Program Features
The B.A. in Leadership & Organizational Studies program promotes a service-oriented collaborative approach to leadership so that its graduates can create a real and sustainable change that serves their organizations and the larger community to which they belong.
The goal of the B.A. in Leadership & Organizational Studies program is to foster adult learners’ development as thinkers, as leaders, and as ethical, fully-developed individuals and community members with commitment to service and a dedication to lifelong learning.
Designed for Adult Learners
The B.A. in Leadership & Organizational Studies program is designed for adult learners, not only in a schedule that fits the needs of working adults, but also in terms of the teaching approaches used:
- The program is interactive, based on adult learners’ expectation to be active partners in the learning process.
- The program is accelerated, based on adults’ maturity, motivation, and their ability to take more responsibility for their learning.
The B.A. in Leadership & Organizational Studies program is:
- a program for working mid-career professionals with experience in leadership;
- a hybrid online program - a combination of online and face-to-face, classroom learning;
- cohort-based - a supportive peer network that enhances collaborative learning and retention;
- integrated - a sequence of 12 interrelated courses;
- accelerated - courses are eight weeks long; students work a minimum of 20 hours weekly on course assignments;
- a transfer program - applicants have already earned two-years of college credit (64 semester units).
Innovative Hybrid Online Format, Combined with Cohort Model
A hybrid online format combines classroom learning and online learning within each course, providing the flexibility of online learning with the strength of a collaborative and supportive student network. The face-to-face meetings help to forge the personal relationships that are so important to the success of online programs.
The program starts with a face-to-face session at the Saint Mary’s College campus. In the following weeks, students interact online. Some courses have a mid-course face-to-face meeting. As each course ends and a new course begins, the faculty and students meet for a full day session on a Saturday. In the morning, they finish one course and then in the afternoon, they start the next course. The overall program ends with a one day, face-to-face, capstone activity and assessment.
Prior Learning Assessment
Students in the B.A. in Leadership & Organizational Studies program have the opportunity to have their college-comparable prior experiential learning assessed for elective credit. In the course “Experience, Learning and Knowledge" (taken in the first trimester), students create an Experiential Learning Portfolio that documents their learning.
Prior learning assessment at Saint Mary’s College adheres to WASC guidelines and principles of good practice espoused by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL).
