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The College of St. Scholastica

Grounded in principles of organization development, leadership, and experiential learning, students develop their critical thinking, cultural competency, and ethical decision-making abilities, all essential for leading and managing in a rapidly changing, global environment.

Fast Facts

  • Online courses which include weekly synchronous sessions
  • A unique curriculum designed by and for business professionals focused on developing leadership and change-management skills
  • One of the top ten largest MBA programs in Minnesota
  • 36 total program credits. Finish in as few as 12 months with accelerated eight-week terms.

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  • Detailed program overview
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The professors taught me to think critically, ask questions and how to deal with corporate challenges effectively.

Marisa Krueger, UnitedHealthcare

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Receive a $1,000 scholarship when you and a friend (or a group) enroll.

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Degree Details

Tuition

Tuition: $575/credit*


* Tuition rates are for the 2023-24 academic year. Additional fees and costs for course materials may apply. Total program cost and completion time varies depending on transfer credits and individual program plans. Tuition rates are subject to change. View 2022-23 rates.

Program Overview

Get in Position to Lead Transition

Most MBA programs concentrate too much on foundational knowledge and too little on contextual interpretation. We believe leaders of the future require a more comprehensive skillset — one that elevates ethical decision-making with a focus on inclusion and organization development. You’ll learn how to:

  • Exercise critical thinking and high level reasoning through effective oral and written communication skills.
  •  Identify competing values, behaviors, and assumptions that are relevant to the effective implementation of proposed change initiatives.
  • Analyze, design, and deliver effective change-based interventions and strategies in an ever-changing global environment.
  • Describe and explain to the client system the cultural context that affects a proposed change initiative.

Three Capstone Options

Students have the opportunity to choose from three capstone options, including a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in a two-week study abroad trip. Options include:

  • Global capstone: Travel abroad with faculty for an experiential learning opportunity
  • Group practicum: Apply theory to practice through a small group project with your peers
  • Traditional thesis: Conduct original research and compose an academic paper

Format and Location

The MBA program is offered online with virtual classes. This format allows professionals to maintain their current work schedules while further developing their knowledge and skills. The classes delivered via synchronous virtual classrooms, enabling students to join from multiple locations through full-feature video and audio conferencing using ZOOM.

Students progress through the program in a learning community of their peers, enabling lasting and valuable relationships to be built with students and faculty.

The program starts each fall and spring. All start dates are contingent on enrollment of 20 students or more.

Curriculum

Visit our Catalog to view the program, course and degree requirements, and learning outcomes. Be sure to create your course plan in consultation with your advisor.

Practicum and Capstone Options

Students may choose from three capstone options, including:

  • Global capstone: Travel abroad with faculty for an experiential learning opportunity
  • Group practicum: Apply theory to practice through a small group project with your peers
  • Traditional thesis: Conduct original research and compose an academic paper

Required Courses

MGT 6201 – Consultation Theory and Practice

Designed as a practicum experience that explores the role of consultants and leaders in bringing about organizational change. The course will describe and illustrate the three basic philosophies of consultation, as identified by Edgar Schein: Expert consultation, the physician model, and process consultation. The pros and cons of each approach will be examined, and students will apply course lessons in consulting with an actual client group and/or in case studies.

MGT 6220 – Designing Modern Change Interventions

Examines the issues that leaders and practitioners must consider when designing change initiatives and interventions. In particular, it will explore how postmodernism, social constructionism, and emergence have influenced modern organization development (OD) theory and practice. Design questions will consider both the size and complexity of organizations and other relevant contextural variables. Among the topics that will be covered are: organizational culture, systems theory, large group interventions, and idealized design.

MGT 6320 –

MGT 6405 – Ethical Issues and Wholeness in Change Leadership

Explores the ethical responsibilities of organizational leaders and practitioners who design, guide, and implement change interventions or initiatives. It also considers the issue of practitioner wholeness and how living a divided life can contribute to ethical conflicts during times of rapid organizational change. Topics that will be covered include: Values, “use of self,” conscious vs. unconscious choice, ethical decision-making, and wholeness at the individual, group, and organizational levels.

MGT 6413 – Communication Across Cultural Boundaries

Examines the methods that leaders and change practitioners utilize in helping employees and client groups develop the awareness and skills necessary to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries. The course explores culture in its broadest sense, which includes cultural differences across/or within organizations, demographic categories, and nations. Particular attention will be paid to the roles of diversity and inclusivity in modern change initiatives and interventions.

MGT 6420 – Organizational Behavior

Explores the behavior of people within organizations in terms of the factors that most influence it. Those include factors related to individuals, groups, and the larger organization system. The course utilizes an experiential learning process that helps students understand their strengths and weaknesses as learners.

MGT 6430 – Organization Development

Serves as an introduction to the theory and practice of organization development (OD), also referred to as “planned change.” It emphasizes the historic evolution of OD, models of planned change, the dynamics of resistance to change, organizational culture, and the role of the OD consultant. The course also seeks to compare and contrast OD with other approaches to “change management” and to assess their relevance in organizations today.

MGT 6431 – Research Skills for Practitioners

Explores the research skills utilized by organization development practitioners and leaders who are responsible for organizational change. This course utilizes appropriate research methods to explore how often behaviors occur as well as why and how behaviors occur in our social world. It also prepares students to use writing as a means of engaging in critical thinking and high-level reasoning in presenting their research.

Elective Courses

MGT 6210 – Seminar on the Cape

An annual seminar opportunity for students to study with a nationally or internationally known scholar-practitioner in the disciplines of organization development and leadership. This CSS course is wrapped around a week of summer study at the Cape Cod Institute (CCI) in Eastham, MA, known throughout the world for the quality of its seminars and the thought leaders who deliver them. The course includes pre- and post-trip classroom sessions conducted by the CSS Instructor who guides students while they study at CCI.

Admission Information

Visit our admissions page for information about transcripts, online application, international admissions and financing.

Application Deadlines

Fall: Aug. 15
Spring: Jan. 4

Eligibility

New Students
  • BA/BS degree from an accredited college or university
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.8
Note: Meeting minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee admission.
Returning Students

A returning student is a student who was admitted and enrolled in a program at St. Scholastica but has been absent from the program for at least three continuous semesters, including summer. To return to the same program at St. Scholastica, a returning student must be in good academic standing and must apply for readmission to the College.

Prerequisites

  • No GMAT or GRE required
  • No prerequisite coursework is required, however, students who enter the MBA program should:
    • Demonstrate strong writing and quantitative thinking skills.
    • Have prior education in economics and accounting. A student without this background may be challenged by some of the MBA courses and should discuss his or her situation with the program advisor to determine if preparatory courses are advisable.