Graduate Programs

M.A. in Organizational Change and Leadership- 30 semester hours

This program enrolls students in the fall semester.

The Master of Arts in Organizational Change and Leadership is designed for the working professional who wants to make a difference in how the work gets done in his or her organization or business. It’s about being ready when an opportunity comes along to lead in a different direction or guide your organization through change.  Rapidly changing economic and social events require that leaders take bold steps and find new ways to tackle emerging issues and developments. Your confidence from learning new approaches can set you apart with readiness to lead new initiatives.

The program of study for this graduate degree is designed to be relevant, to be applicable in the work place, and to promote self understanding. The key concepts of the program will include:

• Interpreting information and problem solving within complex organizations
• Developing a personal leadership style
• Managing and resolving conflict
• Managing change and resistance
• Using evaluation to make better decisions
• Examining ethical behavior and its impact on decisions
• Assessing your personal communication style and self concept as a leader
• Using information and technology to encourage innovative change
• Understanding challenges integrating diverse populations within organizations
• Providing internship opportunities to practice new knowledge and skills

M. Ed. in Divergent Learning- 36 semester hours

This program enrolls students in the summer and fall semesters.

This program will benefit all educators and support persons involved in interaction with youth, K-12, and adult divergent learners. This includes teachers, guidance counselors, department chairs, team leaders, assistant principals, principals, curriculum coordinators, staff developers, and social workers.

The uniqueness of the program is in the design, structure, and content offered in the course of study. The program offers weekend courses that accommodate students’ schedules. The program content and strategies are appropriate for K-12 and adult divergent learners, with special emphasis on personality traits, learning styles, hands-on interactive activities, cooperative learning and collaboration, user-friendly statistics, different methods of instructional delivery, and joint projects within a community of learners. The traditional master’s thesis and written comprehensive examination have been replaced with action research in your classroom or school. With action research, you can study education questions and issues that interest you.

If you have questions about either program, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at 803.786.3191, 803.786.3766, or email jnagy@columbiasc.edu.