Master of Science in Leadership Development

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Why Choose Leadership Development?

The Master of Science in Leadership Development is a 5-semester applied, online master's program designed to:

  • Develop your leadership skills around emotional intelligence, teaming, communication and conflict negotiation, problem-solving, ethics, diversity and inclusion, and assessment/evaluation.
  • Help you learn strategies for building the leadership capacities of individuals, groups, and organizations.
  • Teach you how to apply knowledge, strategies, and research to common challenges encountered in organizations.

Our students come from a variety of fields including healthcare, military, business, nonprofit, education, finance, sports and fitness, counseling and wellness, retail, information technology, and more. Whether you are a senior or emerging leader, developing one's leadership capacity and the ability to do so with others is invaluable.

Benefits of the Master of Science in Leadership Development

  • Enhance your leadership position in your occupational field. 
  • Lead with integrity grounded in values-based and ethical systems.  
  • Examine and apply organizational leadership theories. 
  • Create leadership development plans for self-awareness improvement. 
  • Improve communication, collaboration, and group process skills which can be applied within a global context. 
  • Employ research and evaluation for organizational analysis and problem-solving. 

Contact Information

Jared Embree, Program Director
jared.embree@wright.edu

Related Links

Careers

75 percent of our 2018-2019 leadership development graduates were employed in Ohio within a year of graduation. (ODJFS Data Match, 2019). 

A career consultant is available to you for assistance in helping you connect your degree to your career.

Success Stories

Academics and Curriculum

The MSLD degree is comprised of 10 courses, with 2 courses offered per semester over 5 semesters:

  • Two 15-week courses Fall and Spring Year 1
  • Two 6-week courses in the Summer
  • Two 15-week courses Fall and Spring Year 2

We have a Fall semester start only, and courses are offered once per year. 

Online Delivery

Because we recognize many of our students are employed and need a flexible education option, we are a fully online program. Thus, we are unable to accept international students.

View the Master of Science in Leadership Development program information, degree requirements, and graduation planning strategies in the Academic Catalog.  

Leadership Development Program of Study (PDF)

Wright State University's Master of Science in Leadership Development's curriculum aligns with the International Leadership Association's General Principles for Leadership Programs.

Admission

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
  • Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.7 or higher
  • GPA of 3.0 or higher on any previous graduate work, if applicable
  • Minimum of three years of full-time or equivalent work experience

Admission Process

  • Apply to Graduate School.

  • Submit to the Graduate School:

    Written 2–3 page goal essay Official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended (except Wright State) Official GRE or MAT scores if applicable Two letters of reference Résumé

  • Successfully complete an interview with program faculty.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the Master of Science in Leadership Development program?

    The Master of Science in Leadership Development (MSLD) will address the principles of individual-based leader development, focusing on processes that build the capacities of groups in organizations. The major goal of the program is to prepare candidates capable of applying knowledge, critical analysis, improvement strategies and research to common challenges encountered in business, community, educational, and non-profit organizations. The program uses the cohort model and admits year-round for only a fall term start.

  • What can graduates of the MSLD program do with their degree?
    • Enhance their leadership position in their occupational field;
    • Enhance critical thinking and ethical decision making skills as a leader;
    • Improve communication, collaboration, and group process skills, which can be applied to a global society;
    • Develop skills in assessment, research, and evaluation needed for organizational improvement
  • Is the MSLD a full time program?

    Yes, the MSLD program is designed for working professionals; therefore, completing two courses each semester for five semesters will be expected. However, students may extend the program by taking 1 course per semester if needed.

  • What are the academic requirements for admission to the program?

    A minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.7 and a GPA of 3.0 or higher on any previous graduate work, if applicable, is required for admission to the MSLD program.

  • Are there other non-academic requirements for admission?

    Yes. For admission into the MSLD program, applicants must have three years or equivalent of full-time work experience, as evidenced in the supplemental résumé. Admission will be based on an interview, written goal essay, and supportive letters of recommendation by those who can speak to the applicant's ability to be successful in a graduate program.

  • How are courses offered?

    Courses are only available online, with a combination of synchronous, hybrid, and asynchronous modalities.

  • When do you admit students?

    We only admit students for a Fall Semester start.

  • When is the application deadline?

    March 1: Priority Application Deadline
    March 2–June 1: Rolling Applications Accepted
    June 1: Regular Application Deadline (unfilled slots after June 1 will be made available to Organizational Leadership Combined students on a waiting list)
    July 2–August 1: Rolling Applications Accepted
    August 1: Final Application Deadline (no applications accepted after this date)

    *Anyone submitting an application prior to the March 1 deadline whose financial aid is contingent upon program acceptance may email the program director for an early review.

  • Does the MSLD accept international students?

    Because this program is entirely online, international students are not accepted into the program.

  • Does the MSLD program require a thesis or research project?

    Students must complete an applied research project. Students interested in pursuing a thesis may do so instead of completing the research project if interested.

  • How many credit hours will it take to complete the program?

    To finish the program, students must successfully complete 30 credit hours of coursework.

  • Am I assigned an advisor?

    Yes, Once you are admitted into the program you will be assigned an advisor.

  • How will I know what courses to take?

    You have will have a Program of Study (POS) that outlines your course of study once admitted in the program.

  • How long will it take to complete the MSLD program?

    You can finish the program in as little as 5 semesters.

 

Combined Organizational Leadership and Master of Science in Leadership Development Program

If you are a Wright State undergraduate student enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership degree program, and in your final year of undergraduate studies, you can enroll in up to 9 hours of “overlap” courses that count toward both your bachelor’s and master’s degree. You must be exceptionally well-prepared to be admitted to the combined program.

Combined Master’s Degrees Available 

These are the combined master’s degrees available for organizational leadership students:  

  • Master of Science in Leadership Development (MSLD)
    Your coursework will combine leadership theory, interpersonal skills, talent development, and organizational social responsibility to prepare you for challenges across a wide variety of career fields.  

Program Requirements 

When admitted to combined programs, you must complete all requirements for both programs. For the Master of Science in Leadership Development, you will complete LDR 7010, 7100, and 7050 during your senior undergraduate year. These courses will be taken in lieu of nine undergraduate elective credits.

Grades and Transcripts 

You will have both a graduate and an undergraduate transcript. Any courses taken for both degrees will appear on both transcripts. This allows for the calculation of separate GPAs. All relevant rules about GPAs and continued eligibility, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, use these calculations. 

Requirements 

At the end of your junior year, you should apply to the Wright State Graduate School. The admission requirements for the combined program are more rigorous than the master’s degree.

Admission requirements for the combined degree include: 

  • Must be a major in the Organizational Leadership undergraduate degree
  • Senior-level status (90 credit hours must have been completed by the start of the program)
  • 3.2 cumulative GPA in all undergraduate work, including undergraduate credits earned at other institutions and transferred to Wright State
  • Undergraduate advisor's approval for admission to the combined-degree program, and mandatory advising during each semester you are taking graduate credit toward the bachelor's degree
  • You must fill out an application for the combined degree program (DOCX). Priority application deadline is March 1; regular deadline is June 1; final deadline is August 1. 
  • Formal admission to combined-degree status

Tuition and Financial Aid 

Contact the Wright State Office of Financial Aid for questions. Here is tuition and financial aid information about the combined degree program.  

  • While in the combined degree program, you will pay tuition at the undergraduate rate until you complete your bachelor’s degree. After you earn your bachelor’s degree, you will pay graduate-level tuition. 
  • Financial aid is based on enrollment status. You will be eligible for undergraduate financial aid while completing your bachelor's degree. When you become an admitted graduate student, you can then apply for graduate forms of financial aid. These include Graduate Tuition Scholarships and GRAs/GTAs/GAs. 

Program Withdrawal 

You may withdraw from the combined program and continue as a traditional undergraduate student at any time. If you withdraw, you are not able to transfer completed graduate credits to a future graduate degree. 

Program Dismissal 

You will be dismissed from the combined program and continue as a traditional undergraduate student if: 

  • You do not complete all the bachelor’s program requirements within three years of admission 
  • Your cumulative GPA in the courses falls below 3.0 

Questions

If you have questions about the combined degree, contact Jared Embree at jared.embree@wright.edu.