Becoming a leader requires much more than simple team oversight. It involves setting the right goals, communicating ideas, and delivering results. A leader must be able to prudently influence and inspire others to execute a plan. Organizations and individuals respond to well-articulated visions that are strategic, persuasive, and measurable.

The Master of Science in Leadership graduate degree program develops specific skills for effective, collaborative organizational leadership in the private, public, government, or non-profit sectors. Emphasizing sociological and psychological content, the rigorous and intensive curriculum builds on students’ interdisciplinary backgrounds, providing a comprehensive understanding of essential leadership skills.

Designed for the motivated, working professional, the MSL provides the knowledge to lead, direct, and leverage assets through a solid grounding in:

• Decision-making and strategy
• Organizational dynamics and group behavior
• Historical leadership perspectives and issues
• Diplomacy and negotiation
• Economics and culture
• Marketing research, analysis, and strategy
• Current technology
• Financial concepts

It is possible to complete the MSL graduate degree program in one year on a full-time basis, or in two years on a part-time basis. However, students have up to five years to finish the degree.

Program Requirements

(Ten courses/40 credits)
Master of Science in Leadership graduate degree program students must enroll in six required courses and four electives.

Core Courses (six courses/24 credits)

• MET AD 632 Financial Concepts
• MET AD 711 Leadership and Strategy
• MET AD 749 International Economics
• MET LD 630 Leadership—Historic and Social Perspectives
• MET LD 705 Leadership in a Dynamic Environment
• MET LD 740 Group and Organizational Dynamics

Electives (four courses/16 credits)

Electives can be drawn from any of the courses listed below. However, students who complete their elective requirement by completing all four courses of either the Project Management or International Relations graduate certificate will receive that certificate in addition to the Leadership master’s degree.

General Elective Courses

• MET AD 739 Marketing Management
• MET LD 621 Web and Information Technologies for Leaders

Project Management Certificate Courses

• MET AD 642 Project Management
• MET AD 643 Project Leadership and Communications
• MET AD 644 Project Risk and Cost Management
• MET AD 646 Program Management

International Relations Certificate Courses

• CAS IR 550B European Integration
• GRO IR 701B International Relations for Practitioners
• GRO IR 704B Global Economic and Development Policy

Plus one of the following:

• CAS IR 524B War and Statecraft
• CAS IR 535B Diplomacy and Statecraft
• CAS IR 589B North Atlantic/European Security Issues
• GRO IR 760B The Political Economy of the European Union

Language Requirement

All Master of Science in Leadership students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in both written and oral English, which may be satisfied by completing the following course with a grade of B- or better: MET AD 501 Business Communications for International Students.

Students for whom English is not a first language must submit the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 565. Official test scores are valid for two years. Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree at an accredited, English-speaking college or university, or who have worked for two or more years in an English-speaking organization, may have the TOEFL requirement waived. The Boston University TOEFL code is 9034.

Boston University is proud to present a new graduate military program designed for leadership excellence in the global twenty-first century: the Master of Science in Leadership (MSL), offered at Henderson Hall, MCAS Cherry Point, MCAS New River/MCB Camp Lejeune, and Hanscom AFB.

Whether you are in command of a mission or in charge of personnel in a government organization, leadership is an essential quality in building loyalty, trust, and teamwork. By setting the right objectives, communicating strategies and ideas, and executing projects successfully, accomplished leaders exceed goals and inspire meaningful change within their organizations.

The MSL develops specific skills for effective, organizational leadership in the military as well as in private, public, government, or non-profit sectors. Emphasizing sociological and psychological content, the rigorous and intensive curriculum builds on students’ interdisciplinary backgrounds and provides the knowledge to lead, direct, and leverage assets. Topics include:

• Decision-making and strategy
• Project management techniques
• Organizational dynamics and group behavior
• Historical leadership perspectives and issues
• Diplomacy and negotiation
• Economics and culture
• Marketing research, analysis, and strategy
• Current technology
• Financial concepts
• Communication skills

MSL candidates have the option of choosing electives that also lead to a Graduate Certificate in Project Management.

Degree Requirements

A total of ten courses (40 credits) is required for the Master of Science in Leadership.

Leadership Core Courses

Four courses (16 credits), as follows:

• MET AD 711 Leadership and Strategy
• MET LD 630 Leadership—Historic and Social Perspectives
• MET LD 705 Leadership in a Dynamic Environment
• MET LD 740 Group and Organizational Dynamics*

Additional Core Courses

Three courses (12 credits), as follows:

• MET AD 615 Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis
• MET AD 632 Financial Concepts
• MET AD 715 Quantitative and Qualitative Decision-Making

Electives**

Three courses (12 credits), as follows:
Choose any three courses from the following list. Students who complete their elective requirements by taking the four Project Management courses receive the Graduate Certificate in Project Management in addition to the master’s in Leadership.

• MET AD 739 Marketing Management
• MET LD 621 Web and Information Technologies for Leaders

Project Management Certificate Courses:

• MET AD 642 Project Management
• MET AD 643 Project Communications Management*
• MET AD 644 Project Risk and Cost Management
• MET AD 646 Program Management

*Students pursuing both the master’s in Leadership and the Graduate Certificate in Project Management are required to take either MET AD 643 or MET LD 740, but not both.

**Additional electives may be offered and/or substituted.