Top 25 Online Master’s in Organizational Leadership Degree Programs for 2019

Updated on August 25, 2026

Top 25 Online Master's in Organizational Leadership Degree Programs for 2019

Graduate business programs are the most popular master's degrees in the country. As online education opportunities become more and more common, it's not surprising that the popularity of web-based master's degrees in business has grown at nearly the same pace as campus-based programs.

While the master of business administration (MBA) is the most popular degree in the field, there are other options for aspiring business leaders. The online master's in organizational leadership is similar to the MBA in that it prepares graduates for management-level positions within an organization, but organizational leadership focuses more on personnel management strategies, workplace psychology, and communication. An MBA, by comparison, hones skills in analytical decision making, quantitative methods, and business strategy.

Many modern organizations seek out managers who work with staff members on an emotional level. Most online master's of organizational leadership degrees teach students about conflict management, communication techniques, and organizational behavior — all leadership strategies that recognize the value of employee welfare.

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This shift in leadership focus is increasingly important for many organizations that want to adapt to the different personalities, generations, and cultures filling the ranks of the workforce. Managers with the skills to treat employees as individuals have shown the ability to inspire them and help them reach their true potential.

Top 25 Online Master's in Organizational Leadership Degree Programs

Top 25 Online Master's in Organizational Leadership Degree Programs for 2019

For years, the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership was only offered at Johns Hopkins University campus in Maryland. Recently, the 36-credit Master of Science in Organizational Leadership was reformatted for online study. Now, online students have access to the same nationally recognized program that has produced some of the nation's best leaders. This MS in leadership online teaches professionals to lead with integrity and responsibility. Graduates gain an understanding in organizational analysis and evolution. While the schedule is flexible, students enroll as part of a cohort, typically taking two or three courses (three credit hours each) per semester. The average student completes the degree in less than two years.

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What Will I Learn in an Online Organizational Leadership Master's Program?

Although curriculum requirements differ between schools, students who pursue an online master's in organizational leadership generally complete coursework related to several common themes. Students pursuing an online master's in leadership often study topics similar to those addressed by the sample courses listed below.

  • Introduction to global systems: This course familiarizes students with global issues related to organizational performance. Students examine case studies, simulations, and current issues, using systems thinking to analyze the relationship between interdependence and accountability. Developing global leadership soft skills, such as self-awareness and cultural sensitivity, prepares future human resources managers to oversee diverse workforces.

  • Leadership and organizational behavior: In this course, students assess the influence of leaders on organizational behavior. They examine individual, group, and cultural systems and explore organizational behaviors related to communication, quality control, and marketing. This course is particularly relevant for students who hope to become senior executive officers within an organization.

  • Organizational change and transformation: This course equips students to confront change within an organization by familiarizing them with theories from the change management field. Students learn to evaluate which intervention strategy best suits a given situation. Change management is a particularly valuable skill for prospective management analysts.

  • Organizational communication: In this course, students examine how communication affects organizational functioning in private businesses, nonprofit associations, community groups, and governments. Students also discuss organizational communication research topics related to culture, technology, and globalization. Developing organizational communication skills is especially important for aspiring labor relations specialists.

  • Principles of financing for organizations: This course introduces students to the basic financial concepts used in public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Students compare and contrast various financial processes, examining their applicability to different organizations. This knowledge prepares students for careers in financial management.

Job Outlook and Salaries for Organizational Leadership

Most workers in organizational leadership hold a master's degree. Since businesses look for a combination of education and experience in their leaders, graduate degrees have increasingly become a prerequisite for managerial positions.

In 2015, 53% of the organizational leadership degrees awarded were at the master's degree level. Comparatively, 40% of the degrees were bachelor's degrees. An online master's in leadership is a major with broad focus. It teaches students to build teams, make important business decisions, and lead effectively.

Most students combine a master's in organizational leadership with an undergraduate business degree, giving them the foundation and analytical expertise — as well as the flexible leadership skills — they need to excel in the field. This helps explain why the online master's in organizational leadership is more popular than the bachelor's degree.

There are other reasons why the online master's of organizational leadership is so popular. The placement rates for graduate-level leaders is 95.6%, almost 4% higher than those with a bachelor's degree alone. The financial benefits are substantial as well. Experienced graduate degree holders earn a median salary of $93,000 , which is approximately 35% more than the $69,000 median salary earned by professionals with a bachelor's degree in organizational leadership.

Furthermore, while all business fields are projected to grow over the next several years, careers that typically require an online organizational leadership master's degree are projected to increase at equal or faster rates than positions that require only a bachelor's degree. In some fields, such as human resources and , leadership positions are projected to grow at rates four times faster than specialist positions.

Placement Rates: 92%

Median Salary (Entry-Experienced): $44,000 – $69,000

Career Growth:

  • Human Resources Specialist – 2%

  • Training and Development Specialists – 7%

  • Sales – 5%

  • Office and Administrative Support – 2%

Job Options for Organizational Leadership

Professional Organizations for Organizational Leadership Graduates

Students who complete an online master's in organizational leadership can benefit from joining a professional organization related to the field. These organizations offer professionals career-enhancing resources such as leadership publications, job boards, and product discounts. Members may participate in continuing education events, online networking forums, national conferences, and local chapter activities.

Students pursuing a master's in leadership online may choose to join one of the following organizations.

  • National Management Association : NMA provides management professionals with opportunities to learn and practice new leadership skills. Members participate in leadership development activities at the local, regional, and national levels. They attend conferences, join company-based and community chapters, and receive discounts on professional products and services.

  • International Leadership Association : ILA promotes inclusive and interdisciplinary global leadership practices. Members receive access to leadership publications, webinars, advertising resources, and publishing opportunities. They may also participate in interest groups, learning communities, and ILA's online network of leadership professionals.

  • Association of Leadership Programs : ALP provides educational training and networking resources to leadership professionals. Member benefits include educational conferences, job postings, leadership publications, monthly teleconferences, an online resource library, and data access. Members may also build their web presence through the online ALP member directory and interactive map.

To determine the best master's degrees in organizational leadership, we looked at the most important factors prospective students, mainly common predictors of future success and a school's commitment to online programs. This boils down to admissions rate, student loan default rate, retention rate, graduation rate, and the percent of students enrolled in online classes. All data points are taken from information provided by colleges and universities to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Each factor is weighted evenly in order to give an objective view and determine the top 25 master's degrees in organizational leadership. To calculate our rankings, we looked at a school's ranking when organized by a single factor, and then averaged each category's ranking to find an overall score: Admissions Rate (20%) + Default Rate (20%) + Retention Rate (20%) + Graduation Rate (20%) + Percent of Students Enrolled in Online Classes (20%) = Final score.