If you’re a professional looking to develop your critical thinking and strategic vision skills in a rapidly changing world, then a masters in strategic leadership might be right for you.
Proven and experienced leaders are needed to face the challenges of tomorrow. An online strategic management program might be the right step for managers looking to move into a C-suite office.
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These programs are built to maximize flexibility, allowing hard-working professionals to work at their own pace. Possible careers with this degree are among the most important in our society today.
Online Masters in Strategic Leadership Programs
It is no secret the pace of innovation in today’s world demands innovative ideas to combat the problems of our society.
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Much like an online organizational management degree program, an online masters in strategic leadership programs prepare students by promoting personal development alongside organizational and team development. Pursuing this degree can help you gain the skills needed to lead and organize organizations and understand the key components of the organization you lead.
These online organizational leadership degree programs are designed to provide education and strategies to meet the demands of today and the future through:
- Identifying the needs of businesses
- Cultivating critical thinking
- Interpreting macro trends and understanding how they impact organizations
- Long-term strategic planning
- Team management and development
- Core business function integration into strategic visions
Master of Science in Strategic Leadership students take a wide variety of courses. These typically include studies in leadership, global management, corporate strategy, competitive analysis, and sustainability.
The purpose of master’s degree in strategic leadership programs is to prepare students who may already have managing and leadership experience for executive leadership. This means managing organizations, likely for-profit businesses, at the highest level.
Due to the breadth of the coursework, strategic leadership master’s programs are also useful for leadership positions in the NGO and non-profit world. Additionally, those looking to work in the government might also benefit from strategic management programs.
Strategic Leadership Careers & Salaries
Earning your strategic leadership degree can help open a new level of possibilities to you in a wide variety of different industries.
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that management professions often have the highest wages of any occupational group and are predicted to grow at an average rate.
| Careers | Annual Median Salaries |
| Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers | $133,380 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $127,530 |
| Human Resources Managers | $126,230 |
| Training and Development Managers | $120,130 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $103,150 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $101,340 |
| Administrative Services and Facilities Managers | $99,290 |
| Top Executives | $98,980 |
| Management Analysts | $93,000 |
| Emergency Management Directors | $76,730 |
Salaries will vary depending on location, work experience, and other variables. Some of these positions may require further education or work experience to obtain.
Strategic Leadership Masters Curriculum & Courses
One of the strengths of a strategic leadership master’s degree program is the wide variety of courses available in the curriculum.
As a student in one of these programs, you may have to take one or more of the following courses:
- Leadership: This course is designed as an overview of current practices and strategies for leadership within organizations, including laboratory applications of theory.
- Strategic Management: This course goes through the basic concepts and principles that guide decision-makers in setting strategic goals for their organization.
- Organization Analysis: This course can help you develop the tools needed to analyze organizations, including their management processes and organizational structure.
- Power: This course is intended to help you develop a conceptual understanding of power, how it operates in the real world, and how to wield it responsibly for your organization.
- Ethics: Ethics courses can help you gain a fundamental understanding of the ethical issues that come with leadership and how to resolve them.
- Strategic Implementation: This course explores strategies that can be implemented within organizations to create organizational change.
- Human Resource Management: This course teaches the essentials when it comes to best HR practices, from legal to administrative and practical issues addressed.
- Workplace Diversity: This course brings into focus the issues related to diversifying an organization’s workforce and ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusionary policies.
- Sustainability: This course discusses hard-hitting social and environmental issues all organizations deal with and the best practices to ensure sustainable organizations.
- Negotiation: This course covers the issues at play when negotiating and can help you learn how to identify interests, define value, and construct arguments.
In addition to these core courses, some programs require electives. Depending on the program, you may also have to complete a capstone experience of some type.
Master of Strategic Leadership Admissions Requirement
The admissions requirements for online masters in strategic leadership programs are different from school to school.
Though requirements vary, many schools do require the following for admission:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
- Undergraduate transcripts
- GMAT or GRE scores (not all schools require these)
- Statement of purpose
- Entrance interview
- Work experience
International applicants may have to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores as well.
Accreditation
If a university holds regional accreditation, it is a sign that the university upholds rigorous standards and practices to ensure the quality of its programs.
It is important to apply to masters in strategic leadership programs that are regionally accredited. Going to a university without regional accreditation might affect your ability to transfer credits or apply to more advanced degrees in the future.
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A degree from an unaccredited school may also affect membership in professional or academic associations. You can visit the US Department of Education’s website to check if your school is accredited.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
It is no secret college is not cheap. Completing a master’s in strategic leadership program might come at a significant cost to you.
To help, there are significant opportunities available to fund graduate studies. These might include private scholarships, government financial aid, and employee training programs. Both the federal government and state governments distribute significant amounts of financial aid in the form of grants and loans.
To find out if you are eligible for federal student loans, you can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). State governments usually have their own websites for student aid. Additionally, you can talk to your employer to see if they offer any professional development programs to help fund your education.
What Can You Do with a Masters in Strategic Leadership?
Completing a masters in strategic leadership program can help you meet the qualifications for entry into a number of promising managerial positions in both business and government.
You may choose to pursue a specialized managing role, such as payroll manager, human resources manager, or benefits manager. Other fields you may be qualified for include healthcare, hospital management, and emergency services management. A strategic leadership master’s degree may also open the door to high-level, C-suite positions.
Some graduates of maters degree programs choose to continue their educational journeys in a strategic leadership doctorate online or on-campus program.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Strategic Leadership Master Degree Online?
The length of master’s degree in strategic leadership programs will differ from school to school and will depend on how many classes you choose to take in any given semester.
If you decide to attend full-time, most strategic leadership master’s degrees take 2 years to earn. These programs typically require the completion of 30 credit hours. Some programs may be accelerated and can potentially be completed in 1 year if attending full-time. Alternatively, part-time attendance will likely slow your progress toward earning your degree.
What’s the Difference between an MBA vs. Masters in Strategic Leadership?
There are a few key differences between MBA programs and master’s in strategic leadership programs you may want to consider when applying.
| MBA | Master’s in Strategic Leadership |
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Though there is overlap between an MBA and a masters in strategic leadership, there are key differences that separate them.
Is a Master’s in Strategic Leadership Degree Worth it?
Yes, a master’s in strategic leadership degree is worth it for many students. Changing economic conditions brought on by political, economic, and social developments mean organizations need new leaders qualified to take on the challenges of tomorrow.
In sectors such as government, business, and the non-profit sphere, graduates of strategic leadership programs may be well placed to take on leadership positions. These programs are meant to develop skills that transfer between all specialties of organization management.
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At the same time, these programs can help you develop critical thinking and strategic vision skills that are necessary in many other professions requiring vision-oriented leadership.
Universities Offering Online Masters in Strategic Leadership Degree Program
Methodology: The following school list is in alphabetical order. To be included, a college or university must be regionally accredited and offer degree programs online or in a hybrid format.
Clayton State University offers a Master of Strategic Leadership Development. Courses are entirely online. Students are required to complete 30 credit hours. Each course is 8 weeks long and has five or six start dates throughout the year. Students may be able to finish the program in just 1 year.
Clayton State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Students can earn a Master of Strategic Leadership from LeTourneau University in a Christian environment. The program requires students to finish 35 credit hours and can be completed entirely online. Students can typically finish the program in 1 to 2 years, depending on if they’re attending full-time or part-time. Courses are taken one at a time, and each one is 3 or 7 weeks long.
LeTourneau University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Life Pacific University offers an MA in Strategic Leadership. Students entering the program form cohorts that are together for the duration of the program. There are start dates for new students in January and July. For this 2 year program, students must attend a 1 week residency at the beginning of each year and complete 4 weeks of coursework. Other classes are 8 weeks long.
Life Pacific University is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission.
Messiah University offers an MA in Strategic Leadership. The program requires the completion of 30 credit hours and usually takes 1 year to finish. The program is entirely online. Classes are either 6 or 8 weeks long. Each student in the program works with a faculty member and organization to complete a capstone project. Courses feature biblical integration.
Messiah University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education.
Students at Oklahoma Wesleyan University can earn a Master’s in Strategic Leadership. The program is designed as an alternative to an MBA, which requires more finance courses. The program is fully online, and each course is 8 weeks long. Students typically take 11 courses, one course at a time, for a total of 88 weeks.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Students can earn a Master’s in Strategic Management and Executive Leadership from Pennsylvania State University.
The program requires the completion of 30 credit hours and is fully online. Courses are asynchronous with a synchronous option. Four concentrations are offered: Architecting Strategy and Innovation, Business Sustainability Strategy, Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Negotiation and Influence.
The Pennsylvania State University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Students can earn an MS in Strategic Leadership from Roberts Wesleyan University. The program requires the completion of 41 credit hours that can be earned in synchronous or hybrid formats. Students can typically finish the program in 12 to 24 months depending on whether they’re taking classes part-time or full-time. Each class is 8 weeks long. Students are graded on papers and projects, not tests.
Roberts Wesleyan University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Saint Francis University offers an MA in Strategic Leadership. The program is offered online and is an accelerated, 30 credit program. The courses are taken in modules that are 7 weeks long. Students are not required to write a thesis. The program requires two elective courses for specialization. Course options include Sports Management, Healthcare Management, and Executive Leadership Development.
Saint Francis University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Students at Tennessee Technological University can earn a Master’s of Professional Studies: Strategic Leadership. The program is offered completely online. It requires the completion of 30 credit hours: 12 credit hours from core courses and the remaining from elective concentration courses. Students can choose from courses like Conflict Management and Negotiation and Leadership in Public Safety.
Tennessee Technological University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The University of Charleston offers an MS in Strategic Leadership. The program is offered entirely online and can potentially be completed in 16 months. The program requires the completion of 36 credit hours, 9 of which are from the student’s concentration. Students can choose from four specializations: Strategy as Practice, Crisis Leadership, Healthcare Management, or Business Management.
The University of Charleston is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Getting Your Masters in Strategic Leadership Online
Earning a master’s in strategic leadership may be the beginning of a new and important career transition for you. Online education is more accessible than ever. Strategic leadership online master’s programs are often flexible and may work well for you if you are currently employed in a management position.
At the same time, those with less experience looking to develop their management and leadership skills may also benefit from strategic leadership master’s programs. One advantage of these programs is their focus on strategic vision development. Organizations of all types are looking for qualified individuals to lead them through the trials of today.
You can get started by considering your own career goals and ambitions to decide if strategic leadership programs are right for you.
