Program Overview

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership is a degree program designed to help students develop the skills and knowledge needed to become effective leaders in a variety of settings. The program focuses on the behaviors of successful leaders and helps students develop acumen in critical thinking, team dynamics, problem-solving, communication, and conflict resolution.

Program Details

• The program requires a minimum of 120 credits to complete.
• The degree's 34 credits of prescribed core courses focus on contemporary labor management and supervisory leadership issues.
• Many different course options are available to fulfill the remainder of the program, allowing students to customize the degree to meet their specific goals.
• A student enrolled in this major must receive a grade of C or better in all courses required for the major.

Prescribed Courses

• LHR 312: Research Methods in Labor Studies and Employment Relations (3 credits)
• OLEAD 100: Introduction to Leadership (3 credits)
• OLEAD 201: Organizational Theory and Functions for Leaders (3 credits)
• OLEAD 210: Evidence-Based Leadership (3 credits)
• OLEAD 464: Communication Skills for Leaders in Groups and Organizations (3 credits)
• PSYCH 100: Introductory Psychology (3 credits)
• PSYCH 484: Work Attitudes and Motivation (3 credits)
• STAT 200: Elementary Statistics (4 credits)

Additional Courses

• Critical Thinking (select 3 credits)
  • IST 110: Information, People, and Technology (3 credits)
  • PHIL 10: Critical Thinking (3 credits)
• Diversity and Inclusion (select 3 credits)
  • LHR 136Y: Race, Gender, and Employment (3 credits)
  • OLEAD 220: Emotional, Social, and Cultural Intelligences and the Implications for Leadership (3 credits)
  • OLEAD 410: Leadership in a Global Context (3 credits)
  • OLEAD 411: Women and Leadership (3 credits)
  • WMNST 105N: Living in a Diverse World (3 credits)
• Organizational Behavior (select 3 credits)
  • LHR 202: Understanding Employee Behavior (3 credits)
  • PSYCH 281: Introduction to Industrial-Organizational Psychology (3 credits)
• Conflict Management (select 3 credits)
  • CAS 404: Conflict Resolution and Negotiation (3 credits)
  • LHR 437: Workplace Dispute Resolution (3 credits)
• Ethics (select 3 credits)
  • BA 100: Introduction to Business (3 credits)
  • LHR 427: Understanding Business Processes for LHR Professionals (3 credits)
  • LHR 460: Ethics in the Workplace (3 credits)
  • PHIL 119: Ethical Leadership (3 credits)

Supporting Courses and Related Areas

• Select 18-19 credits from the following 400-level courses:
  • OLEAD 409: Leadership Development: A Lifelong Learning Perspective (3 credits)
  • OLEAD 410: Leadership in a Global Context (3 credits)
  • OLEAD 411: Women and Leadership (3 credits)
  • OLEAD 495: OLEAD Internship (1-12 credits)
  • OLEAD 496: Independent Study (1-18 credits)
  • SOC 404: Social Influence and Small Groups (3 credits)
  • SOC 455: Work and Occupations (3 credits)
  • SOC 456: Gender, Occupations, and Professions (3 credits)
• Or any 400-level course from:
  • ACCTG, AFAM, AFR, AGBM, AMST, ANTH, ASIA, BA, BBH, BLAW, CAS, CEDEV, COMM, CRIM, CRIMJ, ECON, EDUC, ENTR, FIN, FR, GER, HIST, HDFS, HLS, HPA, IB, IST, IT, LA, LAS, LAWSC, LHR, MATH, MGMT, MIS, MKTG, OLEAD, PHIL, PLSC, PSYCH, PUBPL, RUS, SCM, SOC, SPAN, STAT, WMNST

General Education Requirements

• Foundations: 15 credits
  • Writing/Speaking: 9 credits
  • Quantification: 6 credits
• Knowledge Domains: 15 credits
  • Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
  • Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits
  • Arts (GA): 3 credits
  • Humanities (GH): 3 credits
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Integrative Studies: 6 credits
  • Inter-Domain course work: 6 credits
• Exploration: 9 credits
  • Natural Sciences (GN) (may be Inter-Domain): 3 credits
  • GA, GH, GN, GS, and Inter-Domain courses: 6 credits

Career Opportunities

• The Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership can prepare students for careers in a variety of fields, including:
  • Human resources
  • Labor and employment relations
  • Operations production management
  • Business development and sales
  • Customer service
• Job titles related to this degree include:
  • Business Manager
  • Account Manager
  • Client Relationship Manager
  • Development Director
  • Regional Sales Manager

Faculty

• The program is taught by highly regarded faculty from Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts, including:
  • Elaine Farndale, Director, School of Labor and Employment Relations
  • Brian Redmond, Lead Faculty
  • Carol Cameron, Faculty
  • Donna J. Dennis, Faculty
  • Michael Hamel, Faculty
  • Carmen Jones, Faculty
  • Douglas Lindsay, Faculty
  • Allison Maurer, Faculty
  • Kim Trahan, Faculty

Tuition and Financial Aid

• Undergraduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register and the number of total credits you have accrued at or transferred to Penn State.
• Tuition rates for the 2025-26 academic year:
  • If you have 59 or fewer credits: $638 per credit
  • If you have 60 or more credits: $685 per credit
• Financial aid and military benefits are available to eligible students.