A List of Online Master Degrees in Management and Leadership

Online Master Degrees in Leadership & Management

Introduction

*Skip Introduction and Take me to: Leadership Degrees or Management Degrees.

Before immersing yourself in the lists below, it might be helpful for you to read our responses to three of the most common questions we have received about master degrees in leadership and management.

Is there a real difference between a master's in leadership and a master's in management?

Well, there can be and typically is, but not always. When there is a difference between the two, a degree in leadership tends to have a more general soft-skills approach with emphases in topics founded in social sciences or even humanities; whereas a degree in management tends to have a more business-related, technical approach; hence, why it is common for leadership degrees to be Master of Arts degrees and for management degrees to be Master of Science degrees (but even this does not always hold true). However, regardless of the differences, there are usually overlaps between the two degrees. Therefore, while we have separated them in two distinct lists, we have included them on the same webpage and under this same introduction. We feared separating the two degree types would inadvertently deprive you of the opportunity to compare them for yourself. You will also notice, as you make your way through each list, that we have included a few of the programs on both lists, precisely because of that overlap mentioned above.

Why would I choose a master degree in leadership or management over an MBA?

While there will likely be some overlap between graduate leadership/management degrees and MBAs, there are typically some real differences in the areas of concentration and overall purpose of the degrees. Simply stated, an MBA focuses on the major specialty functions of running a business or an organization, such as financing, accounting, marketing, data analytics, and information systems; whereas a graduate degree in management or leadership typically focuses more on areas that directly and indirectly contribute to the practices of managing and leading an organization. However, as is the case with some of the programs listed below, certain graduate management programs are very similar in curriculum to an MBA, while leadership programs tend to be more general in their focus and, as stated earlier, inclined to include more soft-skill topics than both a degree in management and an MBA. Having said all that, however, regardless of its purported emphasis (i.e. management, leadership, or business administration), one program's makeup can be starkly different from another program with the same stated emphasis. Therefore, it is important for anyone deciding upon a degree to have a good idea about what areas on which they want to focus, then closely examine a program's curriculum, not necessarily its title, to determine if that degree is ultimately a good fit.

Is an MBA generally more respected than a master degree in management or leadership?

Just 10-to-15 years ago, the answer to this question would have been an unreserved, "yes." However, that is no longer necessarily true. Does an MBA still tend to have that instant name recognition a master degree in management or leadership does not? Yes, it does; but that itself is not necessarily for the positive. Deservedly or not, MBAs are sometimes associated with "big bad business" and its perceived impersonal strategies and tactics. But even when they are held in good regard, MBAs are simply no longer the best "one-size-fits-all" option they used to be. In the last 10-to-15 years, an increasing number of respected universities have introduced master degrees in management and leadership, often with a curriculum that seeks to offer a more diverse, nuanced approach to leading and managing than one that is seen as primarily concerned with increasing shareholder value. Simply stated: leadership and management degrees have greatly closed the "reputable" gap that once existed between them and the MBA; even to the point that some employers and industry leaders prefer a degree in leadership or management over an MBA. But, ultimately, your decision should be based on your area of focus and interest and how each individual program's curriculum, regardless of its purported emphasis, aligns with that focus and interest. If you do this, you are much more likely to choose the correct program, regardless of its title.

*This list is not all-inclusive. We have included what we think is a solid representation of the types of options available, but, as we do with all of our lists, we encourage you to conduct your search well beyond this list. There are a lot of good resources out there, so please use them.

**Once you make it through the two lists below, we encourage you to compare what you found with one of the MBA or even MPA or HRM programs we also have listed on this website.

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List of Online Master Degrees in Leadership

Business woman speaking in front of a group in a dining hall

Arizona State University

Master of Arts in Leadership and Management

100% Online

30 Credit Hours

Mid-Range Cost

Why it is on this List: Highly-ranked and well-respected university; recognized for innovative learning methods.

ASU Program Details

Brenau University

Master of Science in Organizational Leadership

Business Analytics
Communication Management
Health Care Management
Human Resources Management
Management
Marketing
Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Nonprofit Leadership
Project Management
Strategic Thinking and Innovation

100% Online

30-36 Credit Hours

Mid-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: Offers several options for concentration in a specific sub-field; experienced in delivering quality educational programs to working adults.

Brenau Program Details

City University of Seattle

Master of Science in Management and Leadership

100% Online

42 Credit Hours

Mid-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: City U specializes in designing their courses specifically for online delivery, resulting in content that is engaging and user-friendly; a track record of successfully educating working adults and other non-traditional learners.

City U Program Details

Colorado State University, Global Campus

Master of Science in Organizational Leadership

100% Online

36 Credit Hours

Low Mid-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: CSU, Global is a respected university that offers decently priced programs in flexible formats.

CSUGC Program Details

Eastern Washington University

Master of Science in Organizational Leadership

100% Online

42 Credit Hours

Low Mid-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: EWU is a respected university in its region and has recently developed a solid reputation for its online graduate programs.

EWU Program Details

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Master of Science in Leadership

100% Online

30 Credit Hours

Mid-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: Embry-Riddle is a well-respected university with a deep history of educating non-traditional learners; especially well-regarded for its leadership programs.

Embry-Riddle Program Details

Gonzaga University

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

100% Online

30 Credit Hours

High-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: While priced higher than most of the other programs on this list, both Gonzaga and its MA in OL are well-regarded; the program also gives the option of specialization in several different concentrations.

Gonzaga Program Details

Michigan State University

Master of Science in Management, Strategy and Leadership

100% Online

30 Credit Hours

High-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: While MSU's program is one of the higher priced on this list, it is buffeted by the solid reputation of MSU and the high regard for its online business programs.

MSU Program Details

University of Oklahoma

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

100% Online

33 Credit Hours

High Mid-Range Cost for out of state; Low-Range Cost for in-state

Why it is on this list: The University of Oklahoma is well-respected and their MA in OL offers three specialization tracks that are somewhat unique (the Organizational Leadership Track; the Nonprofit and Volunteer Leadership Track; and the Government and Military Leadership Track).

OU Program Details

Penn State University, World Campus

Master of Professional Studies in Psychology of Leadership

100% Online

33 Credit Hours

High Mid-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: PSU, Global is regarded for its non-traditional educational formats and this particular program offers a unique take on the traditional study of leadership.

Penn State Program Details

Pepperdine University

Master of Science in Management and Leadership

100% Online

36 Credit Hours

High-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: While expensive compared to most other programs on this list, Pepperdine university is highly-ranked, well-regarded, and the MS in ML is accredited by the AACSB.

Pepperdine Program Details

Southern New Hampshire University

Master of Science in Organizational Leadership

100% Online

36 Credit Hours

Mid Low-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: This affordable program offers a well-rounded curriculum with enough flexibility for a decent amount of customization.

SNHU Program Details

University of Alabama

Master of Arts in Communication Studies, specialization in Organizational Leadership

100% Online

30 Credit Hours

Low-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: This program is very affordable and offered by a well-known university.

U of Alabama Program Details

University of Maryland, Global Campus

Master of Science in Transformational Leadership

**AVAILABLE ONLY TO MILITARY/VETERANS**

100% Online

Credit Hours: 36

Mid-Range Cost

Why it is on this List: Extensive history of providing distance education around the world to busy, working adults; intentionally designed to assist military members and veterans in transferring their military leadership experience to the civilian sector; and recent re-branding has perceptually aligned UMGC more closely with the highly ranked and regarded University of Maryland, College Park.

**AVAILABLE ONLY TO MILITARY/VETERANS**

UMGC Program Details

University of Michigan, Flint

Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Dynamics

100% Online (requires four synchronous online sessions per semester; the remainder are asynchronous; but, again, ALL classes are online)

30 Credit Hours

High Mid-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: A ranked, AACSB-accredited program with an emphasis that most of the other programs on this list do not offer (i.e. organizational dynamics).

U of M, Flint Program Details

University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Master of Science in Organizational Change Leadership

Healthcare
Project Management
Human Resources
Safety Risk Control

100% Online

30-39 Credit Hours (depending on the concentration)

Mid-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: This reasonably-priced program allows up to 12 credits of transfer, offers credit for certain professional credentials, and focuses on leading during a time of change.

U of W, Platteville Program Details

Western Kentucky University

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

100% Online

30 Credit Hours

Mid Low-Range Cost

Why it is on this list: This reasonably-priced program has a curriculum that is designed for a significant amount of customization and can be completed relatively quickly; like many of the other programs on this list, it also allows up to 12 credit hours to be transferred in.

WKU Program Details