Organizational Leadership, Minor

Program Code: OLEAD_UMNR

Program Description

This interdisciplinary online minor is designed for World Campus students in any major who wish to supplement their knowledge in the areas related to leadership in organizations. The OLEAD minor focuses on the development of:

  1. understanding of the role, functions, and enactment of leadership as an instrument of influence in the modern organization;
  2. familiarity with pertinent scholarly inquiry; and
  3. competencies essential to success in leadership.

Leadership is of interest in numerous disciplines. The curriculum in Organizational Leadership provides the opportunity to select from them on the basis of specialized interests relating to: business administration, communication arts and sciences, criminal justice, economics, history, labor studies and employment relations, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and women’s studies. The OLEAD minor is of value to anyone pursuing a baccalaureate degree who envisions being, or is, in a position of authority (manager, supervisor, executive, officer, and the like) in an organization.

What is Organizational Leadership?

Effective managers and supervisors must have an understanding of the role of leadership as a means of influence and motivation in the modern organization. Penn State's organizational leadership minor provides you with the opportunity to study a wide range of topics to complement your interests, background, and career aspirations. In learning about key leadership concepts and practices, you will be able to select from courses relating to business administration, communication arts and sciences, criminal justice, economics, history, labor studies and employment relations, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and women's studies.

You Might Like This Program If...

You envision being — or are currently — in a position of authority in an organization, and wish to study with highly regarded faculty from Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts, one of the premier institutions in the world to study and work in the liberal arts disciplines.

Program Requirements

Requirement Credits
Requirements for the Minor 18

Requirements for the Minor

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10. In addition, at least six credits of the minor must be unique from the prescribed courses required by a student's major(s).

Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
OLEAD 100Introduction to Leadership Keystone/General Education Course3
OLEAD 201Organizational Theory and Functions for Leaders Keystone/General Education Course3
OLEAD 210Evidence-Based Leadership Keystone/General Education Course3
OLEAD/LER 464Communication Skills for Leaders in Groups and Organizations3
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better
Select 6 credits in the approved list of courses in the OLEAD Curriculum6

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Liberal Arts Academic Advising
814-865-2545
Use the Liberal Arts Meet the Academic Advisers web page to see the contact information for the specific adviser(s) of this program

World Campus

Undergraduate Academic Advising
301 Outreach Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-3283
advising@outreach.psu.edu

Berks

Catherine Dunning Catanach
Assistant Teaching Professor in Communication Arts & Sciences and Program Chair of Organizational Leadership
Franco Building
Reading, PA 19610
610-396-6159
BKOrgLead@psu.edu

Contact

University Park

SCHOOL OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
506 Keller Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-5425
lerpsu@psu.edu

https://ler.la.psu.edu

World Campus

SCHOOL OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
506 Keller Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-5425
bfr3@psu.edu
https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/penn-state-online-organizational-leadership-minor

Berks

Franco Building
Reading, PA 19610
610-396-6159
BKOrgLead@psu.edu