Online MBA: Organizational and Change Leadership Specialization
Take the Lead in a Rapidly Changing World
Are you ready to become a driving force for change in your industry? Pursue your MBA in Organizational and Change Leadership online with Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota to begin your ascent to a leadership position — either with your current organization or when making your next career move.
Earning an MBA in organizational leadership online helps sharpen your strategic and creative thinking abilities, empowering you to maximize organizational strengths and deliver meaningful results. By the end of Saint Mary’s online program, you’ll have expertise for leading efforts focusing on team performance, technology integration, change management, and more.
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Why Should You Specialize in Organizational and Change Leadership?
While earning your MBA in Organizational and Change Leadership online with Saint Mary’s, you will acquire the leadership traits needed in today’s complex business environment. Experienced faculty members teach each course, delivering advanced skills in a flexible format that meets the needs of busy professionals.
Specialization Highlights
- Flexible online format
- Six start dates per year
- Eight-week terms
- No GRE/GMAT requirements
- A business background is not required
Required Course List & Requirements
The Organizational and Change Leadership specialization includes four courses (12 credits) that explore innovative strategies for solving complex business challenges. Professional growth as an ethical leader is central to the learning experience, as you will prepare to drive positive change in each initiative that you lead. This specialization imparts expertise in organizational development, change management, and the analysis of technology trends while enabling you to navigate an ever-evolving business landscape.
View Program CurriculumOL 614 Leadership and Ethics (3 credits)
This course focuses on theories and styles of leadership and the ways in which outcomes are influenced through increased awareness of personal style and skills. Personal and professional ethics are analyzed, and ethical issues in organizations are explored.
Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:
- Evaluate personal leadership strengths and opportunities for leadership success
- Analyze the role of the leader in the context of organizational issues
- Analyze one’s learning and communication style as it applies to leadership in a technological world
- Distinguish emotional intelligence competencies that contribute to leadership success
- Analyze ethical principles that affect decision making
- Analyze ethical dilemmas within organizations
- Synthesize the individual, organizational, and systemic issues in ethical situations
- Construct a process for ethically responsible decision making and apply this model to ethical decision points
OL 646 Organization Development (3 credits)
This course focuses on an overview of the fundamental components of organization development. It is designed to provide students with different perspectives on organization development at the individual, group, and organizational levels of analysis. Students learn theoretical models to evaluate organizational performance, as well as techniques that develop the organization’s ability to manage change.
Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:
- Describe the theoretical components of organization development and theory
- Analyze challenges and opportunities of an internal/external consultant
- Articulate the dynamics of the change process and resistance to change in organizations
- Assess opportunities for planned and emergent change within an organization
- Evaluate various organization interventions at the individual, group, and organizational level
OL 650 Organizational Effectiveness (3 credits)
This course focuses on assessing the overall effectiveness of various organizations and their approaches to change. Students learn how to apply theoretical models to evaluate organizational performance, techniques to manage interventions, and methods of evaluating and institutionalizing change.
Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:
- Apply an organization development model to a design change strategy that may promote organizational effectiveness
- Articulate organizational problems at the individual, group (including team or unit), and organization levels of analysis
- Recommend solutions to address organizational problems
- Identify institutionalized evaluation techniques for planned change
OL 654 Strategy and Innovation (3 credits)
This course focuses on strategic thinking and creativity in organizational leadership. Innovation is examined as a process to develop the strengths of a system or organization, and to deliver positive results. Evaluation, analysis, and integration based on previous course learning is expected.
Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:
- Evaluate the creative process
- Apply the principles of strategic thinking, planning, and development
- Evaluate the processes for developing a strategic initiative
- Analyze the blocks and enhancements to developing creativity
- Integrate creative thinking strategies in a system or an organization to build and/or foster its capacity to innovate, change, and develop
- Analyze trends in technology which influence innovation and leadership
- Assemble thoughtful, innovative strategies with creative practices for organizational/systems learning
- Analyze strategic decision-making with the aid of decision-support tools and technology
Tuition and Fees
A college education is invaluable. You can take it wherever you want to go or as far as you want to go. The cost of quality education should not get in the way of reaching your goals. Here at Saint Mary’s, we are committed to providing a quality education that is accessible and affordable.
Explore cost breakdowns for tuition and other fees of the Online MBA Program.
Get Ready to Lead — and Succeed — in Your Career
Completing an online MBA in leadership program helps you build expertise that can have a significant impact on your career. You will expand your business acumen while preparing to advance to executive leadership and other upper-level positions across industries. Career paths for MBA graduates who choose the Organizational and Change Leadership specialization include:
Administrative services and facilities manager
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[Blank]Industrial production manager
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[Blank]employment growth for advertising, marketing, and promotional managers from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for other occupations1
job openings are projected for managers each year from 2024 to 20342
Sources and Disclaimer
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers.” Retrieved September 8, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Management Occupations.” Retrieved September 8, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/.
*Completion times may vary.