Abilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online

Programme overview

Abilene Christian University’s online Master of Science in Organizational Leadership is a 36-hour graduate program delivered over a typical 24-month timeline with an accelerated Fast Lane option. Coursework integrates communication, conflict resolution and psychology-based theory to prepare students to assess organizational health, lead change, and apply practical strategies across public, private and nonprofit settings. The program emphasizes faith integration and offers a Locked-In Tuition guarantee; listed cost information on the program page is $650 per credit hour with a $210 resource fee per term.

What you'll study

The curriculum is organized into three topical areas: communications (12 credit hours), management science (6 credit hours) and conflict management (18 credit hours). Courses introduce research-informed and established management methods with real-world applications of psychology-based theories. Example course titles include Self-Assessment in Leadership, Leadership Foundations & Theory, Training & Development and Change Management. Core instructional themes covered in courses include:

• change-driven strategies and the learning-organization concept;
• intercultural competence for leading diverse and global workforces;
• designing, developing and evaluating training and human-resources programs;
• human resources management roles and organizational characteristics such as motivation, culture, ethics and decision-making;
• interpersonal conflict dynamics related to communication, emotion and identity;
• negotiation techniques, bias identification and managing conflicting parties;
• conflict resolution tools and applications informed by communication and sociopolitical theories, workplace issues and ethics.

Entry requirements

Admission requires an online application with processing fee, official bachelor’s transcripts from a regionally accredited institution, a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and a current resume. Applicants may be asked to complete a personal or telephone interview. For the Fast Lane acceleration option applicants must have at least a 3.25 undergraduate or graduate GPA, submit a two-page typed purpose statement demonstrating the ability to dedicate 30+ hours per week to coursework, and may be asked for recommendations by the program director.

Career prospects

The program lists common job outcomes including chief operations officer, training and development manager, organizational development consultant, small business owner, nonprofit roles and government administration. Graduates typically move into leadership, HR, training and organizational-development positions where change leadership, conflict management and communication skills are central.

Scholarships & funding angle

ACU advertises a Locked-In Tuition program that guarantees the same per-credit rate for the duration of the graduate degree. Prospective students should confirm current tuition and fees with the program office and explore university scholarships, employer tuition benefits and federal student-aid options as applicable.