managing the interests and risks of the organization. HR is often central to handling organizational crises requiring competence in negotiation and conflict. Students examine the theories and practice of negotiating for results and determine potential positions and alternate scenarios. Students also analyze and assess of the perspectives parties to plan intervention in, the management of, and the prevention of conflict. Students apply and implement negotiation and mediation skills to recog nize, ma nage, or prevent conflicts. Students evaluate negotiation and conflict initiatives for effectiveness in fostering teamwork. Students exhibit competence in assessing conflict situations, the design and implement of interventions use of dialogue, reframing, and negotiation to moderate and manage conflict revealing opportunity in a business context and the organizational environment.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
HRM 611 Employment Law & HRMLabor and Employment law in the United States play a pivotal role in the relationship between management and labor to establish a fair and equitable workplace and protect both the organization and the employee. US Employment and Labor laws are difficult to navigate and contain nuances that might have enormous influence on either the organization or the employee. Human Resources utilizes critical thinking and problem-solving to interpret and implement these laws in the workplace. Students assess and evaluate the policies and practices of the organization compared to US employment and labor laws to determine effective strategies for promoting positive and producti ve relat ionships with the workforce, individually or collectively. Students examine the history and application of US labor laws covering topics such as the National Labor Relations Act, alternative dispute resolution, public employment, regulating union activities, OSHA, discrimination laws, ADA, and employee privacy to develop effective assessments of compliance. Formerly ADMN 673 Key Legal Issues in HR Management.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
HRM 621 Workforce DevelopmentOrganizations employ strategic initiatives to attract, manage, and retain a workforce capable of and committed to actualizing the organization’s vision and mission. Key to this is continuous scanning of the organization’s strategic expectations and regular needs assessment of the organization’s workforce. Human Resources develops and implements initiatives to create and maintain that workforce. Students appraise and implement policies, practices, develop strategies for, and evaluate the effectiveness of workforce development initiatives in recruiting, hiring, development, r etention , and organizational exiting. Workforce Development activities facilitate and sustain a workforce that shares the vision, culture, and goals of the organization, and meeting the organization’s strategic management goals and objectives. Students examine and evaluate policies and practices for job analysis, pre-hiring assessment, placement, promotion, and legal compliance. 3 credits
Prerequisites: None
HRM 623 Motivation, Compensation & BenefitsHuman Resources develops and manages policies of compensation and benefits to attract and retain a workforce capable of and committed to actualizing the organization’s vision and mission. Essential to good long-term employee – employer relationships is intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Categories of employees might require differentiation in motivators and compensation and motivation packages. Organizations, which are successful in attracting and maintaining an effective workforce approach compensation and benefits strategically with attention to detail and effect. Students assess and evaluate cost-effective pay a nd incen tive pay structures to meet the organization’s human capital and workforce development goals and objectives. Students evaluate compensation systems and determine their effectiveness, and appraise the organization's total compensation system to promote external competitiveness and internal effectiveness and meet the organization’s strategic goals and objectives.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
HRM 641 Human Resources DevelopmentHuman Resources occasionally finds it imperative to engage in organizational development to enable the organization’s strategic management goals and objectives by implementing intervention initiatives to restructure and realign the organization, improve processes and practices, or to develop and sustain the organizational learning. When HR undertakes these initiatives, it requires familiarity with the organization’s vision and mission, understanding the needs assessment, determining outcomes and objectives, and to implement and organization development (OD) program or intervention. Students determine organizational problems and nee ds, asse ss the motivational drive and development requirements of the workforce. Students design and develop programs or interventions, determine performance objectives, and plans for evaluation of effectiveness. Successful students are able to design and implement programs or interventions that promote the development of positive organizational culture and continuous learning, and are able to evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
HRM 699 Capstone in Strategic Planning for HRMThis is the final course in the MSA in Human Resources Management program and the final product represents a culmination of students’ journey and learning. Throughout the program students have developed elements of a strategic program to affect an organization, agency, or department through training, talent development, organizational learning, recruitment, retention, compensation, or strategic initiatives. The successful student is able to synthesize their knowledge and experiences to conduct a needs assessment, determine outcomes, design a programmatic response, develop organizational supports, implementation plan, and evaluate the program’s influenc e on the organization. Students collect and analyze primary and or secondary data to support the validity and viability of the strategic plan. Students are expected to express a holistic understanding of the problem, the strategic plan, and how the outcomes affect the organization. Students are expected to complete this course in the final semester. Students must pass this course with a B or better to qualify to graduate from the MSA in Human Resources Management program. Required for all students in the program.
3 credits
Prerequisites: INT 601 and the successfully completed at least 27 credits prior to the Capstone semester.

ALL of the leadership courses (18 credits):

ADMN 601 Excellence in Managing Contemporary OrganizationsReviews principles of effective management, and surveys contemporary and historical research on organizational effectiveness. Emphasizes skill development in managing basic administrative and managerial functions, including decision making, planning and implementation, problem solving, and communication. Experiential learning methods, such as case studies, simulations, and role playing, are employed extensively.
3 credits
ADMN 603 Excellence in Leadership: Theory and PracticeExcellence in Leadership: Theory and Practice is an introduction to historical and current leadership theories, effective contemporary leadership practices, and how the scholar and the practitioner might inform each other for greater effect. This course will emphasize the student's analysis of themselves as leaders while preparing them to make use of their strengths and opportunities. Topics included in this course will include transformational leadership, women in leadership, multicultural leadership, classic management theories, and ethical management. Formerly titled Theories of Leadership and Organizational Change
3 credits
ADMN 607 Accounting and Finance for Evaluation and ControlThe Accounting and Finance for Managerial Evaluation and Control course emphasizes the use of accounting and financial information to fa cilitate effective management decisions. Topics include the accounting process, the accounting cycle, accounting systems, inventories, investments, cost determination, cost control and analysis, budgeting, analysis of financial statements, and capital investment analysis. Students in this course will use spreadsheet software to develop and analyze data. This course requires computer literacy and access outside the classroom to a computer with spreadsheet software. Formerly ADMN 607 Financial Management for Non-Financial Managers.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 613 Ethics for LeadersIn the Ethics for Leaders course students will compare and contrast ethical frameworks, stakeholder relationships, and social responsibility in decision making, risk management, and corporate governance. Students will exercise critical thinking, consider the elements of ethical decision making, analyze current and emerging ethical issues in the business environment, appraise the role of values, morals of relevant stakeholders through advanced readings, analysis and presentation of alternative outcomes based on and case studies form current business and organizational contexts. Students will demonstrate values based leadership through advanced readings, experientia l exercises, the examination of case studies, and presentation of analysis and negotiated resolutions.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Student must have completed a minimum of 21 graduate credits.
ADMN 628 Project ManagementThe Project Management course provides the framework for managing a project from initiation to project completion, from a systems perspective. This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of the project management (PM) life cycle and the core PM processes—initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling—that are essential to effective project management. Areas covered include managing team structure, scheduling, budgeting, costing, resource allocation, staffing, communication, quality management, risk management, and procurement.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
INT 601 Intro to Research Design and MethodsThis course instructs students in the importance of research design and methods in producing reliable and verifiable data for use in making evidence based analysis and conclusion in applied "real world" research that will have a direct relation to the student's career. Students will learn to define scientific knowledge and how worldviews and philosophical underpinnings inform research methodologies, cite and reference in APA style, and write an argument in an academic voice. Topics covered in this course include developing a research topic, identify, analyze, and synthesize literature in the field of study, writing the literature review, developing the research question, a review of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research methodologies and designs, units of analysis, ethical issues and the role of an institutional review board in conductin research, data collection, describe and analyze the data, test hypotheses, form a reasoned argument and conclusions based on a synthesis and evaluation of the evidence provided by the research design. Students may use this course to develop a pilot study for their thesis or capstone course. Formerly: ADMN 609, COM 602 and ISS 680
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None

Dynamic Leaders and Organizations

The Dynamic Leaders and Organizations program facilitates the development of leaders who have a positive influence on their followers, organizations, and their stakeholder communities to produce outstanding, innovative, and provocative results. The Dynamic Leaders and Organizations specialization prepares students to assume positions in executive leadership and senior management in in complex organizations experiencing increased globalization, competition, and stakeholder expectations. Overall, the Dynamic Leaders and Organizations program facilitates the examination of the relationship between leader and organization to support success.

ALL of the universal resources for leaders courses (12 credits):

ADMN 601 Excellence in Managing Contemporary OrganizationsReviews principles of effective management, and surveys contemporary and historical research on organizational effectiveness. Emphasizes skill development in managing basic administrative and managerial functions, including decision making, planning and implementation, problem solving, and communication. Experiential learning methods, such as case studies, simulations, and role playing, are employed extensively.
3 credits
ADMN 603 Excellence in Leadership: Theory and PracticeExcellence in Leadership: Theory and Practice is an introduction to historical and current leadership theories, effective contemporary leadership practices, and how the scholar and the practitioner might inform each other for greater effect. This course will emphasize the student's analysis of themselves as leaders while preparing them to make use of their strengths and opportunities. Topics included in this course will include transformational leadership, women in leadership, multicultural leadership, classic management theories, and ethical management. Formerly titled Theories of Leadership and Organizational Change
3 credits
ADMN 607 Accounting and Finance for Evaluation and ControlThe Accounting and Finance for Managerial Evaluation and Control course emphasizes the use of accounting and financial information to fa cilitate effective management decisions. Topics include the accounting process, the accounting cycle, accounting systems, inventories, investments, cost determination, cost control and analysis, budgeting, analysis of financial statements, and capital investment analysis. Students in this course will use spreadsheet software to develop and analyze data. This course requires computer literacy and access outside the classroom to a computer with spreadsheet software. Formerly ADMN 607 Financial Management for Non-Financial Managers.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 628 Project ManagementThe Project Management course provides the framework for managing a project from initiation to project completion, from a systems perspective. This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of the project management (PM) life cycle and the core PM processes—initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling—that are essential to effective project management. Areas covered include managing team structure, scheduling, budgeting, costing, resource allocation, staffing, communication, quality management, risk management, and procurement.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None

ALL of the advanced skills and knowledge for leaders courses (9 credits):

ADMN 613 Ethics for LeadersIn the Ethics for Leaders course students will compare and contrast ethical frameworks, stakeholder relationships, and social responsibility in decision making, risk management, and corporate governance. Students will exercise critical thinking, consider the elements of ethical decision making, analyze current and emerging ethical issues in the business environment, appraise the role of values, morals of relevant stakeholders through advanced readings, analysis and presentation of alternative outcomes based on and case studies form current business and organizational contexts. Students will demonstrate values based leadership through advanced readings, experientia l exercises, the examination of case studies, and presentation of analysis and negotiated resolutions.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Student must have completed a minimum of 21 graduate credits.
ADMN 615 Comparative Global Management PracticesADMN 615 Comparative Global Management- is an interdisciplinary analysis, critique, and comparison of management and managerial functions and practices from a regional outlook and a global perspective. Through discussion and case studies this course will present students with an opportunity to think beyond one's prevalent paradigm. In this course, cultural, economic, and political theories are introduced and amalgamated into a discourse on applied management.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 617 Crisis Leadership: Response and ResolutionContemporary organizations face a multitude of threats and dangers every day. Responsible and ethical leaders plan not only for the surviving and thriving of their institutions, they plan for organizational continuity and to prevent or mitigate negative fallout effecting their stakeholders and society at large. Planning, practice, and effective communication determine organizational thriving, the extent of fallout, and the strengthening of community ties. Students of Crisis Leadership develop, plan, and implement action plans for responding to a variety of modern management crises stemming from factors such as leadership practice, organizational culture, suc cession planning, embezzlement and accidents to natural disasters, health pandemics, sabotage, and workplace violence. Students will analyze and assess strategies for mitigating crises and evaluating their organizations response and resolution of crises that face leaders of contemporary organizations. Formerly ADMN 617 - Leadership: Response and Resolution of Crises
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None

ALL of the dynamic leadership courses: (12 credits):

ADMN 661 Leaders and Complex OrganizationsLeadership has profound influence on the design, functionality, culture, and effectiveness of organizations. The organizations they lead are rarely static, stability is difficult to manage, and the reality of organizational life is complex, dynamic, and nuanced. Students engage in developing their leadership acumen and applying it to the design of an organization, which is adaptive, agile, and appreciative by intention, preparing them to act as a leader and change agent of organizational learning. Students will develop and implement a leadership growth plan and engage in activities that promote her or his development as a leader. Students determin e effect ive elements of organizations, design complex adaptive organizations, and apply measures of assessment, while establishing and negotiating their role as leaders and change agents. Formerly ADMN 661 Organizations and the Individual.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 665 Strategy and Organizational CultureLeaders when faced with a changing environment, shifting goals, and high expectations discover their organization is not as adaptive and agile as necessary and the process of adaptation or change takes too long. Leaders learn late they have formed and promoted an organizational culture that is not reflective of nor responsive to external forces and events. Organizational culture drives organizational strategy, structure and processes, organizational performance, and response to events in the external environment. Strategy and strategic initiatives that leverage the learning organization’s culture and are more successful. Students recogniz e and id entify the leader’s role in promoting cultural factors in organizations. Students analyze organizations and diagnose cultural factors that promote, facilitate, inhibit, or resist organizational learning, progress, and change. Students develop strategic plans that leverage organizational culture and facilitate positive change experiences and outcomes. Formerly ADMN 665 Organizational Strategy.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 669 Engaging Organizational ChangeOrganizations engage in organizational change processes to develop strategic plans, reconfigure or improve structures and processes, and increasingly for whole-system change. Successful organizational change initiatives are strategic by design and inclusive by intention; they are focused on a positive future outcome, challenge conventions, and improve the organizational life of the members and relations with stakeholders. Leaders and change agents express a compelling vision to establish the urgency to change, build coalitions, plan systematically, and model the change to anchor it in the organization’s culture. Students analyze an organization’s needs , cultur e, strategy, expected outcomes, and categorize its stakeholder’s power and influence to determine the appropriate change approach and methods for the organization. Students determine participants and roles, develop a plan for implementing a change initiative, instruct others in change methodology, and present as if to a prospective client. Formerly ADMN 669 Org Intervention and Change Implementation.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 699 Capstone: Strat Applied LeadershipThis is the final course in the MSA in Dynamic Leadership and Organizations program and the final product represents a culmination of a student’s journey and learning. Students develop a strategic program plan, develop a grant proposal, or other strategic initiative to positively affect an organization, agency, department, or individual. The successful student is able to synthesize their knowledge and experiences to conduct a needs assessment, determine outcomes, design a programmatic response, identify organizational supports, develop an implementation plan, and a n evalua tion strategy to assess the initiative’s effect. Students collect and analyze primary and or secondary data to support the validity and viability of the strategic initiative. Students are expected to express a holistic understanding of the problem, the strategic plan or program design, and how the outcomes affect the target population. Students are expected to complete this course in the final semester. Students must pass this course with a B or better to qualify to graduate from the MSA in Dynamic Leaders and Organizations program. Required for all students in the program. Formerly ADMN 699 - Capstone Project.
3 credits
Prerequisites: INT 601 and the successful completion of 27-30 credits prior to the Capstone semester.
INT 601 Intro to Research Design and MethodsThis course instructs students in the importance of research design and methods in producing reliable and verifiable data for use in making evidence based analysis and conclusion in applied "real world" research that will have a direct relation to the student's career. Students will learn to define scientific knowledge and how worldviews and philosophical underpinnings inform research methodologies, cite and reference in APA style, and write an argument in an academic voice. Topics covered in this course include developing a research topic, identify, analyze, and synthesize literature in the field of study, writing the literature review, developing the research question, a review of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research methodologies and designs, units of analysis, ethical issues and the role of an institutional review board in conductin research, data collection, describe and analyze the data, test hypotheses, form a reasoned argument and conclusions based on a synthesis and evaluation of the evidence provided by the research design. Students may use this course to develop a pilot study for their thesis or capstone course. Formerly: ADMN 609, COM 602 and ISS 680
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None

Program Management for Government Concentration (optional)

The Dynamic Leaders and Organizations track also offers an optional concentration in Program Management for Government (PMG).

The Program Management for Government (PMG) concentration prepares graduates for professional certification in Program Management from the Project Management Institute (PMI). The PMG students also prepare for the National Contract Manager’s Association (NCMA) certification as a Certified Federal Contract Manager (CFCM) or as a Certified Project Contract Manager (CPCM).

ALL of the universal resources for leaders courses (12 credits):

ADMN 601 Excellence in Managing Contemporary OrganizationsReviews principles of effective management, and surveys contemporary and historical research on organizational effectiveness. Emphasizes skill development in managing basic administrative and managerial functions, including decision making, planning and implementation, problem solving, and communication. Experiential learning methods, such as case studies, simulations, and role playing, are employed extensively.
3 credits
ADMN 603 Excellence in Leadership: Theory and PracticeExcellence in Leadership: Theory and Practice is an introduction to historical and current leadership theories, effective contemporary leadership practices, and how the scholar and the practitioner might inform each other for greater effect. This course will emphasize the student's analysis of themselves as leaders while preparing them to make use of their strengths and opportunities. Topics included in this course will include transformational leadership, women in leadership, multicultural leadership, classic management theories, and ethical management. Formerly titled Theories of Leadership and Organizational Change
3 credits
ADMN 607 Accounting and Finance for Evaluation and ControlThe Accounting and Finance for Managerial Evaluation and Control course emphasizes the use of accounting and financial information to fa cilitate effective management decisions. Topics include the accounting process, the accounting cycle, accounting systems, inventories, investments, cost determination, cost control and analysis, budgeting, analysis of financial statements, and capital investment analysis. Students in this course will use spreadsheet software to develop and analyze data. This course requires computer literacy and access outside the classroom to a computer with spreadsheet software. Formerly ADMN 607 Financial Management for Non-Financial Managers.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 628 Project ManagementThe Project Management course provides the framework for managing a project from initiation to project completion, from a systems perspective. This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of the project management (PM) life cycle and the core PM processes—initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling—that are essential to effective project management. Areas covered include managing team structure, scheduling, budgeting, costing, resource allocation, staffing, communication, quality management, risk management, and procurement.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None

ALL of the advanced skills and knowledge for leaders courses (9 credits):

ADMN 613 Ethics for LeadersIn the Ethics for Leaders course students will compare and contrast ethical frameworks, stakeholder relationships, and social responsibility in decision making, risk management, and corporate governance. Students will exercise critical thinking, consider the elements of ethical decision making, analyze current and emerging ethical issues in the business environment, appraise the role of values, morals of relevant stakeholders through advanced readings, analysis and presentation of alternative outcomes based on and case studies form current business and organizational contexts. Students will demonstrate values based leadership through advanced readings, experientia l exercises, the examination of case studies, and presentation of analysis and negotiated resolutions.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Student must have completed a minimum of 21 graduate credits.
ADMN 615 Comparative Global Management PracticesADMN 615 Comparative Global Management- is an interdisciplinary analysis, critique, and comparison of management and managerial functions and practices from a regional outlook and a global perspective. Through discussion and case studies this course will present students with an opportunity to think beyond one's prevalent paradigm. In this course, cultural, economic, and political theories are introduced and amalgamated into a discourse on applied management.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 617 Crisis Leadership: Response and ResolutionContemporary organizations face a multitude of threats and dangers every day. Responsible and ethical leaders plan not only for the surviving and thriving of their institutions, they plan for organizational continuity and to prevent or mitigate negative fallout effecting their stakeholders and society at large. Planning, practice, and effective communication determine organizational thriving, the extent of fallout, and the strengthening of community ties. Students of Crisis Leadership develop, plan, and implement action plans for responding to a variety of modern management crises stemming from factors such as leadership practice, organizational culture, suc cession planning, embezzlement and accidents to natural disasters, health pandemics, sabotage, and workplace violence. Students will analyze and assess strategies for mitigating crises and evaluating their organizations response and resolution of crises that face leaders of contemporary organizations. Formerly ADMN 617 - Leadership: Response and Resolution of Crises
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None

ALL of the dynamic leadership courses: (12 credits):

ADMN 622 Public Finance and AdministrationThe ethical and management and disposition of public funds require attention to detail, regulation, and quality controls to ensure public agencies and governments meet their obligations. Students examine the role of public finance in promoting government policy, legislation, and initiatives. Students assess the political and social mechanisms involved in financing program design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Students analyze the systems of government finance including taxation and spending and their effect on the budget process, and final budgets. Students engage in systems for assurance and compliance in managing and reporti ng public funds. Students use these systems as perspectives for budget analysis, assessing accountability, and the ethical management of public funds in program management. Formerly ADMN 622 Public Finance.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 623 Program Management in GovernmentProgram directors and managers in government agencies in governmental and contracting organizations oversee and direct complex systems designed to meet agency and legislative mandates. Legislation and policy require programs that ensure the intent and the integrity of these mandates. Program managers drive the program life-cycle from definition to delivery to closure. Students develop programs design requirements, administrative support systems, and measures of evaluation. Students assess and evaluate the process of design, the controls, governance, quality assurance, and evaluation required in leading managers of p roject, contracts, and acquisitions and the various vendors to deliver mandated benefits to the program’s clients and stakeholders. Formerly ADMN 623 Prog Mgmt: Design, Assurance, & Eval.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 625 Contracts & Procurement for Public ProgramsThe management and negotiation of public contracts and acquisitions is a complex process requiring a high level of self-knowledge and awareness of other, the effects of differences (culture, gender, and others) and conflict on the negotiation process. Students identify, discern, and apply appropriate strategies for developing proposals, managing bids and negotiating public contracts and acquisitions. Students analyze mandates for contract requirements, vendor offerings, and assess bargaining positions. Students implement the principles and processes of federal procurement Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) an d their application to successful contracting decisions, enforcement of contract terms, financial analysis and management, and disputes and appeals in these processes. Students evaluate progress, work scope, cost and price, terms and conditions, and contract changes. Formerly ADMN 625 Contracts & Negotiations.
3 credits
Prerequisite: None
ADMN 699 Capstone: Strat Applied LeadershipThis is the final course in the MSA in Dynamic Leadership and Organizations program and the final product represents a culmination of a student’s journey and learning. Students develop a strategic program plan, develop a grant proposal, or other strategic initiative to positively affect an organization, agency, department, or individual. The successful student is able to synthesize their knowledge and experiences to conduct a needs assessment, determine outcomes, design a programmatic response, identify organizational supports, develop an implementation plan, and a n evalua tion strategy to assess the initiative’s effect. Students collect and analyze primary and or secondary data to support the validity and viability of the strategic initiative. Students are expected to express a holistic understanding of the problem, the strategic plan or program design, and how the outcomes affect the target population. Students are expected to complete this course in the final semester. Students must pass this course with a B or better to qualify to graduate from the MSA in Dynamic Leaders and Organizations program. Required for all students in the program. Formerly ADMN 699 - Capstone Project.
3 credits
Prerequisites: INT 601 and the successful completion of 27-30 credits prior to the Capstone semester.
INT 601 Intro to Research Design and MethodsThis course instructs students in the importance of research design and methods in producing reliable and verifiable data for use in making evidence based analysis and conclusion in applied "real world" research that will have a direct relation to the student's career. Students will learn to define scientific knowledge and how worldviews and philosophical underpinnings inform research methodologies, cite and reference in APA style, and write an argument in an academic voice. Topics covered in this course include developing a research topic, identify, analyze, and synthesize literature in the field of study, writing the literature review, developing the research question, a review of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research methodologies and designs, units of analysis, ethical issues and the role of an institutional review board in conductin research, data collection, describe and analyze the data, test hypotheses, form a reasoned argument and conclusions based on a synthesis and evaluation of the evidence provided by the research design. Students may use this course to develop a pilot study for their thesis or capstone course. Formerly: ADMN 609, COM 602 and ISS 680
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None

Program Policies

Capstone Semester:
The leadership and organizational management program requires students to complete a comprehensive research project and research paper in the capstone semester in a capstone course as required by the degree specializations. The comprehensive research project will include the preparation, implementation, and analysis of a research project on a topic developed by the student and approved by the instructor. Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in the Capstone Seminar to complete the program.

Dual Concentrations: If you are interested in more than one concentration or specialization to take advantage of unique career opportunities, please discuss this with your advisor or the program chair.

Cross-tallied Courses:
Unless noted otherwise, courses that are cross-tallied represent identical courses offered with a different program prefix. Students may not enroll in or receive credit for more than one iteration of a cross-tallied course even in different semesters.

Grades in Graduate Courses:
Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to graduate, no more than one grade of “C” on the transcript can satisfy degree requirements, and no grades below a “C” can satisfy a degree requirement.

Elective Courses:
All courses must be for graduate credit at the 500-level or higher to count toward the degree.

Pass/No Pass:
Graduate students may not take courses on a Pass/No Pass basis; courses taken Pass/No Pass do not fulfill certificate requirements.

TELL Policy:
TELL credits are not applicable toward the degree.

Transfer Policy:
Students may transfer up to 6 graduate credits from other appropriately accredited institutions of higher learning toward the degree with approval from their faculty advisor. Associations recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHEA) confer appropriate accreditation; these associations include but are not limited to regional accreditors.

Course Descriptions

ADMN 601 Excellence in Managing Contemporary OrganizationsReviews principles of effective management, and surveys contemporary and historical research on organizational effectiveness. Emphasizes skill development in managing basic administrative and managerial functions, including decision making, planning and implementation, problem solving, and communication. Experiential learning methods, such as case studies, simulations, and role playing, are employed extensively.
3 credits
ADMN 603 Excellence in Leadership: Theory and PracticeExcellence in Leadership: Theory and Practice is an introduction to historical and current leadership theories, effective contemporary leadership practices, and how the scholar and the practitioner might inform each other for greater effect. This course will emphasize the student's analysis of themselves as leaders while preparing them to make use of their strengths and opportunities. Topics included in this course will include transformational leadership, women in leadership, multicultural leadership, classic management theories, and ethical management. Formerly titled Theories of Leadership and Organizational Change
3 credits
ADMN 607 Accounting and Finance for Evaluation and ControlThe Accounting and Finance for Managerial Evaluation and Control course emphasizes the use of accounting and financial information to fa cilitate effective management decisions. Topics include the accounting process, the accounting cycle, accounting systems, inventories, investments, cost determination, cost control and analysis, budgeting, analysis of financial statements, and capital investment analysis. Students in this course will use spreadsheet software to develop and analyze data. This course requires computer literacy and access outside the classroom to a computer with spreadsheet software. Formerly ADMN 607 Financial Management for Non-Financial Managers.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 613 Ethics for LeadersIn the Ethics for Leaders course students will compare and contrast ethical frameworks, stakeholder relationships, and social responsibility in decision making, risk management, and corporate governance. Students will exercise critical thinking, consider the elements of ethical decision making, analyze current and emerging ethical issues in the business environment, appraise the role of values, morals of relevant stakeholders through advanced readings, analysis and presentation of alternative outcomes based on and case studies form current business and organizational contexts. Students will demonstrate values based leadership through advanced readings, experientia l exercises, the examination of case studies, and presentation of analysis and negotiated resolutions.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Student must have completed a minimum of 21 graduate credits.
ADMN 615 Comparative Global Management PracticesADMN 615 Comparative Global Management- is an interdisciplinary analysis, critique, and comparison of management and managerial functions and practices from a regional outlook and a global perspective. Through discussion and case studies this course will present students with an opportunity to think beyond one's prevalent paradigm. In this course, cultural, economic, and political theories are introduced and amalgamated into a discourse on applied management.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 617 Crisis Leadership: Response and ResolutionContemporary organizations face a multitude of threats and dangers every day. Responsible and ethical leaders plan not only for the surviving and thriving of their institutions, they plan for organizational continuity and to prevent or mitigate negative fallout effecting their stakeholders and society at large. Planning, practice, and effective communication determine organizational thriving, the extent of fallout, and the strengthening of community ties. Students of Crisis Leadership develop, plan, and implement action plans for responding to a variety of modern management crises stemming from factors such as leadership practice, organizational culture, suc cession planning, embezzlement and accidents to natural disasters, health pandemics, sabotage, and workplace violence. Students will analyze and assess strategies for mitigating crises and evaluating their organizations response and resolution of crises that face leaders of contemporary organizations. Formerly ADMN 617 - Leadership: Response and Resolution of Crises
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 622 Public Finance and AdministrationThe ethical and management and disposition of public funds require attention to detail, regulation, and quality controls to ensure public agencies and governments meet their obligations. Students examine the role of public finance in promoting government policy, legislation, and initiatives. Students assess the political and social mechanisms involved in financing program design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Students analyze the systems of government finance including taxation and spending and their effect on the budget process, and final budgets. Students engage in systems for assurance and compliance in managing and reporti ng public funds. Students use these systems as perspectives for budget analysis, assessing accountability, and the ethical management of public funds in program management. Formerly ADMN 622 Public Finance.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 623 Program Management in GovernmentProgram directors and managers in government agencies in governmental and contracting organizations oversee and direct complex systems designed to meet agency and legislative mandates. Legislation and policy require programs that ensure the intent and the integrity of these mandates. Program managers drive the program life-cycle from definition to delivery to closure. Students develop programs design requirements, administrative support systems, and measures of evaluation. Students assess and evaluate the process of design, the controls, governance, quality assurance, and evaluation required in leading managers of p roject, contracts, and acquisitions and the various vendors to deliver mandated benefits to the program’s clients and stakeholders. Formerly ADMN 623 Prog Mgmt: Design, Assurance, & Eval.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 625 Contracts & Procurement for Public ProgramsThe management and negotiation of public contracts and acquisitions is a complex process requiring a high level of self-knowledge and awareness of other, the effects of differences (culture, gender, and others) and conflict on the negotiation process. Students identify, discern, and apply appropriate strategies for developing proposals, managing bids and negotiating public contracts and acquisitions. Students analyze mandates for contract requirements, vendor offerings, and assess bargaining positions. Students implement the principles and processes of federal procurement Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) an d their application to successful contracting decisions, enforcement of contract terms, financial analysis and management, and disputes and appeals in these processes. Students evaluate progress, work scope, cost and price, terms and conditions, and contract changes. Formerly ADMN 625 Contracts & Negotiations.
3 credits
Prerequisite: None
ADMN 627 Federal Acquisition ManagementExamines principles, processes, and trends in federal procurement of and contracting for services and goods. Planning, sourcing and contractual design will be addressed. Discussions include Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) standards and their application to making successful contracting decisions, enforcement of contract terms, financial analysis and management, and disputes and appeals, as well as the emerging role of electronic commerce in these processes.
3 credits
ADMN 628 Project ManagementThe Project Management course provides the framework for managing a project from initiation to project completion, from a systems perspective. This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of the project management (PM) life cycle and the core PM processes—initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling—that are essential to effective project management. Areas covered include managing team structure, scheduling, budgeting, costing, resource allocation, staffing, communication, quality management, risk management, and procurement.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 631 Trends and Issues in Nonprofit ManagementExplores major issues in the not-for-profit sector including board selection and development, strategic planning, marketing, and governmental relations. The course emphasizes identification of critical management and leadership competencies, and focuses on current issues and trends affecting nonprofit organizations and their management.
3 credits
ADMN 633 Nonprofit Marketing and Public RelationsProvides an introduction to marketing concepts relevant to nonprofit organizations, focusing on the development and implementation of marketing strategies. The course also surveys the major forms of media used in public relations work and examines the role played by media in establishing and maintaining organizational visibility. Fundraising is also provided significant coverage.
3 credits
ADMN 635 Government Relations and Grant Writing for NonprofitsProvides an overview of governmental organizational and financial systems and focuses on the establishment and maintenance of effective relationships with governmental bodies and individual officials. The preparation of applications for government grants is reviewed in detail with an emphasis on writing successful proposals for such funding.
3 credits
ADMN 637 Nonprofit Resource Development and FundraisingProvides a basic understanding of nonprofit resource development by focusing on the two most common areas of raising funds - from individuals and from corporations and foundations. The course includes an examination of the essential research methodologies associated with fundraising, including donor profiling, donor base mining, and corporate and foundation partner searches. The preparation of applications for foundation grants is reviewed with an emphasis on writing successful proposals.
3 credits
ADMN 638 Nonprofit Financial Management and BudgetingExplores essential aspects of nonprofit corporate and project budgeting and financial management. Coverage of nonprofit corporate finance focuses on the formulation of agency-wide budgets, including operations financing, unrestricted funds administration, and general cash-flow management. The course also discusses budgets for specific projects funded by individual grants and donations, i.e., restricted funds. Formerly ADM 639 Nonprofit Financial Management and Budgeting.
3 credits
ADMN 639 Nonprofit Strategic Planning and Board DevelopmentStudies two major concerns for the "top management" of a nonprofit organization: board development and fundraising strategic planning. Board composition, recruiting, leadership and team processes are discussed with an eye on assembling and maintaining the most effective board of directors possible. The course also examines effective strategic planning and execution insofar as successful fundraising is concerned. Formerly ADM 632 Nonprofit Strategic Planning and Board Development.
3 credits
ADMN 641 Public and Community HealthProvides an overview of concepts and issues in public and community health, with a focus on the skills and knowledge required for the management and development of community health services. The course addresses epidemiological, policy, and ethical issues in preventive health services, and discusses the history, purpose, and results of public and community health activities. Formerly ADM 521 Public and Community Health.
3 credits
ADMN 642 Health Care: Delivery Systems, Policies, and ProceduresExamines the evolution, structure, and function of the U.S. health care system. Explores historic forces that have shaped contemporary health policy, and the manner in which governance, economic, and socio-cultural forces influence health policy and subsequent health services delivery. Consideration is given to the effect that evolving health policy initiatives may have on health care delivery in the future. Formerly ADM 522 Health Care: Delivery Systems, Policies, and Procedures.
3 credits
ADMN 643 Fundamentals of Health and Behavior ChangeExamines theoretical models relating to behavior change, including but not limited to the trans-theoretical model, the health belief model, social learning theory, the health communication model, the PEN-3 model, and locus of control constructs. Application of the models to various health-related examples are stressed. Formerly ADM 520 Fundamentals of Health and Behavior Change.
3 credits
ADMN 647 Epidemiology and Disease PreventionDiscusses the principles of epidemiology and disease prevention. Topics include the determinants of health and disease in populations, rates of disease, analytic and descriptive epidemiology, and disease control and prevention. Formerly ADM 647 Epidemiology and Disease Prevention.
3 credits
ADMN 648 Current Issues in Women's HealthExamines current theory and research relevant to the biology, physiology, psychology, and medical aspects of women’s health. The course focus is on enhancing health advocacy, personal responsibility, and community activities to maintain health. Formerly ADM 545 Current Issues in Women's Health.
3 credits
ADMN 649 Strategic Planning and Evaluation for Health Promotion ProgramsIntroduces and compares the major assessment and planning models used within allied health disciplines. Models addressed include the precede/proceed model and PATCH. A diagnostic approach to planning that encompasses social, epidemiological, behavioral, educational, and administrative diagnoses, and evaluation and application is discussed. Fomerly ADM 530 Strategic Planning and Evaluation for Health Promotion Programs.
3 credits
ADMN 661 Leaders and Complex OrganizationsLeadership has profound influence on the design, functionality, culture, and effectiveness of organizations. The organizations they lead are rarely static, stability is difficult to manage, and the reality of organizational life is complex, dynamic, and nuanced. Students engage in developing their leadership acumen and applying it to the design of an organization, which is adaptive, agile, and appreciative by intention, preparing them to act as a leader and change agent of organizational learning. Students will develop and implement a leadership growth plan and engage in activities that promote her or his development as a leader. Students determin e effect ive elements of organizations, design complex adaptive organizations, and apply measures of assessment, while establishing and negotiating their role as leaders and change agents. Formerly ADMN 661 Organizations and the Individual.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 665 Strategy and Organizational CultureLeaders when faced with a changing environment, shifting goals, and high expectations discover their organization is not as adaptive and agile as necessary and the process of adaptation or change takes too long. Leaders learn late they have formed and promoted an organizational culture that is not reflective of nor responsive to external forces and events. Organizational culture drives organizational strategy, structure and processes, organizational performance, and response to events in the external environment. Strategy and strategic initiatives that leverage the learning organization’s culture and are more successful. Students recogniz e and id entify the leader’s role in promoting cultural factors in organizations. Students analyze organizations and diagnose cultural factors that promote, facilitate, inhibit, or resist organizational learning, progress, and change. Students develop strategic plans that leverage organizational culture and facilitate positive change experiences and outcomes. Formerly ADMN 665 Organizational Strategy.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 668 Diagnosis for Organizational ChangeDiscusses major theories and models of organization development and their application to identifying organizational problems and facilitating change. The course provides students with opportunities to assess organizational needs for change. Formerly ADM 629 Diagnosis for Organizational Change.
3 credits
ADMN 669 Engaging Organizational ChangeOrganizations engage in organizational change processes to develop strategic plans, reconfigure or improve structures and processes, and increasingly for whole-system change. Successful organizational change initiatives are strategic by design and inclusive by intention; they are focused on a positive future outcome, challenge conventions, and improve the organizational life of the members and relations with stakeholders. Leaders and change agents express a compelling vision to establish the urgency to change, build coalitions, plan systematically, and model the change to anchor it in the organization’s culture. Students analyze an organization’s needs , cultur e, strategy, expected outcomes, and categorize its stakeholder’s power and influence to determine the appropriate change approach and methods for the organization. Students determine participants and roles, develop a plan for implementing a change initiative, instruct others in change methodology, and present as if to a prospective client. Formerly ADMN 669 Org Intervention and Change Implementation.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
ADMN 699 Capstone: Strat Applied LeadershipThis is the final course in the MSA in Dynamic Leadership and Organizations program and the final product represents a culmination of a student’s journey and learning. Students develop a strategic program plan, develop a grant proposal, or other strategic initiative to positively affect an organization, agency, department, or individual. The successful student is able to synthesize their knowledge and experiences to conduct a needs assessment, determine outcomes, design a programmatic response, identify organizational supports, develop an implementation plan, and a n evalua tion strategy to assess the initiative’s effect. Students collect and analyze primary and or secondary data to support the validity and viability of the strategic initiative. Students are expected to express a holistic understanding of the problem, the strategic plan or program design, and how the outcomes affect the target population. Students are expected to complete this course in the final semester. Students must pass this course with a B or better to qualify to graduate from the MSA in Dynamic Leaders and Organizations program. Required for all students in the program. Formerly ADMN 699 - Capstone Project.
3 credits
Prerequisites: INT 601 and the successful completion of 27-30 credits prior to the Capstone semester.
HADV 601 Health Disparity and Social InequalityIn this course students explore and define their roles as health advocates for populations suffering from health disparities. Students assess differences in health, which result from environment, care (access, quality, or utilization), health status, or lack of awareness of health outcomes. Students will distinguish between disparities due to inequity (differences in rates of health outcomes) and disparities due to inequalities (unnecessary, unavoidable, unfair, and unjust health outcomes). Issues of social inequality and social justice are intertwined with health disparity, especially for disadvantaged and minority populations. Students analyze and categorize patterns within the health determinants of populations to identify disparitie s and th eir related social factors compared to non-minority or majority populations using data from the DHHS, CDC, NIH, Healthy People, and other sources. Students evaluate the effects of health disparities within specific populations, identify health determinants and social aspects influences on the health disparity, choose an appropriate comparison group, determine the appropriate measures, and evaluate existing programs, initiatives, or individual behaviors for effectiveness.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
HADV 603 Cultural Competence in Health AdvocacyIn this course students examine the biases and assumptions, both explicit and implicit, her or his own, or those of health systems and health providers, that influence the access to quality care for individuals and communities who are from emerging minorities and low socioeconomic or otherwise disadvantaged populations. Students develop an awareness and appreciation of the roles of cultural norms, language, nonverbal communication, interpersonal space, and other cultural nuances have in providing culturally competent health care. Students appraise the demographic and accreditation requirements employing the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards to develop systems to implement and practice culturally compet ent heal th care.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
HADV 621 Health Advocacy: Access and NavigationIn this course students determine the appropriate roles a health practitioner might adopt to promote an individual or community’s health care experience and to improve health outcomes. In an increasingly complex healthcare market and range of treatments it is important for the health care advocate to be able to assess a patient’s diagnosis, risks, needs, and recommended treatment to direct individuals or communities to the best experiences and outcomes. This is critically important for minority, disadvantaged, or special populations who are often unaware of the severity of their conditions and potential health outcomes. Students demonstrate the ability to inform and educate individuals or communities of their health status, treatm ent plan s, access to quality care, community health services, and to advocate to insurance systems and health institutions in an ethical and caring manner to improve health outcomes and social inequalities.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
HADV 631 Health Advocacy and Behavior ChangeStudents engage in examining the relationships between behavior, choice, good health, and an improved quality of life for populations experiencing health disparities. Students will evaluate health behavior change models and theories for their application to behavior change and improving quality of life. Behavior change is essential to improving the health and quality of life for individuals and communities, especially for those who are experiencing health disparities. Unhealthy behavior and lifestyle choices effect much of the chronic ill health of the U.S. population. Health behavior intervention plays a key role in preventative health care. Chronic ill health is influenced by socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors leading to a grea ter heal th disparity for populations, which lack access or are disadvantaged due to social inequalities. Students conduct a needs assessment for a chronic health issue effecting individuals or communities experiencing health disparities, determine an effective health behavior model or theory and a working hypothesis, and develop a behavioral change program (method/intervention) to impact the quality of care and quality of life for populations effected by health disparities.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
HADV 641 Epidemiology and Biostatistics in HADVIn this course, students become conversant with the foundations, principles, and language of epidemiology and biostatistics to analyze and assess public health reports and literature, from the CDC, NIH, WHO and other sources, regarding health conditions, health disparities, research results, interventions, and program evaluation. Students develop hypotheses concerning individuals or communities and their health disparities, determine means to test those hypotheses using descriptive and inferential statistics, which requires the ability to analyze and assess statistical tests and determine the reliability of experiments to further their comprehension of a populations, needs, expected outcomes, and likelihood of success for health promotio n programs.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
HADV 699 Capstone in Strategic Planning for HADVThis is the final course in the MSA in Health Advocacy program and the final product represents a culmination of students’ journey and learning. Throughout the program students have developed logic models and an intervention map describing a program to influence an individual or community’s health disparity, and to improve their expected health outcome through intervention, programmatic support, grant funding, or policy change. The successful student is able to synthesize their knowledge and experiences to develop programs, apply for grants, write policy to serve the population and influence the health disparity. In this course students use their interv ention p lan to develop a strategic plan that can be applied to affect a targeted outcome. Students describe the problem, the outcomes and objectives, determine a research hypothesis concerning an intervention, develop a plan for a program/grant/policy, the organizational supports, and a plan for implementation. Students the collect and analyze primary and or secondary data to support the validity and viability of the strategic plan. Students are expected to express an understanding of a holistic understanding of the population, health condition, the needs assessment, intervention/program/grant/policy, and the organizational support necessary. This course is expected to be completed in the student’s final semester. Students must pass this course with a B or better to qualify to graduate from the MSA in Health Advocacy program. Required for all students in the program.
3 credits
Prerequisites: INT 601 and the successful completion of at 27-30 credits prior to the Capstone semester.
HRM 603 Negotiation & Conflict in HRMHuman Resources occupies a unique position in organizations, which requires both the protection, development, and management of the workforce and managing the interests and risks of the organization. HR is often central to handling organizational crises requiring competence in negotiation and conflict. Students examine the theories and practice of negotiating for results and determine potential positions and alternate scenarios. Students also analyze and assess of the perspectives parties to plan intervention in, the management of, and the prevention of conflict. Students apply and implement negotiation and mediation skills to recog nize, ma nage, or prevent conflicts. Students evaluate negotiation and conflict initiatives for effectiveness in fostering teamwork. Students exhibit competence in assessing conflict situations, the design and implement of interventions use of dialogue, reframing, and negotiation to moderate and manage conflict revealing opportunity in a business context and the organizational environment.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
HRM 611 Employment Law & HRMLabor and Employment law in the United States play a pivotal role in the relationship between management and labor to establish a fair and equitable workplace and protect both the organization and the employee. US Employment and Labor laws are difficult to navigate and contain nuances that might have enormous influence on either the organization or the employee. Human Resources utilizes critical thinking and problem-solving to interpret and implement these laws in the workplace. Students assess and evaluate the policies and practices of the organization compared to US employment and labor laws to determine effective strategies for promoting positive and producti ve relat ionships with the workforce, individually or collectively. Students examine the history and application of US labor laws covering topics such as the National Labor Relations Act, alternative dispute resolution, public employment, regulating union activities, OSHA, discrimination laws, ADA, and employee privacy to develop effective assessments of compliance. Formerly ADMN 673 Key Legal Issues in HR Management.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
HRM 621 Workforce DevelopmentOrganizations employ strategic initiatives to attract, manage, and retain a workforce capable of and committed to actualizing the organization’s vision and mission. Key to this is continuous scanning of the organization’s strategic expectations and regular needs assessment of the organization’s workforce. Human Resources develops and implements initiatives to create and maintain that workforce. Students appraise and implement policies, practices, develop strategies for, and evaluate the effectiveness of workforce development initiatives in recruiting, hiring, development, r etention , and organizational exiting. Workforce Development activities facilitate and sustain a workforce that shares the vision, culture, and goals of the organization, and meeting the organization’s strategic management goals and objectives. Students examine and evaluate policies and practices for job analysis, pre-hiring assessment, placement, promotion, and legal compliance. 3 credits
Prerequisites: None
HRM 623 Motivation, Compensation & BenefitsHuman Resources develops and manages policies of compensation and benefits to attract and retain a workforce capable of and committed to actualizing the organization’s vision and mission. Essential to good long-term employee – employer relationships is intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Categories of employees might require differentiation in motivators and compensation and motivation packages. Organizations, which are successful in attracting and maintaining an effective workforce approach compensation and benefits strategically with attention to detail and effect. Students assess and evaluate cost-effective pay a nd incen tive pay structures to meet the organization’s human capital and workforce development goals and objectives. Students evaluate compensation systems and determine their effectiveness, and appraise the organization's total compensation system to promote external competitiveness and internal effectiveness and meet the organization’s strategic goals and objectives.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
HRM 641 Human Resources DevelopmentHuman Resources occasionally finds it imperative to engage in organizational development to enable the organization’s strategic management goals and objectives by implementing intervention initiatives to restructure and realign the organization, improve processes and practices, or to develop and sustain the organizational learning. When HR undertakes these initiatives, it requires familiarity with the organization’s vision and mission, understanding the needs assessment, determining outcomes and objectives, and to implement and organization development (OD) program or intervention. Students determine organizational problems and nee ds, asse ss the motivational drive and development requirements of the workforce. Students design and develop programs or interventions, determine performance objectives, and plans for evaluation of effectiveness. Successful students are able to design and implement programs or interventions that promote the development of positive organizational culture and continuous learning, and are able to evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
HRM 699 Capstone in Strategic Planning for HRMThis is the final course in the MSA in Human Resources Management program and the final product represents a culmination of students’ journey and learning. Throughout the program students have developed elements of a strategic program to affect an organization, agency, or department through training, talent development, organizational learning, recruitment, retention, compensation, or strategic initiatives. The successful student is able to synthesize their knowledge and experiences to conduct a needs assessment, determine outcomes, design a programmatic response, develop organizational supports, implementation plan, and evaluate the program’s influenc e on the organization. Students collect and analyze primary and or secondary data to support the validity and viability of the strategic plan. Students are expected to express a holistic understanding of the problem, the strategic plan, and how the outcomes affect the organization. Students are expected to complete this course in the final semester. Students must pass this course with a B or better to qualify to graduate from the MSA in Human Resources Management program. Required for all students in the program.
3 credits
Prerequisites: INT 601 and the successfully completed at least 27 credits prior to the Capstone semester.
INT 501 BGS Transitions Seminar for Graduate StudentsThis is a non-credit seminar for students in their first semester of any School of Business and Graduate Studies graduate program. Information will be provided to students on the transition to graduate school, learning styles and study skills, academic honesty, writing expectations, research skills and quantitative literacy requirements. Assessments of writing and quantitative literacy will also be conducted. Formerly INT 501 - SPS Transitions Seminar for Graduate Students.
0 credits
Prerequisites: None
INT 601 Intro to Research Design and MethodsThis course instructs students in the importance of research design and methods in producing reliable and verifiable data for use in making evidence based analysis and conclusion in applied "real world" research that will have a direct relation to the student's career. Students will learn to define scientific knowledge and how worldviews and philosophical underpinnings inform research methodologies, cite and reference in APA style, and write an argument in an academic voice. Topics covered in this course include developing a research topic, identify, analyze, and synthesize literature in the field of study, writing the literature review, developing the research question, a review of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research methodologies and designs, units of analysis, ethical issues and the role of an institutional review board in conductin research, data collection, describe and analyze the data, test hypotheses, form a reasoned argument and conclusions based on a synthesis and evaluation of the evidence provided by the research design. Students may use this course to develop a pilot study for their thesis or capstone course. Formerly: ADMN 609, COM 602 and ISS 680
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None