Course Descriptions for the MPS with Concentration in Strategic Leadership
Courses: Students will complete the following three courses:

PRST 5100 / 6100 / 7100:  Professional Environment: Issues and Ethics                3 credit hours 

Description:     Overview of ethics in general, with practical tools for assessing ethical dimensions of professional life, diagnosing or identifying the moral issues at hand, and then developing reasonable options to address particular moral and ethical issues

PRST 5200 / 6200/7200: Globalization and the Professions                                       3 credit hours

Description:     The purpose of this course is to assess the impact of globalization on professional life.The course examines globalization as it relates to commerce, information flow, mass media, government, health care and education.

PRST 5300 / 6300 / 7300:  Research Methods                                                              3 credit hours

 Description:   The study and application of research methods appropriate to professional studies. The course will provide a general introduction to research methods, as well as providing practical exposure to Problem Statements, Literature Reviews, Writing the Research Proposal, and Organization of the Research Report. Quantitative and Qualitative Research methodologies will be covered. 

For the Strategic Leadership concentration, students will complete seven of the following courses, including at least one course from each of the five subject areas. 

1)      Leadership Theory

PRST 6500 / 7500: Foundations of Leadership                                                             3 credit hours

Description:     Students will study leadership from a historical and contemporary perspective. Topics cover historical development, leadership theories, personal assessment, values and ethics, motivation, power, follower ship, group dynamics, diversity, controversy with civility, change process, and citizenship.

LDSP 6000 / 7000: Current Issues and Cases in Leadership                                     3 credit hours

Description: Based on a global and cross-discipline perspective, this course provides a study of the current trends and practices in public and private sector leadership. Students will read and discuss current news, research, and case studies and will be required to complete independent and collaborative projects. Instruction will be provided on where to track trends in leadership and how to use the case method. Specific topics may vary depending upon the current trends but will generally include personal mastery and leadership development, leading organizations into the future, values-based leadership an corporate citizenship, collaborative leadership, global leadership and diversity^, stakeholder relations, knowledge management, a comparative study of the roles leaders in business, public, and nonprofit (civil society) organizations, leadership at the grassroots and board levels, the impact of technology on leadership. 

ELPA 6560 / 7560: Small Group Leadership                                                                  3 credit hours

Description:  Through activities in this course, students will explore their leadership skills specifically related to forming compatible achieving groups capable of completing tasks to complement the organizational vision. Students will examine the classic and contemporary literature on topics effecting groups such as conflict, collaboration, negotiation, power issues, decision-making, compromise strategies, and team building. 

2)  Research/Data Analysis

QM 5770 / 6770 / 7770: Computer-Based Decision Modeling                                  3 credit hours

Description:      The best managers know when to use mathematical tools to support or give insight into a decision. There are many times when the complexity of a decision is such that we as humans are unable to take into account the breadth and/or depth of the problem. Fortunately, computers play an important supporting role in making these decisions, allowing us to focus on the algorithms and the results, not the tedium of the mathematics. The combination of mathematical management tools and computers to solve business problems is the focus of this class.

This course is not about learning Excel skills - it is about modeling and analyzing managerial problems on spreadsheets. Working knowledge of Excel will be assumed so that we can focus on the modeling aspects. However, one does not need to be an expert Excel user to benefit from this course. To the contrary, the spreadsheet modeling experience in this course will enhance not only analytical problem solving capabilities but also spreadsheet skills of even an experienced Excel user. The power of spreadsheet analysis has been increased greatly by the development of add-ins and tools with which a typical Excel user may not be familiar. This course will introduce and apply some of these advanced tools. Prerequisite: PRST 5300 Research Methods

PRST 5600/6600/ 7600: Statistical Analysis                                                                 3 credit hours

Description:     Analytical decision making including statistics, quantitative methods, and other optimization and simulation models.

3)      Organizational Structure and Change

PADM 6310 / 7310: Leadership in Organizations                                                    3 credit hours   

Description:    This course is structured in survey format in order to inform the student about organizational theories and administrative behavior practices pertinent to organizations in America. The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with a theoretical base for understanding organizations in America. Furthermore, this course will attempt to instruct the student on how to apply organizational theory to the practice of everyday life experiences within their respective organizations. Students will be expected to display their knowledge of "why" and "how" organizations look and function the way they do in various discussions, presentations, papers, and examinations. 

PRST 5800 / 6800/ 7800: Organizational Skills and Development,                          3 credit hours

Description:  Analysis of theory, practice and skills involved in leading organizational change, including: aligning change with the organizational strategy, understanding changes as part of a system, understanding the dynamics of and managing resistance to change, creating a vision to inspire others to become a part of the change process, the use of goal setting, feedback and incentives to promote change, and aligning individual's roles to support change. The course will blend learning from the texts and skill building. 

4) Communication

COMM 5110/6110 / 7110: Leadership and Communication                                      3 credit hours

Description:     This course focuses on leadership as a function of communication behavior. Through discussion, cases and exercises, participants will explore effective communication strategies within an organizational setting. The course will cover team leadership skills, rhetorical sensitivity, charisma and practical suggestions for improving leadership effectiveness. 

JOUR 5450 / 6450 / 7450: Public Relations Management                                            3 credit hours

Description:      This program is meant to introduce many of the key aspects of public relations
management through the readings of and understanding of public relations principlesand case studies.

 PRST 5700 / 6700 / 7700: Conflict Management and Negotiation                              3 credit hours

Description:    Negotiation and Conflict Management presents negotiation theory—strategies and styles—within an employment context. A different topic will be presented each week. In addition to the theory and exercises presented in class, students practice negotiating with role-playing simulations in threaded discussions and chat. Students also learn how to negotiate in difficult situations, which include abrasiveness, racism, sexism, whistle blowing, and emergencies. The course covers conflict management from two perspectives. From a first party perspective you will be directly engaged. As a third party, you will develop and enhance your skills in helping others deal directly with their conflicts, mediation, investigation, arbitration, and helping the system change as a result of a dispute.

5)      Strategic Planning and Assessment

TECH 5105 / 6105/7105: Project Planning and Scheduling                                      3 credit hours

Description:      Contemporary methods used in project planning and scheduling; emphasis on critical
path method (CPM) with computer application; solution of actual problems stressed.
This graduate level course has a required text that includes a trial version of MS Project
software that will be used during the semester. The course is project based.  

MGMT 6040 / 7040: Human Resources Management                                              3 credit hours

Description:     Analysis of theories, policies, procedures, practices and regulations relevant to
attracting, retaining and directing a competent work force. Analysis of the basicpersonnel function with emphasis on the fact that all managers are "personnel managers." Integration of scientific theory, procedures, instruments, and federal regulations into personnel selections, placement, and security programs.  

Professional Project

The Master of Professional Studies program requires every student to complete a professional project as the culminating experience in earning the degree.

PRST 5998 / 6998 / 7998: Professional Project                                                            3 credit hours

Description:    The Professional Project is the last requirement for the Master of Professional Studies Degree, serving as the integrative culmination of the program of study. It should be a substantial piece of independent research or a significant professional project that is logically consistent with the theme and content of the program of study. Student's work should demonstrate familiarity with and understanding of a body of professional literature related to a specific topic. The Project should grow out of the program of study and should demonstrate the student's ability to use the knowledge gained from this program of study.