The Master of Leadership Development program at Penn State Great Valley helps students to foster positive change and develop leadership potential in themselves and others.
The program explores leadership across the lifespan, from early career through retirement, including leadership in the corporate and not-for-profit realms, as well as parenting and community service. We employ a multidisciplinary approach stressing social responsibility and ethics, creativity and innovation, diversity and global mindset, dynamic communication and visioning, and most importantly, the value of the individual. The program is fully accredited by AACSB International.
The program's goal is to put students on the path to the C-suite – where strategic leadership skills are used to build human, social, reputational, and financial capital. The cornerstones of the program focus on self and authentic leadership, transformational and transactional leadership, and critical thinking and data analysis which prepare students for this journey.
Learning Goal 1: Build one's own personal authentic transformational leadership competencies through self-reflection and behavioral display.
- Develop and implement a personal diversity leadership improvement plan to build expertise in relating with diverse individuals in the workplace.
- Prepare a personal leadership development plan incorporating feedback from others, and personal strengths and weaknesses with respect to specific leadership behaviors.
Learning Goal 2: Build communication and critical thinking skills as they relate to authentic transformational leadership concepts and processes.
- Write three short essays applying communication theory to specific leadership contexts, situations, and opportunities.
- Demonstrate skills required for conducting research in organizations.
Learning Goal 3: Foster a commitment to high integrity practices.
- Evaluate and analyze the ethical dimension of decision making.
Learning Goal 4: Value differences in people as a vital force in work groups, teams and organizations.
- Develop and implement a personal diversity leadership improvement plan to build expertise in relating with diverse individuals in the workplace.
- Discuss how concepts of transformational leadership and authentic leadership relate to social entrepreneurship, and add value to personal relationships, community, and society at large.
