Courses

The Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership curriculum has been designed to help you acquire a practical set of skills that you can transfer across various aspects of your life and career. As you build a solid foundation in understanding the roles and major functions of leadership in contemporary organizations, you can gain the tools necessary for overcoming obstacles to effective organizational performance.

In addition to the required courses in organizational leadership, you will also choose from courses in communication arts and sciences; crime, law, and justice; labor and employment relations; management; philosophy; political science; psychology; and sociology.

This program requires that you complete a minimum of 123 credits. To earn this degree, you must successfully complete:

36 credits required for the major
- 12 prescribed core course credits
- 24 supporting and related course credits
45 general education credits
24 bachelor of arts degree credits
18–24 elective credits

The degree's 12 credits of prescribed core courses focus on contemporary labor management and supervisory leadership issues. Many different course options are available to fulfill the remainder of the program, allowing you to customize the degree to meet your specific goals.

Course List - Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership

Requirements for the Major (36 credits)

A student enrolled in this major must receive a grade of C or better in all courses required for the major.

Prescribed Courses (12 credits)
Title	Abbreviation	Description	Credits
Introduction to Leadership	OLEAD 100	This course introduces key leadership concepts and practices based on current theory and research. It is designed to help students to discover the knowledge and skills that are characteristic of effective leaders.	3 credits
Leadership Development: A Life-Long Learning Perspective	OLEAD 409	The course examines the continuing influence of social and environmental factors in shaping leadership and leadership development.	3 credits
Communication Skills for Leaders in Groups and Organizations	OLEAD/LER 464	Theory- and research-based communication skills for leaders dealing with work-related problems in contemporary groups and organizations.	3 credits
Collective Decision Making	OLEAD/LER 465	Application of theories of decision making to work-related issues in groups and organizations requiring collective resolution action.	3 credits

Supporting and Related Courses (24 credits)

Choose one of the courses from the Conflict Management table.

I. Conflict Management (3 credits)
Title	Abbreviation	Credits
Conflict Resolution and Negotiation	CAS 404 Prerequisite: CAS 100	3 credits
Workplace Dispute Resolution	LER 437 Prerequisite: LER 100	3 credits

Choose one of the courses from the Research Methods table.

II. Research Methods (3 credits)
Title	Abbreviation	Credits
Research Methods in Labor Studies and Employment Relations	LER 312	3 credits
Research Methods in Sociology	SOC 207 Prerequisite: 3 credits in Sociology	3 credits

Choose one of the courses from the Motivation table.

III. Motivation (3 credits)
Title	Abbreviation	Credits
Leadership and Motivation	MGMT 321 Prerequisite: B A 304 or MGMT 301	3 credits
Work Attitudes and Motivation	PSYCH 484 Prerequisite: PSYCH 100; PSYCH 200 or STAT 200 or 6 credits of GQ	3 credits

Choose one of the courses from the Ethics table.

IV. Ethics (3 credits)
Title	Abbreviation	Credits
Human Resources Ethics	LER 460 Prerequisite: Take one of the following courses ARMY 402, H P A460, HM 466, MGMT 341, MGMT 441, NAVSC402, NURS 432, PSYCH281, 3 credits in Labor and Employment Relations (LER), or Human Resources and Employment Relations (HRER)	3 credits
Ethical Leadership	PHIL 119	3 credits

Additional Supporting Courses (12 credits; 6 of which must be at the 400-level)
Abbreviation	Credits
CAS 404, 452, 475	3 credits each
CRIM 100, 113, 482	3 credits each
LER 100, 136, 201, 312, 400, 434, 435, 437, 458Y, 460	3 credits each
MGMT 321	3 credits
PHIL 103, 119	3 credits each
PL SC 001, 490	3 credits each
PSYCH 484, 485	3 credits each
SOC 207, 404, 455, 456	3 credits each

Note: 3 of the 45 credits in the General Education section are included in the requirements for the major.

Bachelor of Arts Requirements (24 credits)
Title	Credits
Foreign Language	12 credits
Other Cultures	3 credits
Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Natural Sciences, Quantification, and/or Foreign Language (beyond 12th credit or a different language)	9 credits

General Education (45 credits**)
Description	Credits
Arts – GA	6 credits
Humanities – GH	6 credits
Health and Wellness – GHW	3 credits
Natural Sciences – GN	9 credits
Social and Behavioral Sciences – GS	6 credits
Writing and Speaking – GWS*	9 credits
Quantification – GQ*	6 credits
Integrative Studies	(6 credits)***

*A student enrolled in this course must receive a grade of C or better.

**12 credits are included in the requirements for the major.

***This requirement only applies to students starting in summer 2018 or later. Learn more about the Integrative Studies options and consult your academic adviser when choosing courses to fulfill these requirements.

Electives (18–24 credits)

Please note: Among the above degree requirements, students should incorporate at least 3 credits in US cultures, 3 credits in international (IL) cultures, and 3 credits in writing across the curriculum courses. The above course list includes only courses offered by World Campus. An official degree audit or the recommended academic plan for this program may include additional course options and detailed requirements. All students are expected to complete at least 36 Penn State credits to earn this degree. Please consult an academic adviser for details.

Course Availability

If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.