Organizational Leadership Undergraduate Major (BA, BS, HBA, HBS)
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- Ecampus
Options available:
The Organizational Leadership curriculum helps prepare students for careers related to leading teams, projects, processes, and products It provides students evidence-based instruction in the areas of organizational behavior, negotiations, team management, job design, evaluation and motivation of employees, human resource management, conflict management, employee stress, and work-life balance. In the core management coursework, students gain strategic communication and leadership skills, learn to run dynamic projects, and acquire the knowledge and skills that prepare them for finding, motivating, and leading talented employees.
As part of the major, students also engage in an experiential learning opportunity from a set of options. These opportunities include a professional internship, research project, international experience, mentoring course, and a project management practicum. The OL major also combines foundational coursework with a range of focused electives that allow students the ability to customize their major to meet their specific career interests.
Students interested in careers in Talent or Human Resource Management are encouraged to take MGMT 448 and MGMT 449. These courses, along with the core major coursework, are recognized by the Society of HR Management and help students prepare to take the SHRM-CP exam and become a SHRM Certified Professional.
The integrative focus of the organizational leadership program also provides excellent preparation for graduate-level studies in business, law, urban and regional planning, public services administration, and health care administration.
Major Code: A018
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Describe and utilize conceptual frameworks from management research and practice to diagnose and improve individual performance and group dynamics within diverse organizations.
- Recognize, discuss, and demonstrate concepts, techniques, and decision tools available to manage projects.
- Identify, describe and apply classical and modern theories and practices of leadership.
- Explain the role of human resource management practices in shaping employee attitudes, behaviors, and outcomes.
- Discuss, analyze and apply influence and negotiation skills and methods.
Degree requirements include university core education, business and major curricula. The business curriculum provides students with a broad overview of business; basic skills in accounting and quantitative methods; an understanding of the legal and social environment of business; a background in management and organizational behavior, marketing, finance, and operations management; an understanding of the entrepreneurial process; and the opportunity to integrate coursework and further develop decision-making skills through the analysis of business cases. The lower-division business curriculum involves completion of courses within the first and second year that build a solid foundation for the upper-division curricula.
Transitions to OSU and Introduction to Business coursework will depend on student type. At registration, an academic advisor will determine the most appropriate path.
- Students entering OSU as their first college experience after high school will take a 100 Transitions course, BA 160, and a BA 16X series;
- Students entering OSU COB as a second-year transfer student (approximately three years to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course, BA 160, and BA 101Z; or
- Students entering OSU COB as a third-year transfer student (approximately two years or less to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course and BA 101Z.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of Requirements | ||
| Business Curriculum 1 | 102-106 | |
| Organizational Leadership Curriculum | 32 | |
| Unspecified Core Education 1 | 22-26 | |
| Unrestricted Electives 2 | 16-24 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- 1
Some courses in the Business Curriculum double-count with Core Education categories. Unspecified Core Education credits are not shared with the Business Curriculum
- 2
Options and minors are available to provide specializations and fulfill unrestricted elective credits
Business Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Business | ||
| Introduction to Business | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to waive BA 160. | ||
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| Dependent on entry level, students will take one of the following: | 4-6 | |
| INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION and INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | ||
| LAUNCH PAD I and LAUNCH PAD II | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS | ||
| Communications | ||
| COMM 114 | +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE | 3-4 |
| or COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING | |
| or COMM 218Z | +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | |
| Economics | ||
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MTH 241 | +*CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WR 323 | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION | 3-4 |
| or WR 227Z | +*TECHNICAL WRITING | |
| Business Core | ||
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| BA 211Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 223 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | |
| BA 226Z | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| BA 240 | FINANCE | 4 |
| or BA 360 | INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | |
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE 1 | 4 |
| BA 260 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET | 4 |
| or BA 267 | INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES | |
| BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
| BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| BA 357 | OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 370 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS OVERVIEW | 4 |
| BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
| BA 396 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS | 3 |
| or BA 398 | +SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM: EXPLORING POWER, PROSPERITY, AND JUSTICE | |
| BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| Blueprint: Personal & Professional Development | ||
| Second Year | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to substitute BA 381 for second year Professional Development and Blueprint coursework. | ||
| BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BA 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| BA 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| BA 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| Third Year | ||
| BA 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| BA 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| BA 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| BA 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| BA 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| BA 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| Total Credits | 102-106 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course
- 1
Course requires a grade of C or higher
Organizational Leadership Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| MGMT 364 | PROJECT MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| MGMT 452 | LEADERSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE | 4 |
| MGMT 453 | HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| MGMT 455 | INFLUENCE AND NEGOTIATION | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Select a minimum of 12 credits from the following courses: 1 | 12 | |
| FAMILY BUSINESS MANAGEMENT | ||
| VENTURE MANAGEMENT | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | ||
| CROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT | ||
| EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION | ||
| COMPENSATION MANAGEMENT | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO MENTORING AND COACHING 2 | ||
| PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRACTICUM 2 | ||
| PROFESSIONAL SALES | ||
| RETAIL MANAGEMENT | ||
| INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
Any COB 410 Internship course (eg. MGMT 410) 2, 3 | ||
| Experiential Learning (PRIME) | ||
| Select 4 credits from the following courses: | 4 | |
Any COB 004 Internship (eg. MGMT 004) 3 | ||
Any COB 403 Thesis (eg. MGMT 403) | ||
Any COB 405 Reading & Conference (eg. MGMT 405) | ||
Any COB 406 Projects (eg. MGMT 406) | ||
Any COB 409 Practicum (eg. MGMT 409) | ||
Any COB 410 Internship (eg. MGMT 410) | ||
| INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE ORIENTATION and IMPACT OF CULTURE ON BUSINESS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO MENTORING AND COACHING | ||
| PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRACTICUM | ||
| Total Credits | 32 | |
- 1
Some elective courses require a prerequisite grade of C or higher
- 2
Course can be applied to either electives or experiential learning
- 3
A maximum of 120 hours of work (the equivalent of 4 academic credits) from internship courses can be applied to the Organizational Leadership major requirements (experiential learning and electives). Extra credits from internship courses can be applied to unrestricted electives. Students may substitute a COB 004 Internship (eg. MGMT 004) course for the experiential learning requirement if they do not need an additional 4 credits to meet their 180 credit degree total
Major Code: A018
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING or +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | 3-4 |
| MTH 111Z | +*PRECALCULUS I: FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities General | 3-4 | |
| Core Ed: Transitions | 2 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 161 | INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION | 3 |
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| MTH 241 | +*CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 162 | INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | 3 |
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| WR 121Z | +*COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
| BA 260 or BA 267 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET or INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES | 4 |
| BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BA 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities Global | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 211Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 226Z | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
| BA 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| WR 323 or WR 227Z | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION or +*TECHNICAL WRITING | 3-4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 223 or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING or PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| BA 240 or BA 360 | FINANCE or INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
| MGMT 364 | PROJECT MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| Core Ed: Difference, Power & Oppression Foundations | 3-4 | |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| BA 357 | OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| BA 370 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS OVERVIEW | 4 |
| Organizational Leadership Elective | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Seeking Solutions | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| MGMT 453 | HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| MGMT 455 | INFLUENCE AND NEGOTIATION | 4 |
| Electives | 5 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| Organizational Leadership Elective | 4 | |
| Organizational Leadership Elective | 4 | |
| Experiential Learning | 4 | |
| Elective | 1 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| BA 396 or BA 398 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS or +SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM: EXPLORING POWER, PROSPERITY, AND JUSTICE | 3 |
| BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| MGMT 452 | LEADERSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE | 4 |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course