Degree Completion Program in Leadership and Organizational Studies (B.S.) - Online

USM offers this degree for individuals who have earned approximately 45 credits (or two years) of previous college level credits. This program is conducted fully online and thus requires a relatively new computer and fast internet access.

A degree in leadership and organizational studies (LOS) combines a liberal arts program with the study of how organizations operate and how leadership functions. 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 to work in the private, public, or nonprofit sectors.

Degree Requirements

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

Prerequisites (7 credits)
LAC 112: Microsoft Excel—Spreadsheets
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

More Information

Interested in this Leadership and Organizational Studies Completion Program? Fill out this Pre-Admission Form to get started.
If you would like more information about the B.S. in Leadership and Organizational Studies Blended Program, see the Leadership Studies Website.

If you would like information about applying for this program, or general information about taking online/blended courses at USM, please contact one of our online student services staff members at online@usm.maine.edu or at 207-780-5921.