MSOL, MAOL, MBA, and Bachelor’s Degrees in Organizational Leadership in Pennsylvania

Written by Jennifer Williams

pittsburgh, pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is a prime economic environment for new business right now. It boasts the sixth largest economy in the nation with an $800 billion annual GDP, and business operating costs that are 5% below the national average. It’s no surprise that many of the nation’s top companies are headquartered here.

Perhaps that’s one reason why Pennsylvania has been a major beneficiary of the infrastructure bill recently signed into law. In fact, a total of $7.9 billion has been allocated to infrastructure projects in the state. Some of these include upgrading Amtrak routes on the Eastern Seaboard, structural repair of Philadelphia International Airport, and structural improvements to more than 3,000 bridges throughout the state, including Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh. The infrastructure allocation includes $100 million for broadband expansion, $5 billion for roads and bridges, $208 million for clean energy projects, and $62 million to support EV infrastructure.

There’s no doubt that the successful implementation of a high-caliber operation like this will rely on the expertise of those with a master’s or bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership.

What You Can Do in Pennsylvania With a Master’s or Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership

Another marker of Pennsylvania’s economic sturdiness is Google’s recent investment. In 2022, the global tech giant announced that it would invest $15 million in its Pittsburgh office and data center.

It was a sound investment in a state where Google has a hand in a lot of business activity. In 2021 alone, the search engine contributed nearly $16 billion worth of economic activity statewide through more than 757,000 business connections, layering in $19 million in free advertising to Pennsylvania businesses with their paid advertising model. And with all that business activity and a few freebies comes a lot of revenue for the Silicon Valley giant. To sweeten the deal, Google even kicked in $330,000 to Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Library to support a laptop lending program. It’s the outside-the-box thinking of organizational leaders that made the city’s partnership with Google so lucrative for all parties.

Google’s investment coupled with the infrastructure expansion is a positive force for Pennsylvania’s economy. The success of the projects these investments fund, though, still takes strong leadership and the discipline to balance ambitious projects with the need to use resources judiciously. A degree in organizational leadership helps business leaders develop the steady hand it takes to pull it off.

Even as the state has come to be known for blazing a path to the future with the help of tech industry giants, it maintains a reputation built on the work of previous generations. Whether it was the First Continental Congress convening its business in Philadelphia in 1774 or the Second Continental Congress, likewise, convening there to sign the Declaration of Independence, Pennsylvania is a place known for bold leadership.

Building an Empire that Brought a Luxury Good to the Masses Was an Exercise in Strong Organizational Leadership

chocolate barsPerhaps the most famous name to come out of Pennsylvania is Hershey. And, it’s a real rags-to-riches tale, too. How did someone like Milton Hershey, with only a 4th-grade education, create the most famous name in chocolate? He started out apprenticing for a candy maker at the age of 14. He wasn’t great at it and, in fact, made two failed attempts before successfully opening Lancaster Caramel Co. in 1886. However, the future of chocolate was forever changed when Mr. Hershey attended the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. He was inspired by what he saw there and was fascinated with the idea of making chocolate for the masses. So, he sold Lancaster Caramel Co. for $1 million and focused his investment instead on making chocolate bars. After perfecting the formula, he built a small factory in Derry Church, where he had easy access to fresh milk from local daily farms. It wasn’t long after that Mr. Hershey built the world’s largest chocolate manufacturing facility, which he opened as Hershey Chocolate Company in 1905. Always the do-gooder, he wanted to create a place where his employees could live happily and work nearby, so he built them a town of their own, which was later named Hershey in his honor.

Another success story native to Pennsylvania is the origin of Crayola. Originally known as Binney & Smith, cousins C. Harold Smith and Edwin Binney started the operation in Easton in the 1880s. They started out selling slate pencils and dustless chalk to schools, but Edwin Binney’s wife, a schoolteacher, suggested that the company find a way to make a less costly alternative to the imported crayons of the time. After much formulation, the company produced and sold its first 8-count box of crayons in 1903. Binney and Smith subsequently rebranded their company as Crayola, a combination of the French words for “chalk” and “oily”. Always a traditionalist organization, the original 8-count box contains the same colors you’ll find in an 8-count box of Crayola today. To this day, Crayola still operates out of Lehigh Valley, and many of its employees are descendant generations who have worked at the same plant since the company’s inception.

Leading names like Hershey, Smith, and Binney have become synonymous with success. They’re excellent examples of how the greatest success stories are built on effective strategic planning and strong organizational leadership. As Pennsylvania’s economy continues to evolve, there’s no denying the value of a bachelor’s degree, MAOL, MSOL, or MBA in organizational leadership.

Universities in Pennsylvania Offering Master’s and Bachelor’s Degrees in Organizational Leadership

There’s no doubt that a degree in organizational leadership provides the skills to succeed in any industry, and universities in Pennsylvania offer some of the best bachelor’s, MSOL, MAOL, and MBAs in the game. Your expertise in areas like organizational analysis, benchmarking, and systems thinking will leave you ready to lead teams and find creative solutions to complex problems.

Alvernia University

College of Business, Communication, and Leadership
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Campus

alvernia university

MA in Leadership

Also offers: 

Graduate Certificate in Nursing Leadership
PhD in Leadership

Cabrini University

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Campus

cabrini university

MS in Leadership

Also offers: 

Doctorate in Organization Development and Change
(Certificiate, Minor) in Leadership Studies
Global MBA with a concentration in Organization Management

Cairn University-Langhorne

School of Business
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Online

cairn university

MS in Nonprofit Leadership

Also offers: MS in Educational Leadership and Administration

Central Penn College

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Campus, online

central penn college

Master of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership

Chestnut Hill College

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Campus, online

chestnut hill college

BS in Human Services Leadership and Policy Studies

MS in Organizational Leadership

Also offers: Major in Organizational Dynamics

Drexel University

LeBow College of Business
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Campus, online

drexel university

BS in Business Administration-Organizational Management co-major

MBA with a concentration in Effective Leadership, option for Executive MBA

Also offers: 

(Certificate, MS) in Higher Education Leadership
Ed.D in Educational Leadership and Management
Certificate in E-Learning Leadership
MS in Arts Administration and Museum Leadership
(MSN, Post-Master’s Certificate) Clinical Nurse Leader

Duquesne University

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Online

duquesne university

BS in Organizational Leadership

MS in Leadership

Also offers: 

Ed.D in Educational Leadership
Certificates in (Emerging Women’s Leadership, Women’s Executive Leadership, Executive Leadership)

Eastern University

College of Business and Leadership
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Online

eastern university

BA in Organizational Leadership

MA in Organizational Leadership

Also offers: 

PhD in Organizational Leadership
BA in Youth Ministry Leadership
MBA with a concentration in Organizational Management

Elizabethtown College

School of Graduate and Professional Studies
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Online

elizabethtown college

MS in Strategic Leadership

Also offers: Certificate in Strategic Leadership

Geneva College

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Online

geneva college

Bachelor of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership

MS in Leadership Studies

Gwynedd Mercy University

School of Business
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Online

gwynedd mercy university

BS in Business Administration in Organizational Management

MBA in Strategic Management and Leadership

Also offers: Certificate in Leadership

Holy Family University

School of Business and Professional Studies
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Online

holy family university

MS in Organizational Leadership

Also offers: 

Ed.D in Educational and Organizational Leadership
M.Ed in Education Leadership for Principals

Juniata College

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Online

juniata college

Master of Organizational Leadership

Also offers: Option to combine MOL degree with undergraduate majors of Communications, Integrated Media Arts, or Psychology

La Salle University

School of Business
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Campus, online

la salle university

BS in Business Administration in Management and Leadership

Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership

Lancaster Bible College

Church and Ministry Leadership Department
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Online

lancaster bible college

MA in Formational Leadership

Also offers: 

Ed.D in Educational Leadership
PhD in Leadership
M.Div in Formational Leadership
MA in Strategic Communication Leadership
(Major, Minor) in Women in Ministry Leadership

Lebanon Valley College

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Campus, online, hybrid

lebanon valley college

MBA with a concentration in Leadership and Ethics

Also offers: Leadership and Ethics Certificate

Mercyhurst University

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Online

mercyhurst university

MS in Organizational Leadership

Also offers: 

Graduate Certificate in (Organizational Leadership Principal Leadership)
MSN in Integrative Nursing Leadership

Messiah University

School of Arts, Culture and Society
School of Graduate and Professional Studies
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Online

messiah university

BBA in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Leadership

MA in Strategic Leadership

MBA with a concentration in Strategic Leadership

Muhlenberg University

School of Graduate Studies
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Hybrid

muhlenberg university

Master’s in Organizational Leadership

Also offers: 

Certificate in Organizational Leadership
BBA with a concentration in Human Resources Leadership
Master’s in Medical Leadership

Neumann University

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Online

neumann university

BS in Business and Organizational Studies

MS in Business and Organizational Leadership

Also offers: Ed.D in Educational Leadership

Peirce College

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Online

peirce college

BS in Organizational Leadership and Management

MS in Organizational Leadership and Management

Also offers: 

Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership
Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Leadership
BS in Human Services Leadership
AS in Leadership Development

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Online

philadelphia college of osteopathic medicine

MS in Organizational Development and Leadership

Also offers: Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Leadership

Point Park University

Rowland School of Business
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Online, hybrid

point park university

BA in Organizational Leadership

MA in Organizational Leadership

Also offers: 

Master of Education in Teaching and Leadership
Ed.D Leadership and Administration

Rosemont College

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Online

rosemont college

BS in Business Administration in Leadership Studies

MS in Strategic Leadership

MBA in Strategic Leadership

Also offers: Strategic Leadership Certificate

Saint Francis University

Francis Worldwide School of Continuing Studies
Shields School of Business
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Online

saint francis university

BS in Organizational Leadership

MA in Strategic Leadership

Thiel College

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Campus

thiel college

MA in Communication and Leadership

Thomas Jefferson University

College of Continuing and Professional Studies
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Campus, online, hybrid

thomas jefferson university

BS in Organizational Leadership

MS in Organizational Leadership

Also offers: 

Doctor of Management in Strategic Leadership
(Certificate, MSN) in Transformative Systems Leadership
Advanced Practice Certificate in Integrative Health Education and Leadership

University of Valley Forge

Accreditation: MSCHE
Private School
Online

university of valley forge

MA in Organizational Leadership

Also offers: 

Certificate of Leadership in Ministry
(AA, BA) in Ministry Leadership
BA in Pastoral Leadership
MA in Christian Leadership
MA in Organizational Development

Villanova University

College of Professional Studies
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Online, hybrid

villanova university

Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

BA in Organizational Development and Management

Also offers: 

Organizational Leadership Certificate
Certificate in Women’s Leadership Development
Certificate in Leadership
(Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies, BA) in Leadership
Minor in Organizational Development and Management

York College of Pennsylvania

Graham School of Business
Accreditation:
MSCHE
Private School
Campus

york college pennsylvania

BBA in Leadership and Organizational Dynamics

MA in Strategic Leadership and Management

Also offers: 

Minor in Outdoor Leadership
BS in Recreation Leadership
Strategic Leadership and Management Certificate
Nonprofit Leadership Certificate