The Leadership Master of Business Administration (LMBA) prepares students to provide leadership in business organizations and not to simply provide administrative oversight.  Given its leadership focus, this distinctive graduate business program prepares students to be both technically competent and inter-personally skillful.  Leadership has to do with the qualitative (e.g. the personal & interpersonal, ethics, quality and change), as well as, the quantitative and measurable (e.g. profit, costs, and market share).

The curriculum prepares future business managers to be leaders by deepening their understanding of the true costs of doing business as an interplay between human resources, the environment and revenue, along with meaning, relationships and values in their organizations.  Accordingly, ethics is as important as economics, psychology as important as finance, communication as important as commerce, and quality as important as quantity.  This approach challenges “bottom line” reactive thinking and fosters recognition of the inherent value of perspective on both short term decision-making and long term strategic thinking.

The program outcomes for the Leadership MBA include the abilities to:

• Think analytically and critically
• Think statistically
• Think strategically
• Think holistically through a systems perspective
• Understand the dynamics of business
• Communicate with clarity and credibility
• Act responsibly

As a result, graduates of this program will:

• Gain the necessary knowledge and skills to develop productive relationships (individual to individual, individual to organization, organization to society) and to positively and productively influence others;
• Be technically competent and inter-personally skillful;
• Develop an understanding of the influence of culture on both individual and organizational performance;
• Influence, collaborate and provide creative solutions for organizations;
• Be leaders of people and managers of organizational systems.

Credits

Candidates with a minimum of 2 years professional work experience must satisfactorily complete 42 graduate credits, with an overall GPA of Saint Joseph’s College courses of 3.0 or higher.

With Program Director approval, candidates without a minimum of 2 years of professional work experience, must satisfactorily complete up to 60 credits, (42 graduate credits, plus up to 18 preparatory credits - 9 required graduate and up to 9 undergraduate) as determined, with an overall GPA of Saint Joseph’s College courses of 3.0 or higher.

About the Curriculum

The “leveled” curriculum consists of four reciprocally interdependent groups of courses that reflect a developmental approach to the art and discipline of leadership, thus ensuring students achieve a high level of mastery in each of the program outcome areas.

• Each level builds on the lessons of the previous coursework.
• Personal advisors work closely with students to ensure they choose courses from the schedule that will ensure optimal progress as they advance through the program.
• Students can expect that although each faculty member brings their unique perspective and knowledge to their teaching, they share the same mission: to help students meet the program outcomes, as well as course outcomes.

Students can also expect a high degree of quality and genuine caring in the guidance they receive on their learning journey

Curriculum and Course Progression

Level 1 A Framework for Leadership A framework of language, concepts and theories for understanding the levels of the system-the individual, the organizational and the institutional.	Level 2 Understanding the Role of Relationships An exploration of the value of influence in the formation of relationships one is able to develop at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, community and societal levels.	Level 3 Sustainability The knowledge, tools and techniques for approaching sustainable competitive advantage through sound decision-making, improvement of quality, and innovation.	Level 4 Strategic Leadership A balanced examination of the perspectives, strategies, and techniques required for responsible leaders to exercise the necessary insight and foresight that ensure an organization’s continuing viability.
MB 500 - Organizational Dynamics	* MB 520 - Self Leadership	* MB 505 - Knowledge-Based Decision-Making	* MB 510 - Financial Principles & Policy
* MB 540 - The Economy as a System	* MB 530 - Ethical, Social & Environmental Responsibility	* MB 560 - Quality Leadership	MB 605 (SF) Strategic Management of the Sustainable Enterprise
* MB 642 - Systems Thinking	MB 650 - Cross Cultural Leadership	* MB 641 - Statistical Thinking	* MB 651 - Strategic Leadership of Human Capital
		* MB 643 - Leadership, Order & Change	MB 600 - Economics: Past, Present & Future

* MSN / MBA Required Courses.

** Preparatory Gaduate Courses.
 

Schedule

Courses must be taken in the sequence defined by the levels. Exceptions may be made with approval from the Program Director. 

Courses are offered in five terms per year and are 10-weeks in length.

This asynchronous online program provides opportunity for students to engage and participate in rich discussions, much like they would in a traditional class but without the requirement of everyone being online on the same day or at the same time.