The Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership with a Higher Education concentration (MLU) degree is designed for students looking to elevate their careers in college and university institutions.
Students will master the foundations of leadership, diversity, strategic planning, ethics, finance, legislation and governance within Higher Education faculties and populations.
Students will also be positioned to advocate for positive social change within their institutions as administrators—overseeing student services, academics and faculty research. Higher Ed administrators manage the areas of admissions, student life and registrar's office.
Claremont Lincoln's master's degree programs all have the distinct advantage of being 100% online, providing the flexibility to determine how and when coursework is performed. CLU master's degree programs can be completed in as little as 13 months. In addition, the Admissions process has been streamlined for convenience. Neither a GRE or GMAT score is required to apply or be admitted.
The Higher Education concentration is taken along with courses from The Claremont Core®. These courses teach the engagement skills necessary to implement the theories and ideas of higher education.
Leadership in action is designed to support the exploration of leadership through self-reflection and assessment, including creating a personal mission statement and developing a leadership philosophy. Students will review a variety of leadership assessments, theories, and strategies on power dynamics, decision making, ethically addressing toxic leadership, conflict resolution, communication, and cultural awareness. Students will explore practical and experiential leadership styles and consider consequences of choices in the role of leading others. In addition, students will review and apply research strategies to develop knowledge and skills preparing for the capstone project. The course topics center around developing key leadership and action research skills to understand influencers in the social change process.
Educational leaders are able to affect change with strategies that support diverse student populations to meet the economic, social, developmental, and academic needs of students today and in the future. This course will introduce learners to frameworks and theories that guide the work of student affairs, review the importance of research, assessment, and evaluation in student affairs, learn the historical and foundational concepts of the student affairs profession, summarize the leadership environments for student affairs and the various organizational structures of student services, and evaluate how to transform student service organizations to better meet the needs of a diverse student population. By blending practical and theoretical perspectives with the goal of enhancing vision, this course will prepare students to create inclusive environments that promote collaboration and enhance the learning experience for all.
Visionary educational leaders are inspired by what an institution can become. Through the use of strategic planning, they guide members of the educational community through times of uncertainty, transition, and success. This class provides students with an overview of the theories of educational leadership which can translate into effective curriculum development, faculty onboarding, faculty development, classroom management, program assessment, and strategic planning. By the end of the course, students will be able to apply strategies for effective assessment to promote an inclusive educational climate and effective change management.
In this course students will develop strategies to engage in and navigate through legal and ethical issues by exploring topics in the diverse and changing landscape of higher education. Course content includes the ability to identify legal versus ethical issues, articulate contemporary understandings of diversity, exclusion/ inclusion, bias, and multiple influences that exist in the higher education system. Students will identify major themes related to governance, research, employment, faculty, and students in a way that leverages informed and effective higher education leadership.
This course will explore the structure and practices of an educational organization. Students will discuss and analyze topics from many areas of academia including human resources, students and faculty, budgetary, governance, and academic affairs. The content includes discussing the ability to identify internal influencers, external influencers, and organizational structure to articulate contemporary understandings of the process and practices that exist in the higher education system.
An overview of the financial accounting and reporting process for managers is the focus of this course. It is designed to facilitate understanding of the financial reporting process and forecasting for strategic thinking and informed decisions. Students will use various data analysis tools to make judgements about a firm's financial condition in an ever-changing business landscape. Key topics include the time value of money, cost and value, the fundamental relationship between risk and return, choosing investment projects that support firm strategy, alternative financing decisions, and sustainable business practices.
This course covers the broad range of factors that the student needs to know to design, implement, and trouble-shoot high quality programs or projects. It details the phases of program development from design to evaluation and continuous quality improvement. Students will become familiar with several project management tools including GANTT charts, flowcharts, RACIS, and others. The course also provides students with various project documentation tools, both paper-based and electronic for team monitoring and communication. Case studies will augment the student's understanding of real-world application of project management tools.
In this university-wide foundational course, learners begin their engagement with the four domains that make up the Claremont Core domains: Mindfulness, Dialogue, Collaboration, and Change. These four domains consist of transferable skills and resources that support leadership and facilitation capacities that accentuate students' professional work. Students become familiar with aspects of mindfulness and dialogue that will undergird their work. Concepts of collaboration and change leadership are also introduced, and students begin the process of locating their work in a community where positive social change can be facilitated. Finally, students also determine the scope and aim of their Capstone Projects and begin to use resources from the four Claremont Core® domains to build their research repertoire and leadership acumen.
In a world that is reimagining what is possible, Strategic Communication: Building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will present students a historic perspective of the legacy and manifestation of structural racism, and other societal and cultural marginalization including the unintended consequences of systemic exclusion. Students will build upon the principles learned in the Claremont Core® to create environments where difficult conversations can take place with both internal and external audiences. This course will equip students to tackle challenges with diverse teams using language which acknowledges and respects difference to create equitable outcomes. In this course, students analyze self, personal strengths, and biases, and accumulate tools and communication skills in dialogue, collaboration, and bridging across divides. With these tools, students hone their abilities to build advocacy for dismantling oppressive structures and rebuilding personal, professional, and civic spaces that maximize diversity and facilitate equity and inclusion for all.
This course builds on the foundational aspects of the Claremont Core®, focusing on how students can become mindful, engaged, and inquisitive research practitioners for positive social change. Students will develop an ability to critically evaluate what research methods are best suited for certain types of research projects. This course will specifically focus on the role of research methods that can address, illuminate, or explain enduring and newly salient social problems.
Throughout the course students will consider the entire research design process, learning how to conceptualize, problematize, diagnose, understand, and translate findings across social, political, environmental, healthcare, and organizational contexts. By the end of this course, students will have had experience posing research questions, exploring their own research goals, understanding the primary components of the research design process, and consuming a variety of styles of inquiry and action. Students will also consider course concepts in the context of their own future projects, and begin activating the research skills they will use in Applying the Claremont Core® Capstone Course. (Prerequisite: MCC 5320: Invitation to Inquiry: Foundations of the Claremont Core®)
As the culminating course in all programs, students apply skills, knowledge, and professional application learned throughout the degree. The planning for this course begins at the start of the program, continues through the evolution of learning as students design their projects, and peaks with students being prepared to implement the project during the capstone course. The specific content in each student's degree program provides a foundation for the research and design. The Capstone Project demonstrates student mastery of program and institutional learning outcomes. Must be taken during student's final term.
In an increasingly interconnected world, leaders who want to make positive, sustainable change need to develop the critical perspectives and collaborative skills necessary to reach across traditional barriers of ideology, culture, and faith. At CLU, we put development of these capabilities at the center of our degree programs. The result is the Claremont Core®, a sequence of four innovative courses. Progress through the Core takes you through a process of self-awareness and steadily evolves towards engagement with others and society at large. Learn More.
Claremont Lincoln University is a non-profit, "online-by-design", graduate university providing socially conscious education and multiplying social impact through the work of its students in the world.
As a nonprofit university, Claremont Lincoln University is focused on the student's learning experience as well as their career success. Funds received from donations, endowments and tuition go directly to curriculum and to enriching our students' education.
Since CLU is both online and nonprofit, the university is able to serve students who are not well served by traditional institutions and universities— allowing the university to deliver the innovative education its founder and benefactor David C. Lincoln envisioned.
Claremont Lincoln University is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 748-9001.
The Commission has confirmed that Claremont Lincoln University has satisfactorily addressed the Core Commitments to Student Learning and Success; Quality and Improvement; and Institutional Integrity, Sustainability, and Accountability and is found to be in substantial compliance with the WSCUC Standards of Accreditation.
To obtain a copy of Claremont Lincoln University's WASC accreditation, please contact:
Lynn Priddy
Accreditation Liaison Officer
Student Achievement & Accreditation
Claremont Lincoln University has entered into a complaint agreement for private non-profit institutions with the California Bureau of Post-Secondary Education (BPPE).
Department of Consumer Affairs
Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education
2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 400
Sacramento, CA. 95833
Chief Complaint Unit
Phone: 916-431-6959
Email: bppe@dca.ca.gov
Fax: 916-263-1897
The M.A. in Organizational Leadership aligns with the mission of Claremont Lincoln University to produce leaders capable of respecting differences and collaborating with those of diverse viewpoints to resolve problems.
As a graduate of Higher Education, you'll be prepared to approach your vocation from a new perspective. The skills & competencies this degree offers you can apply to careers in:
A completed Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is required to apply to Claremont Lincoln University. Neither a GRE or GMAT score is required for enrollment.
The Admissions process has been streamlined for applicants to complete the online application in 15 minutes or less. Unofficial Transcripts and a current Resume or CV are required to be uploaded with the online application. The Enrollment Committee will then review the application and determine an acceptance status within 24 business hours. A determination letter will then be sent, and in return, an acknowledgment of its receipt will be needed. The Admissions, Financial and Student Services Team will finalize any other necessary items to complete Enrollment.
Claremont Lincoln University reserves the right to request additional items as deemed necessary by the enrollment committee to determine student readiness for the graduate level workload. Claremont Lincoln University reserves the right to accept, provisionally accept, or deny students upon the evaluation of all admission documents.
Here is what some of our current and past students are saying about Claremont Lincoln University. We are committed to being a student-centered community and are proud of how we have continued to establish dialogue and long-lasting relationships with our graduates by showcasing their action-oriented and impactful work across the globe.
"Prospective students can expect to be challenged to grow as leaders, collaborators, and change-makers in their field and sector. The knowledge provided by the Social Impact program combines high level theoretical and critical thinking with practical grassroots implementation of learning and tools. This program equips students to become transformational leaders."
"In addition to growing academically, personally, and professionally, I hope students gain a community of thought partners and allies rooted in the mission of social change, love, and justice."
"This master's program led me to be a servant leader and bring about positive change in society."
"Leaders have a responsibility to lift up others."
Many hard working professionals contribute to a Claremont Lincoln University education. Here are just a few of the great faculty and staff that you will meet at CLU:
Erin M. Berman holds advanced degrees in both Corporate and Professional Communication (MS) and Instructional Design (MEd) and has been working in higher education for more than seventeen years as both an instructor and an instructional designer. She demonstrates the
ability to blend research from the learning sciences with student-facing application to create an enriching and equitable learning experience, with a focus in the online space. Erin serves on the board of her local community garden and leads mindfulness and yoga events in the community.
As a fun fact, she, and her family live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of VA and foster farm animals in support of the local ASPCA.
Earn your master's degree online in as little as 13 months, starting at $18,150 while developing the skills, behaviors & mindset required to improve the world for the benefit of all.
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