Community & Organizational Leadership, MS

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This graduate program is administered by the area of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the School of Health Sciences and Wellness .

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the M.S. degree in Community and Organizational Leadership, you will be able to:

Analyze community development process and practice.
Consider human relationships in fostering positive behavior change within communities.
Develop community-based programming to meet goals and objectives.

The MS degree in Community & Organizational Leadership is designed to broaden your abilities in leadership, critical thinking and wellness in individual, family and community settings.

More information about the Master of Science in Community and Organizational Leadership program is available on the Health Sciences and Wellness page.

The degree requires a minimum of 30 credits: 15 credits of core courses and 6 credits of project or thesis are required and the remaining 9 credits of electives are determined by your individual needs and career goals.

Required core, 15 credits

COL 700 - Collaborative Leadership in Community Development Credits: 3
COL 710 - Organization and Program Management Credits: 3
COL 720 - Outcome Based Program Evaluation Credits: 3
COL 730 - Best Practices in Program Development Credits: 3
COL 740 - Grants and Funding for Small Projects Credits: 3

Electives, 9 credits

Courses are identified in consultation with your adviser based on your professional needs and interests.

Culminating Experience, 6 credits

Choose one option:

Project, 6 credits

Develop and implement a project designed to accommodate a current community need. Requires 6 credits (COL 791 and COL 792 ). Requires professional presentation of project plan and results.

COL 791 - Project Development Credits: 2-3
COL 792 - Project Evaluation Credits: 2-3

Thesis, 6 credits

For those interested in conducting qualitative or quantitative research. Choose a topic in an area similar to the interests of one of the faculty. Requires 6 thesis credits, including 6 thesis credits. Requires oral research proposal, written thesis. and oral final defense. You may repeat enrollment in COL 799 each semester in which you are involved in your thesis, until the 6 credit requirement is completed.

COL 799 - Thesis Credits: 1-6

Coaching Certificate, 6 credits

If you are pursuing the Health and Wellness Coaching Graduate Certificate , you can develop a project designed to accommodate a current community need related to coaching by taking HPW 775 and implement the project in COL 792 to satisfy the 6-credit “Culminating Experience” requirement. Requires professional presentation of project plan and results.

COL 792 - Project Evaluation Credits: 2-3
HPW 775 - Health and Wellness Coaching Ethics and Practicum Credits: 3

Child Life Specialist Certificate, 6 credits

If you are pursuing the Child Life Specialist Preparation Graduate Certificate, you may utilize your child life internship experience to satisfy the 6-credit “Culminating Experience” requirement.

Take these courses for 3 credits each:

COL 791 - Project Development Credits: 2-3
COL 792 - Project Evaluation Credits: 2-3