Master of Arts in Leadership

Program Description

The Master of Arts in Leadership (MAL) is a 36-credit program designed to build and enhance leadership skills. Students work in a multi-sectorial, intercultural, interdisciplinary, and intergenerational learning environment. Two specializations are also offered in (1) Health and (2) Executive Leadership.The program is offered in a blended format, comprised of online learning and two intensive on-campus learning experiences or fully online in December. This allows participants to substantially enhance their educational credentials while minimizing absences from their workplace.The program curriculum is built to support students to develop a sophisticated understanding of personal and team leadership, communication, systems thinking, team building, organizational change, intersectionality, ethics, and action-oriented inquiry.The MAL program is further distinguished by balancing professional diversity and interdisciplinary study, with the need for sector-specific knowledge and problem-solving skills. This is accomplished by having a common curriculum for all students in the first year and an independent, work-based capstone in the second year.MAL curriculum supports students in developing a sophisticated understanding of and competency in the following areas:

• Personal Mastery
• Collaborative and Strategic Leadership
• Learning, Creativity, and Innovation
• Engaged Inquiry
• Systems Change
• Evidence-based Scholarship

These competencies areas also support RRU’s new vision of “Inspiring people with the courage to transform the world,” and RRU’s goals to:

• Implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), and honour the spirit of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
• Enhance the inclusion and engagement of people of diverse backgrounds and ideas in all aspects of university life.
• Advance sustainability in all our academic programs and operations, with a focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Who it’s for

The MA Leadership program is an applied, competency-based program offering advanced leadership skills for experienced and emerging leaders interested in developing more effective organizations and communities.Two specializations are also offered: (1) Health and (2) Executive Leadership.Applicants who do not have the formal academic education to qualify for admission may be assessed on the basis of both their formal education and their informal learning, in accordance with the Flexible Admission Policy. Please visit the program admission page for more information.Applicants who have applied for specialization and do not meet the admission requirements for the specialization may be recommended for the MA Leadership program.

Program Structure

Online learningPrior to commencing each course, students are provided with a series of mailers that include resources and readings. Once the online course begins, students will work through the weekly requirements on the RRU learning platform (Moodle) according to their own schedules, while ensuring they meet the weekly deadlines for activities and assignments along with interacting with fellow students in their cohort. A few synchronous meetings are required. A level of effort of approximately 10 – 15 hours per week, per course, is required. This means a commitment of approximately 30 hours per week depending on the schedule. Students are expected to post online and interact on the Moodle site at a minimum every three days. During the first online courses, the amount of time required may be higher, as students familiarize themselves with our learning technologies.On-campus learning experiencesStudents can expect to work hard during the on-campus residency period. The normal classroom schedule is Monday to Friday 8:30 to 5 pm, with evening and weekend work. Assignments, readings, and team meetings are done outside of the classroom. In addition to the educational activities, there may be planned recreational events, sometimes outdoors. Full attendance at the two on-campus periods is mandatory. While students are not required to live on-campus, students living off-campus have reported that their work on team assignments would have benefited from being on-campus.In the event of COVID-19 or other constraints on travel and/or gathering together, on-campus learning experiences will be delivered as meaningful and interactive full-time online residency experiences.

Learning methods

We use a number of different learning methods, including the Moodle platform for managing online interaction. Students can expect to be reading textbooks, articles, case studies, and videos posted on their Moodle site, and can expect to be interacting with fellow students on our online forums. Our program is noted for its experiential, and interactive learning with team members who may be located elsewhere across Canada and in the world. Having already met your classmates in person during the first residency period, you will continue to work in teams during the online modules as well. We have found that this approach to learning is extremely helpful to our students, enabling them to build strong relationships with their classmates that have led to life-long relationships.

Completion options

There are two Capstone options in the MA Leadership program:Engaged leadership project (help)A student choosing this option will complete a project involving an issue or project faced by leaders in the workplace or in the community. ThesisThe thesis option requires approval from the Program Head and the Thesis Coordinator. This approval process is in place to ensure students are able to successfully complete a thesis within the duration of the program.The Capstone provides an opportunity for you to apply your leadership learning in the complex setting of a real organization. The term organization can be broadly defined to include community groups, networks, movements, or communities of practice as well as more conventionally understood organizations. Your role as a change leader is to create the opportunity for positive change in an organization, on an issue of importance or concern to the organization.Please note: Within the School of Leadership studies, all of our Capstone projects, regardless of whether you are doing an ELP or a thesis, are engaged and action-oriented. We adhere to the principles of “leadership as engagement” and making positive change in the world by adhering to the principle of “orientation to possibility.” As a result, you will be expected to collaborate with a partnering organization as part of your capstone requirement.

Courses

• ITAI: Introduction to Academic Integrity
• GBLD511: Strategic Analysis, Decision Making and Evaluation
• LEAD516: Concepts and Theories of Leadership
• LEAD517: Self-Directed Studies
• LEAD519: Action-oriented Research
• LEAD526: Fundamentals of Personal Leadership and Learning
• LEAD527: Communications and Leadership in Groups and Teams
• LEAD528: Leadership in Systems
• VBLD510: Values-Based Leadership: Being Best for the World
• VBLD512: Values-Based Collaboration and Partnerships
• VBLD514: Leadership, Culture and Sustainability
• LEAD625: Organizational Culture and Design for Continuous Innovation
• LEAD626: Leadership for Organizational Change
• LEAD627: Applied Methods for Organizational Leadership
• LEAD628: Capstone Design
• LEAD640: Engaged Leadership Project
• LEAD680: Reflective Leadership: Applying Learning to Practice
• LEAD690: Thesis

Outcomes

As a result, graduates of the program will have learned and developed the following:

Core Competencies

1. Personal Mastery: Demonstrates reflective practice, values and ethics alignment, and a lifelong commitment to cultivating self-awareness and personal mastery
2. Learning, Creativity, & Innovation: Attends to one’s own learning and the learning of others while thinking critically and creatively, and generating innovative approaches to complex challenges.
3. Strategic & Collaborative Leadership: Selects leadership approach suited to the context, while effectively communicating with and listening to multiple audiences; facilitating and engaging in teamwork and decision-making; and building authentic relationships toward shared goals.
4. Engaged Inquiry: Integrates self-inquiry and systematic inquiry that leads to learning and evidence-based action for Positive change at the personal, organizational, and societal levels.
5. Systems Change: Understands one’s own sphere of influence within a system and demonstrates comprehension and application of systems thinking and complexity theory through action toward systems change.
6. Evidence-Based Scholarship: Demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate and synthesize multiple sources of information through effective communication in academic settings.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Master of Arts in Leadership will gain research and consulting skills and become better communicators and more confident leaders with the ability to:

• Identify, analyze, and build solutions to organizational challenges
• Manage positive organizational change
• Develop effective, high-performance teams
• Manage an organization’s internal and external political environment
• Communicate effectively with colleagues, clients and other stakeholders
• Implement change and achieve results
• Lead in our complex global context which includes attention to (re)conciliation, the climate crisis, social movements, pandemics, and more.