Master of Arts in Leadership
Our Mission
The mission of St. Lawrence University is to provide an inspiring and demanding education in the liberal arts to students selected for their seriousness of purpose and intellectual promise.
Why Study Leadership From a Liberal Arts Perspective?
Successful leaders inspire others to change and innovate; they face problems, gather information widely, analyze evidence, propose and debate solutions, and communicate conclusions. Leaders help groups reach decisions that uphold the values and mission of an organization or team. A liberally educated leader knows that there is rarely a single answer to a problem. There are usually multiple answers, and a leader’s job is to help the group find its own way to its best answer. A liberal arts approach to leadership will help our students build the ability to see the bigger picture, to understand the complexities and context of issues and problems, and the potential consequences of decisions.
Our goal in the Master of Arts in Leadership program is to inspire students to understand leadership broadly and deeply and to demand their best thinking, analysis, and expression as they engage the world as it is and as it will be.
Why Pursue a Graduate Degree at a Liberal Arts University?
Completing your Master’s level graduate studies at St. Lawrence University is special because of the degree of personalization that is only possible at a small, residential college setting. Graduate learning here involves substantive mentoring, discussion-based classes, strong relationships between peers and faculty members as the only graduate-level program on campus, and individualized learning opportunities. The way that liberal arts colleges like ours approach teaching is central to the type of leader our students will develop into. We don’t “train” students for specific jobs but rather guide and educate with historical theories and cutting-edge research in order to inspire students to design and lead their own ideas to fruition.
Specific benefits of the Master of Arts in Leadership degree at St. Lawrence University include a flexible curriculum (designed to meet broad areas of academic competencies while still allowing course choice and pacing), value-based academic planning (focusing on mentoring relationships and highlighting students’ personal and professional goals), a full-time cohort model or part-time learning options, working relationships with your peers, professors, and administrators through Graduate Assistant Coaching positions or Research Assistantships, and cross-institutional funding agreements and transfer credit acceptance.
Potential Student Paths Post-Graduation
Higher Education or Private School Administration (e.g. Student Affairs or Admissions), Sports Administration and Management, College or K12 Coaching, K12 Teaching, Entrepreneurship, Nonprofit Organization or Business Management, Graduate School in Various Fields (usually pursuing a Ph.D.), Professional Athlete, Product Rep Sales
Program Requirements (33 sem. hrs. total):
*Letter designators next to course titles indicate to students that a course offering meets this requirement. This can be seen in the Course Catalog. Professors may apply to the Program Coordinator to meet the standards of a particular designation for their course. One course in each of the required areas is offered each fall and spring, with summer course titles and designators determined by student need.
One (1) essential project course, either: Great Books Course (*GB) -OR- Capstone Writing Project Course (CS)
Two (2) courses minimum in Historical Foundations & Theory (TH)
Two (2) courses minimum in Critical Analysis of Research (RS)
All other courses to meet 33 total credits may be electives (undesignated).
Explanation of Program Requirement Areas:
Essential Core Course (GB, CS) – coursework will address the essential core mission of the leadership program through assigning canonical leadership texts for in-depth discussion or culminating in a core leadership capstone project of the individual student’s interests – academic written products are required.
Historical Foundations & Theory Course (TH) – coursework assigned will be multiple, challenging historical or theoretical texts and students will be required to synthesize one or more of these “foundational ideas” in a final graduate-level academic product (usually an exegetical or research paper).
Critical Analysis of Research Course (RS) – coursework assigned will focus on maintaining high-quality research methods and deep, critical analysis of peer-reviewed, primary-sourced research and data, and will require a final graduate-level research paper or data analysis.
Leadership Course Descriptions
www.stlawu.edu/offices/graduate-programs/leadership-course-descriptions
Applying To Our Program
https://www.stlawu.edu/offices/graduate-programs/admissions-procedures