Online MBA Programs in Organizational Leadership

An online master’s in business administration (MBA) can greatly assist professionals interested in helping and inspiring employees and guiding companies toward success. Compassion, the desire to help others, and effective communication are all required for a leadership position in business, and an MBA in organizational leadership can help professionals obtain one.

An MBA with a focus on organizational leadership can position graduates for jobs as training and development managers, school principals, school and career counselors, instructional coordinators, postsecondary education administrators, human resources managers, administrative service managers, sales managers, management analysts, and even top executives. These positions often attract candidates due to their high-level responsibilities and high salaries. Training and development managers, for instance, can expect a median salary of $120,000 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023).

Requiring a commitment of 18 months to two years, MBAs in organizational leadership are two-pronged. On the one hand, they take an analytical approach to management and focus on areas such as finance, accounting, marketing, and statistics. Designed for students who plan to move into executive or managerial positions, the primary objective is to provide a comprehensive understanding of business operations.
On the other hand, they also can involve coursework focused on the human component of business, from communication techniques and leadership theory to multicultural workplace dynamics and team development. Such a program aims to emphasize personal and creative approaches to management that will help others reach their full potential.

MBAs in organizational leadership can be completed both through an on-campus or online experience—or a mixture of both, called hybrid or blended programs. This guide will specifically explore the advantages and features of a distance-based MBA program in organizational leadership, profile three outstanding faculty members from schools offering these programs, and outline the admissions requirements for this type of degree.

Featured Organizational Leadership Programs
Wake Forest University Online MBA - Strategy and Leadership View Full Profile
Pepperdine University Online MBA - Leadership and Managing Organizational Change View Full Profile
Southern New Hampshire University Online MBA In Leadership View Full Profile
Grand Canyon University Online MBA - Leadership View Full Profile
Lamar University Program Certificate - Leadership View Full Profile
Creighton University Master of Business Administration - Leadership View Full Profile
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Featured Online MBA in Organizational Leadership Programs

Students at Benedictine University’s online MBA program will learn to lead organizations through 21st-century business management challenges and successfully navigate their careers through organizational change, global competition, and market turbulence. The program offers concentration options in project management and digital marketing.

Core courses related to organizational leadership include leadership and ethics in a global environment; operations management; global strategic management; and project management. The project management concentration includes courses such as organizational behavior; organizational behavior: theory and contemporary practice; and project cost and scheduling.

Benedictine University also has a dual MBA and master of public health (MPH) degree, allowing students to combine advanced studies in leadership and public health. The benefit of earning both degrees at once is that students can do so in less time than it would take them to complete the programs separately.

The 64-credit dual MBA/MPH online degree program includes 30 credits of MBA courses and 34 credits of MPH courses. Apart from core MBA classes, the program includes MPH courses such as leadership and management; health systems, law, and policy; health behavior theory; introduction to public health; and community health analysis. GRE or GMAT scores are not required for admission.

Location: Lisle, IL
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: MBA (18 months); Dual MBA/MPH (3.5 years)
Estimated Tuition: $800 per quarter credit

Walden University provides a wealth of online MBA programs, including a concentration in leadership. To apply for this program, candidates must submit proof of a bachelor’s degree with a 2.5 or higher GPA, letters of recommendation, and a resume.

Courses in the core portion of Walden’s online MBA program include improving business performance; accounting for management decision-making; marketing for competitiveness; and managerial finance. The leadership focus has additional instruction in areas such as finding your inner leader; building organizational culture: leaders as architects; and personal leadership: mentoring and coaching.

Location: Minneapolis, MN
Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $1,020 per credit

Carlow University offers various online MBA programs, including a focus on leadership and management. To apply for this specialization, candidates must have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA. No GRE or GMAT test scores are required.

Core courses in this unique online MBA program include business writing; advances in IT management; strategic analysis; decision-making; management organization and change; marketing management; business analytics; economics; and financial analysis and planning. The leadership and management concentration allows students to design part of their curriculum from courses in the other concentrations. Some examples include project management; strategic human resources management; leadership styles; and healthcare ethics and policy.

Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Accreditation: International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE); Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 15 months or more
Estimated Tuition: $675 per credit

Capella University provides several advanced business degree programs, including an online doctor of business administration (DBA) program with three specializations: general management; organizational leadership and development; and strategy and innovation. Candidates for admission must have a master’s degree with a 3.0 (or higher) GPA.

This online DBA program includes coursework in effective organizational leadership; addressing problems in human resources and compliance; strategic decision-making; teaching business and higher education; survey of research methods; quantitative design and Analysis; and qualitative design and analysis.

Specialization courses for the DBA in general management include seminar: general management topic development; seminar: general management literature review; managing innovation, design, and creativity; either leadership theory and practice or strategy and innovation – theorizing, crafting, executing; high-performance leadership or strategic digital transformation; and catalysts for change.

Specialization courses for the DBA in leadership include leadership theory and practice; high-performance leadership; catalysts for change; seminar: leadership topic development; and leadership literature review. Finally, Specialization courses for the DBA in strategy and innovation include strategy and innovation – theorizing, crafting, executing; strategic digital transformation; managing Innovation, design, and creativity; seminar: strategy and innovation topic development; and seminar: strategy and Innovation literature review.

Location: Minneapolis, MN
Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: Please view full profile for details
Estimated Tuition: Please view full profile for details

SNHU offers a 36-credit online MBA program focusing on leadership where students will learn the same skills as they would in a traditional MBA program and additional education dedicated to helping students lead organizational change, efficiently manage people, and successfully launch new ventures.

Concentration courses in this track include communication for leadership; driving change; and psychology of leadership, while traditional core courses include leading people and organizations; organizational strategy in a global environment; innovation and strategy for high-performance organizations; measuring success in an organization; optimizing brands; leading organizational change; and strategic opportunity management.

GMAT scores and work experience are not required for application; however, students must have at least a 2.7 GPA. Upon completion, students can find executive leadership, marketing management, global management, consulting, and human resource management positions.

Location: Manchester, NH
Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 15 months with two courses per term
Estimated Tuition: $637 per credit

The Kania School of Management at The Jesuit University of Scranton offers a 36-credit online MBA program designed to fit into the lives of working professionals. One of eight MBA specializations, the operations management specialization prepares students for organizational leadership focused on quality and efficiency connected to the big picture.

Coursework in the program includes responsibility, sustainability, and justice; data mining; production planning and control; and business forecasting models. While the University of Scranton does not require the GMAT or GRE to apply, applicants must have at least three years of professional or supervisory experience.

Location: Scranton, PA
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 24 to 36 months
Estimated Tuition: $965 per credit

Ohio University’s online MBA program is broken down into core courses, and concentration courses as students can choose to concentrate on finance; healthcare; executive management; business analytics; accounting; project management; operations and supply chain management; strategic selling & sales leadership; and business venturing & entrepreneurship. The three classes students will take in the executive management track are analytics for executives; leadership and change management; and ethics in leadership. Courses in the strategic selling and sales leadership concentration include building & developing customer relationships; sales leadership; and sales analytics.

Notably, the U.S. News & World Report has recognized Ohio University with multiple accolades as one of the best business schools, best education schools, and best national universities.

Most of this 35-credit program is conducted online; however, all students must attend Ohio’s unique Leadership Development two-day Conference. Two to five years of professional work experience is required to enter the program. Students must have a 3.0 GPA or higher. No GMAT is required.

Location: Athens, OH
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
Estimated Tuition: Ohio residents ($1,032 per credit); non-Ohio residents ($1,051 per credit)

Grand Canyon University’s Colangelo College of Business offers an online MBA program with an emphasis on leadership that leads students to strengthen and formulate their leadership style. Preparing students to become effective business leaders, this online MBA in leadership will help students in building a conceptual framework that emphasizes the thoughtful development and communication of decisions.

This 54-credit program includes courses such as organizational development and change; leadership styles and development; strategic management; managerial finance; operations management; managerial accounting; marketing management; leadership and organization; and quantitative methods.

Admission into this program requires an undergraduate degree from an accredited university with a GPA of 2.8 or higher. Students may still be eligible through either the GMAT or GRE if this requirement is not met.

This program will help prepare graduates to take up roles as human resource managers, business operations specialists, facilities managers, and more.

Location: Phoenix, AZ
Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: Please view full profile for details
Estimated Tuition: Please view full profile for details

Lamar University’s College of Business offers a fully online leadership certificate that helps students develop leadership skills that will expand their ability to empower others, and unleash the capability and talent of their teams. Graduates of this program can take up roles such as sales and marketing managers, general managers, human resources managers, nonprofit administrators, and medical and health services managers.

Admission requirements to the program include a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a GPA of 2.5, official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, and a completed application. For admission, GRE or GMAT scores, letters of recommendation, and work experience are not required.

Made up of 15 credits, the program includes courses such as personal leadership; team leadership; strategic leadership; leadership and negotiation; human resources management; and employment law.

Location: Beaumont, TX
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 6 months
Estimated Tuition: $421 per credit

The Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota offers an online graduate certificate in organizational and change leadership that helps students develop the necessary skills required for implementing innovative business strategies that can positively impact an organization and its employees. This program can either be taken as a stand-alone certificate or students can stack the courses toward six other Saint Mary’s University master’s degree programs.

This 12-credit program includes courses such as leadership and ethics; organizational development; organizational effectiveness; and strategy and innovation.

For admission to this program, applicants must hold an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited university with a minimum GPA of 2.75. Application materials include a written statement, two professional references, and a current resume. GRE or GMAT scores and prerequisite coursework are not required for admission.

Location: Minneapolis, MN
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 8 months
Estimated Tuition: $760 per credit

This 30-credit online MBA program is designed for mid-career professionals interested in moving up in the management ranks and requires that students have at least five years of professional work experience. Students can customize their program according to their goals; the school offers two concentrations in marketing or strategic leadership and allows students to create their own customized concentrations through electives. Students will take required core courses that include applied analytics and data visualization; data management; strategic and international issues in management; organizational leadership and communication; and financial policy management, and those in the strategic leadership program will take three electives: advanced human resources management and labor relations; leadership dynamics; and marketing for global competitiveness.

Location: Rock Hill, SC
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $780 per credit

Pepperdine University was named one of the best online MBA programs by the U.S. News & World Report, and the Graziadio School of Business Management has received recognition from the Princeton Review for its equal opportunity efforts and from Forbes for its entrepreneurial focus.

This 52-credit MBA program can be customized according to students’ career trajectories. They can either take the general track or can pick from seven concentrations: marketing; finance; leadership and managing organizational change; business analytics; digital innovation and information systems; entrepreneurship; and global business. The leadership and managing organizational change concentration teaches students how to manage and lead diverse teams and facilitate positive change within a dynamic organization.

Students in this specialization will take courses such as advanced principles of organizations and leadership; organizational dynamics and managing change; leadership theory and practice; managerial creativity and innovation for leadership; and leadership and ethics.

In addition to the online portion, a one-weekend campus residency is required, including an initial personal and leadership development workshop course. The program requires at least two years’ work experience for entry, while GMAT scores are not required for admission.

Location: Malibu, CA
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
Format: Online with a one-weekend campus residency
Expected Time to Completion: 20 to 48 months
Estimated Tuition: $1,995 per credit

The University of Saint Mary offers an MBA with a leadership and organizational health concentration to equip students with the skills needed to navigate the social and political issues within large organizations, manage multiple teams, and resolve business conflicts in the workforce. Students will take eight core courses and three electives that align with their concentration. For the track mentioned above, courses include leadership and organizational health; strategic leadership and team building; and strategic communication and human performance support systems.

A GPA of 2.75 or greater is required to enter the program; however, GMAT scores and work experience are not. This 100 percent online 33-credit program has six start dates: January, March, April, May, July, and October.

Location: Leavenworth, Kansas
Accreditation: International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 12 months or more
Estimated Tuition: $605 per credit

Norwich University’s 36-credit online MBA program comprises six 11-week courses. Students can enroll in the general MBA track or concentrate on project management; construction management; energy management; finance; supply chain management; technology management; or organizational leadership.

In the organizational leadership track, students will learn analytical and problem-solving skills and theories to help them lead large organizations. The three specialized courses include leading change in organizations; strategic organizational behavior; and strategic organizational leadership and developing a learning organization. Additional courses in the program include strategic resources management; managerial finance; strategic marketing and operations management.

To be accepted into the program, students must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited U.S. institution with a minimum GPA of 2.75 or an equivalent degree from a foreign institution. No GMAT is required.

Location: Northfield, VT
Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $808 per credit

University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business offers an online MBA program preparing students to face today’s toughest business challenges with integrity. Students will tackle real-world issues and learn to lead with vision and purpose. The program allows students to deepen their expertise in the focus area of their choice.

They can choose one concentration or work with their academic advising team to customize a concentration that meets their needs. Concentration options include executive leadership; finance; marketing; and executive healthcare administration. The program also includes two in-person immersions and a real-world capstone project.

Students in the executive leadership concentration will gain the critical leadership skills necessary for building change-ready organizations, coaching others to high performance levels, and understanding the neuroscience behind leadership. Within this concentration, students will complete four 4-credit executive leadership courses and the standard 44 core credits, resulting in 60 total credits.
Courses include leading success in others; the head and heart of leadership: neuroscience and emotional intelligence; leading change and building an agile culture; and CEO toolbox.

Applicants to the program must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university or college and a minimum of 24 months of full-time professional work experience. GMAT/GRE scores are optional.

Location: Denver, CO
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 21 months or more
Estimated Tuition: $1,383 per credit

The University of Massachusetts Global (formerly Brandman University) offers an MBA emphasizing organizational leadership for students wishing to create positive and sustainable change within an organization.

Students enrolled in the program will take foundational classes in financial reporting and analysis; marketing management; and corporate responsibility, among others, as well as four organizational leadership-specific courses: the foundations of organizational leadership; democracy, ethics, and leadership; self, systems, and leadership; and foundations of organizational leadership. Students take between 24 and 36 core credits depending on their interest and experience level and 12 credits in electives or their chosen emphasis.

Location: Irvine, CA
Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $709 per credit

Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School offers a part-time, flexible MBA program that combines traditional didactic coursework with project-based courses. Students interested in organizational leadership can specialize in public and private leadership.

Offers three annual start dates, courses are offered in short, eight-week terms. This 54-credit program includes core courses such as accounting and financial reporting; leadership and organizational behavior; strategic management; operations management; marketing management; corporate finance; and business analytics. The public and private leadership concentration includes courses such as effective teaming; power & politics; and negotiation.

Location: Baltimore, MD
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $1,800 per credit

Gwynedd Mercy University (GMercyU) offers an accelerated online MBA in strategic management and leadership that prepares graduates to lead with ethics and be a harbinger of corporate social responsibility. Coursework in the 30-credit program includes ethical decision-making and corporate social responsibility; managing business operations; global management; and managing human capital.

In order to foster close professional and personal relationships, GMercyU operates under a cohort model, where students flow through the program with the same small group of people also looking to become forces of positive social change in the business world. GMercyU does not require GMAT/GRE scores to apply.

Location: Gwynedd Valley, PA
Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $705 per credit

The school of business and management at Azusa Pacific offers a master of business management (MBM) that is looking to train organizational leaders who put people over profit. Like an MBA but without financial emphasis, the MBM at Azusa helps graduates to lead positive organizational change within a culture of teamwork. Areas of study within the MBM for those interested in organizational leadership include organizational development, change, and organizational science.

Coursework in the 39-credit program includes ethical leadership; organizational development and change; high-performance people management; and organizational performance improvement. No GRE/GMAT scores are required to apply to Azusa Pacific.

Location: Azusa, CA
Accreditation: International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE); WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 30 months
Estimated Tuition: $680 per credit

Champlain College offers a 100 percent online 36-credit online MBA designed to graduate agile, reflective, strength-leveraging, systems-thinking organizational leaders.

Champlain offers seven embedded graduate certificates. The positive organizational development specialization enables those interested in organizational leadership to take the first-of-its-kind course of study to create positive changes in the business. Courses in this certificate include foundations of positive organizational development; advanced applications of appreciative inquiry; strength-based assessment & analysis methods; and creating cultures of well-being.

Champlain also offers a leadership specialization designed to bring different people and perspectives together around a common purpose. Coursework in this program includes the leadership ecosystem; communication in an environment of open organizations; leading for transformation through relationships; and shared leadership and the strengths advantage. No GRE or GMAT scores are required to apply.

Location: Burlington, VT
Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Format: Online
Expected Time to Completion: 15 to 24 months
Estimated Tuition: $595 per credit

Admission Requirements for Online MBA Programs in Organizational Leadership

Based on the programs outlined above, several recurring application requirements exist to earn admission to an online MBA program in organizational leadership. Some of those requirements include:

  • The completion of specific prerequisite courses if a student does not have the proper professional or academic background
  • Professional work experience; usually two years but up to five
  • A competitive GPA from an accredited undergraduate program, generally in a field that focuses on business, management, and human resources
  • GMAT scores, which may be waived under certain conditions (such as extensive work experience, or covid-catalyzed testing limitations)
  • A personal statement of goals and objectives
  • Essays
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of recommendation

Professors to Know from Schools with Online MBAs in Organizational Leadership

  • Zhike Lei PhD Pepperdine University

    Dr. Zhike Lei is a distinguished academic in the field of Applied Behavior Science, currently serving as a Professor and the Director of the Center for Applied Research at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. Holding a PhD in Organizational Behavior from the esteemed Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her research primarily revolves around organizational adaptation, team dynamics, and employee learning in high-pressure environments. Her work has been recognized in eminent academic journals, including the Journal of Applied Psychology and the Academy of Management Discoveries. Dr. Lei's contributions to academia have earned her various accolades, such as the Pepperdine Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence. Beyond academia, she is a renowned speaker and consultant for global organizations, sharing her expertise through executive programs and graduate courses across the globe.

  • Enrique Mu, PhD Carlow University

    Dr. Enrique Mu currently serves as a professor at Carlow University and is a former director of Carlow’s MBA. His research efforts are focused on organizational decision-making and adoption and the management of IT innovations. As a researcher, Enrique Mu is the author of over 21 peer-reviewed papers, 24 conference proceedings, and 31 presentations. His work has been published in prominent journals such as the International Journal of IT & Decision Making, Expert Systems with Applications, International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and International Journal of Business and Systems Research.

    He has received several awards such as the Best Paper Award in the 12th International Symposium of the Analytic Hierarchy Process and the Carlow University Dorothy Cochrane Scholarship and Research Award for outstanding scholarship and research. Enrique Mu completed his PhD, MS, and MBA, all from the University of Pittsburgh.

  • Mark Harvey, PhD University of Saint Mary

    Dr. Mark Harvey is an associate professor and the director of the MBA program at the University of Saint Mary, teaching courses for the business department in international political economy; international business; law and ethics; and leadership. He brings more than 25 years of experience in teaching and administration, working at campuses in the U.S. and the U.K. Every year, he works with the U.S. Army on foreign policy simulations at the Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas.

    Dr. Harvey has a bachelor's degree from Washburn University; a master's from the University of Missouri, Kansas City; a master's from the University of Wales, Swansea; and a doctorate from the University of Kansas.

Becca Brewer, MEd
Becca Brewer, MEd
Writer

Becca Brewer is building a better future on a thriving earth by healing herself into wholeness, divesting from separation, and walking the path of the loving heart. Previously to her journey as an adventurer for a just, meaningful, and regenerative world, Becca was a formally trained sexuality educator with a master of education.