University of Southern Maine

 

The baccalaureate degree in leadership and organizational studies (LOS) combines a liberal arts program with the study of how organizations operate and how leadership functions. Beginning in Fall 2009, an LOS degree will be available in an online/blended format.

This degree emphasizes the critical need to understand and work with people, the dynamics of change, the interdisciplinary nature of organizational operations, and the practical application of theories and leadership concepts. Drawing on faculty from diverse backgrounds, leadership and organizational studies is designed to prepare students for work in the private, public, or nonprofit sectors.

The core courses of the LOS major will introduce students to the theory and practice of organizational behavior and leadership with emphasis on communication skills, problem solving, critical thinking, key quantitative skills, and team functioning. A critical component of the LOS degree program is the internship, selected with the assistance of the director of field experience. Students identify an organization that will enable them to evaluate potential career opportunities and develop workplace skills. Prior to the internship, students participate in an intensive seminar where they learn aspects of career decision making and launching or maintaining a successful career path.

In addition to completing these specific course requirements for the major, baccalaureate degree students must meet the proficiency and residency requirements of the University of Southern Maine and complete the Core curriculum as well as a minimum of 120 credit hours of coursework. Prerequisites for major courses may be met through specific courses, any one of several programs of prior learning assessment sponsored by USM, or waiver by the instructor of the course. Before taking 300-level courses in this major, students must have completed a 100-level college writing course with at least a grade of C+. No more than two courses from outside the major may be used toward completion of the requirements for the major without permission of the faculty.

Major Requirements (54 credit hours of the 120 total credit hours necessary to graduate)

Prerequisites (7 credits)
LAC 112: Microsoft Excel—Spreadsheets
LAC 150: Microcomputers and Applications, or equivalent, or test out
LOS 250: Organizational Accounting, or its equivalent

Requirements for the Major (29 credits)
LCC 150D: Statistics for Informed Decision Making
LCC 370E/W: Toward a Global Ethics
LOS 300: Organizational Theory
LOS 301: Group Dynamics
LOS 304: Organizational Budgeting
LOS 350: Leadership
LOS 440: Organizational Change and Development
LCC 450: Internship
LCC 480: Senior Seminar

Students who plan to attend graduate school or pursue careers in consulting or human resource administration should also enroll in LOS 329 Research Methods.

General Electives (18 credits)
Students will work closely with a faculty advisor to identify six LOS electives (18 credits) to complete the requirements for the major. Electives offered in an online or blended format include:

LOS 302: Interpersonal Behavior
LOS 312: Human Resource Management
LOS 316: Diversity in the Workplace
LOS 317: Leading Through Conflict
LOS 318: Database Management
LOS 330: Leadership in Different Cultures
LOS 334: Integrated Software
LOS 399: Moral and Social Imagination in Leadership
LOS 399: Creativity
LOS 470: Leadership Study Abroad
LOS 487: Consulting in Organizations

 

= Course is offered in either an online or blended format