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Program Overview

The M.A. Organizational Leadership program is designed for working adults interested in making a difference in organizations through ethical leadership, informed by an evidence-based psychological perspective. The curriculum offers the knowledge and skills drawn from psychological research and is aligned with an established contemporary taxonomy of leadership competencies based on social psychological theories. Graduates are prepared to excel as ethical leaders and managers, be sensitive to and understand diverse populations, and contribute to education, research, and policy-making in a variety of organizational environments.

The M.A. Organizational Leadership is a 40 credit hour program, consisting of a core of 34 credits, including capstone, and 6 credits of an emphasis area. To ensure graduates are well prepared for present and future leadership roles and demands, this degree program offers the opportunity to build knowledge and skills through the completion of a comprehensive core of courses as well as having the ability to deepen an area of interest through the selection of courses from electives in general or industrial/organizational psychology. This program prepares students for advancement into Ph.D. programs in Organizational Leadership or Business Psychology. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program students will be able to:

1. Leadership:  apply the principles of social science research to the field of organizational leadership.

• Apply the theories of leadership at individual, group, organizational and global levels.
• Create approaches to leadership that preserve and promote organizational effectiveness and efficiency.

2. Research: demonstrate comprehension of data and information presented in statistical reports and social science research articles.

• Demonstrate knowledge of descriptive statistics, data management, and statistical procedures.
• Evaluate and apply research findings to practical leadership issues. 

3. Critical Thinking: critically review psychological leadership scholarship including probing for more information, identifying logic flaws, and creating alternative solutions.

• Critique the scholarship of others, actively searching for logic flaws, and create alternative suggestions to problems.
• Anticipate and eliminate common thinking fallacies and cognitive biases in evaluation and decision-making situations.
• Identify need for more information when seeking a solution (i.e., will look for root causes rather than surface symptoms).

4. Diversity: demonstrate knowledge of the role of individual differences in the workplace and the ability to establish and benefit from collaborative professional relationships with others, regardless of differences in background, work roles, and points of view.

• Collaborate with people differing from the student in terms of age, gender, race, ethnicity, cultural background, religious difference, sexual orientation, or differing ability. The student is able to listen to and learn from the perspectives of others who differ from him/herself.
• Challenge his/her own biases and stereotypes and learns from those experiences.
• Apply the knowledge on identity related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, religious belief, and ability, to leadership decisions and interventions.

5. Communication: demonstrate oral and written communication that is grammatically correct, logical, succinct, and of publishable quality and non-defensive, learning-oriented responses to constructive feedback.ng missing here

• Demonstrates oral and written communication that is grammatical and professional.
• Accepts and evaluates feedback non-defensively and actively seeks to modify his/her behavior appropriately. 

6. Ethics: demonstrate personal integrity and ethical behavior in their leadership practice through leadership decision-making based on ethical considerations and guidelines.

• Evaluate and create policies that delineate ethical practices.
• Demonstrate ethical professional behavior. 

7. Professionalism: demonstrate professional behavior through constructive and appropriate interactions with others.

• Demonstrates collaborative and team-oriented professional relationships.

Admission Requirements

Application to The Chicago School of Professional Psychology’s M.A. Organizational Leadership program is open to any person who has earned a bachelor degree from a regionally accredited institution and who meets other entrance requirements. Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to do graduate work. Factors that are considered in admission include GPA from undergraduate schools. Generally, an undergraduate GPA of a 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission. Applicants must submit official transcripts from all schools where a degree was earned. It is recommended that transcripts are submitted from all schools where credit was received to enhance their applications. Additional factors that are considering in admission include the following:

• Application
• Application Fee ($50)
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Essay
  • How will your personal and professional accomplishments, academic background, and experience contribute to your success in this Program?
  • How will the successful completion of this Program support your professional career goals?

Applicant Notification

The Chicago School reviews applications on a rolling basis. Once review begins, complete applications will be considered by the Admission Committee and applicants will be notified regarding the admission decision. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission and in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $250 for the online program will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures : Academic Calendar, Admissions Requirements, Attendance, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Service Learning, and Transfer Credit/Course Waiver. Click the link above for detailed information.

Articulation Agreements

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology has established an agreement between the M.A. Organizational Leadership and the B.A. Psychology programs to allow qualified students to enter early into the master’s program. This agreement allows qualified students to begin their master’s study while completing their bachelor’s degree. Click on this link  for details.

Philosophy

This program examines field of psychology from an organizational leadership perspective.  It is intended to develop professionals who can apply knowledge about principles of psychology and leadership to work more effectively with specific populations.  The program includes coursework in leadership, research, ethics, interpersonal dynamics, and a variety of electives to support each student’s unique career goals-preparing graduates to apply the principles of psychology and leadership theory in a broad range of settings, to more effectively lead individuals and organizations to success.

Ethical and Professional Behavior 

Students are expected to engage in all graduate work, including but not limited to course work, research, and scholarship, with a high degree of integrity and professionalism. It is essential that students approach professional working relationships, collegial relationships, and client/partner-contact with respect. Further, students are expected to adhere to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct as well as the “evolving universal code of ethics” (Gauthier, 2005).  Students who choose to seek employment in the field of psychology shall not work beyond their level of competence and shall not use titles governed by credentialing statutes and/or regulations unless authorized by the relevant jurisdictional authority. Students who fail to comply with ethical and professional behavior guidelines are subject to department remediation and/or referral to the Student Affairs Committee for disciplinary action and possible dismissal. 

Licensure

The M.A. Organizational Leadership is a non-licensure program. 

Capstone Project

The M.A. Organizational Leadership program culminates in a capstone project that is a critical analysis of a best-selling popular management non-fiction book selected from the list provided.  This analysis intends to identify the evidence-based theories that would support the assertions made by the author.  Based on theory and its supporting literature, the student will identify strengths and shortcomings of the author’s approach, explaining (based on theory) why the approach would succeed or fail, and under what conditions.  This project focuses on developing critical thinking, expanding awareness of diversity and ethics, applying theory to practice, and developing information literacy skills.

Additionally, this capstone project forms the summative assessment of the program, and is designed to satisfy the requirements of the competencies of the M.A. Organizational Leadership program for a culminating experience.