Bachelor's in Organizational Leadership
A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Organizational Leadership should provide you with practical managerial, interpersonal and communication skills while also providing you with an understanding of basic business operations. These programs are often designed for working adults who are looking to advance in their professions, and can sometimes be completed in online or accelerated formats. Some programs allow or require you to choose a concentration in a relevant field, such as industrial engineering technology, business or accounting.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Earning a bachelor's degree can prepare you for higher-paying management positions.
- You might have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through internships.
- This degree can prepare you for management roles in several fields, including healthcare, industrial production, law and non-profit administration.
Cons
- Some bachelor's degree programs in this field will only admit you if you already have work experience or postsecondary credits.
- You will likely face stronger competition for higher-level management positions.
- You will probably be required to take general education and humanities courses that will have little to do with your chosen profession.
Courses and Requirements
In addition to general education and concentration courses, you will likely be required to complete core courses in leadership and administration. The coursework is designed to educate you both in the fundamentals of business, but also in leadership and management techniques. These programs commonly enhance your working knowledge of how an organization can function efficiently. Some of these might include:
- Policy and organization
- Applied leadership
- Management
- Team development
- Organizational behavior
- Business ethics
Online Degree Options
Many universities offer online bachelor's degree programs in organizational leadership that are designed primarily for adult students who also work full-time jobs. Some schools will require you to obtain particular software or meet other technical requirements in order to take the classes online. Online programs can be useful to you if you have a full personal or professional schedule, but you may not be able to participate in hands-on experiences if you complete an online program.
Getting Ahead with This Degree
In addition to having a degree, you will likely need to have work experience in order to obtain a management position in human resources or administrative services, according to the BLS. Completing internships while enrolled in your undergraduate degree program can give you a head start. Additionally, you might consider earning voluntary certification from organizations such as the Society for Human Resource Management.
Alternative Degree Options
If you're interested in studying a particular area of the business field, you might consider earning a degree in business administration instead of organization and leadership. Through a business administration degree program, you might choose a major in an area such as finance, accounting, marketing or international business, which can better prepare you for management positions in one of these particular areas. Additionally, the field of management information systems might be preferable to you if you're interested in management positions within the information technology field. Coursework in these programs can include database management and system analysis in addition to finance and marketing.
According to the BLS, computer and information systems managers typically need a bachelor's degree in a related field, such as management information systems, and are expected to see an 18% growth in employment from 2010-2020. As of May 2011, the BLS reported that these professionals earned a median annual salary of about $126,000.
