What Can You Do With an Organizational Leadership Degree?

Key takeaways

With an organizational leadership degree, you can pursue careers in management, operations, human resources, business, and the non-profit sector.

• Several potential jobs you can acquire with a master’s in organizational leadership include human resources manager, corporate trainer, leadership development manager, and director of operations.

• Organizational leadership degree coursework may include subjects like business management, leadership, data analytics, organizational behavior, strategic management, change management, human resources, and conflict resolution.

• You can pursue a degree in business management, business administration, economics, or finance to develop some of these skills if your chosen university does not offer an organizational leadership program. 

Discover more about what you can do with an organizational leadership degree, including what it takes to earn one.

What can you do with an organizational leadership degree?

When you're interested in earning a degree in organizational leadership, you will typically earn either a Bachelor of Science or a Master of Science. The jobs you can explore will depend on which degree level you complete.

Bachelor's degree in organizational leadership jobs

With a bachelor's degree in organizational leadership, you can explore jobs that require zero to three years of experience. Consider the following job titles:

• Human resources coordinator

• Training and development specialist

• Project coordinator

• Operations analyst

• Customer service representative

• Recruiter

• Business development associate

• Marketing coordinator

• Non-profit program coordinator

• Change management specialist

• Office manager

Master's degree in organizational leadership jobs

Whether you studied organizational leadership as an undergrad or are pivoting into this area anew, earning a master's in organizational leadership often means you can qualify for more advanced, mid-level roles that require around three to five years of experience. You may either pursue salaried roles or go into business for yourself as a consultant. Consider the following job titles:

• Human resources manager

• Management consultant

• Corporate trainer

• Organizational development specialist

• Leadership development manager

• Change management consultant

• Director of employee engagement

• Director of operations

• Chief operating officer (COO)

What is an organizational leadership degree?

An organizational leadership degree is an academic degree you can earn at the undergraduate or graduate level that builds your understanding of labor management, leadership, and organizational success. Organizational leadership degrees typically combine business, psychology, economics, and other related subjects to offer a multifaceted approach.

Organizational degree coursework can include:

• Business management

• Leadership

• Data analytics

• Organizational behavior

• Strategic management

• Change management

• Human resources

• Conflict resolution

Some programs may offer concentrations, like global business, health care management, or business technology, enabling you to hone in on a specific interest.

Organizational leadership degree skills

In this degree program, you'll develop important workplace and leadership skills, like communication, team building, and ethics, as well as technical skills like data analysis, people management, project management, and operations. Graduates should be prepared to lead by understanding both the larger goals of an organization and the needs of the individuals that compose it. 

Is a degree in organizational leadership worth it?

Earning a degree in organizational leadership, a strategic approach focused on ensuring a company's long-term success, is an opportunity to build your business and operational knowledge, learn about different leadership styles, and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. With an organizational leadership degree, you can explore a number of different careers in management, operations, human resources, or as an executive in the private, public, and non-profit sectors.

Degree alternatives to organizational leadership

Organizational leadership may not be a degree that every college or university offers. In that case, there are other majors and degrees to explore.

Undergraduate degree options

Business management or administration: A degree in business administration will emphasize quantitative business skills, like accounting or sales, and include courses that teach leadership qualities. If you want a broad base of understanding of the technical and workplace skills needed to run a business, this could be a good option.

Economics, finance, accounting: Any of these fields will give you a solid foundation in the nuts-and-bolts quantitative skills that can help you understand the monetary aspects of running a business and the world of finance. They’ll also be transferable to work in several different industries.

Read more: What Is a Business Management Degree and What Can You Do With One?

Graduate degree options

MBA (Master of Business Administration): MBA programs provide advanced business knowledge with the opportunity to develop more specialized knowledge in an area such as leadership. They tend to put a stronger emphasis on the technical parts of running a business. This typically means more coursework in finance, economics, accounting, and marketing. Graduates often go on to work in managerial or executive positions in a business. You can find many MBA options online as well.

Which should you choose?

Organizational leadership degrees focus more on the human elements of leadership than MBAs do. Students who enter a master’s program in organizational leadership might not necessarily be interested in knowing, for example, how best to market a product or the larger economic trends of the day. If you’re more interested in building out leadership skills, organizational leadership might make more sense for you.

HR Management: A Master of Human Resources Management will dig into HR-specific topics and prepare you for a career in this area. These might include compensation and benefits, recruitment and training, ethics, or legal issues. Like organizational leadership degrees, a human resources management degree can focus on aspects of behavioral psychology and leadership.

Discover helpful resources for your career journey

Discover more about industry trends and explore potential careers by subscribing to Career Chat, our weekly LinkedIn newsletter. Then, check out these resources for even more guidance:

• Watch on YouTube: What Should I Major In?

• Read our insider story: CU Boulder ME-EM Faculty Director Christy Bozic on the Importance of Leadership Skills in Tech

• Take a quiz: Career Test: What Career is Right for Me Quiz?

Complete your bachelor’s degree or pursue your master’s degree with flexible programs from esteemed university partners on Coursera.