The Strategic Leadership degree offers three emphasis areas for our students, each with a distinct purpose. Students in this program will learn to be better leaders and learn how to better adapt to their current or future roles in their organization. This program provides students who are new to leadership or who have been in a management position for an extended period.
Our aim is to take traditional learning off the table and give students a chance to engage in meaningful discussions, participate in applicable projects and come away with a new ideas and tools, and leverage these in the workplace.
With NAU's Strategic Leadership degree, you will build the necessary skills to pursue leadership roles within your organization. Unlike most traditional organizational leadership programs, our degree was designed with the end user in mind. Our program is rooted in best practices from the world's most admired companies, with books and case studies written by the most respected leaders and mentors in business.
What Can I Do with a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Leadership?
To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the general studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University Requirements:
Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 120 |
| Major GPA | C |
| Highest Mathematics Required | MAT 114 |
| University Honors Program | Optional |
| Some online/blended coursework | Required |
| Progression Plan Link | Not Available |
| Emphasis or Coursework Required | An emphasis or coursework is required for this degree. |
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this program is not simply to develop leaders who are in touch and effective in working with people, but also to provide the tools to make them the most effective in promoting the organization's vision and mission. This program equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to lead organizations effectively in various sectors, emphasizing strategic thinking, industrial leadership, and cultural transformation.
Strategic Leadership Emphasis
The Strategic Leadership program is designed for individuals who are focused on improving their mindset and who aim to be skilled and knowledgeable in the art and practice of setting or supporting the company vision, purpose, and strategy; establishing the culture; and organizing the assets and resources to intentionally carry out the objectives at all levels within the organization. Students graduating from this program will learn to improve the performance of an organization to help achieve its goals and strategies, both systematically and empirically.
This emphasis area will prepare students for jobs in fields related to supervision and management in a wide variety of applications in the public and private sectors. This can include government and non-profit organizations; small and privately owned businesses; consulting and financial firms; hospitality/service and manufacturing; and other related businesses. The goals of the SL program include creating well-minded individuals who understand how to implement effective practices of management and leadership that effectively bring about cultural change in an organization.
Industrial Leadership Emphasis
The purpose of the Industrial Leadership emphasis is to provide quality education in leadership within the industrial technology industries, general business, and liberal studies. The program emphasizes written, verbal, and virtual communication skills, creative problem-solving, teamwork, and ethical leadership. Students will study the field of supervision and foremanship in industrial workplaces in addition to leadership strategies for the fourth industrial revolution. Courses emphasize pragmatic, real-world-relevant content for the industrial workplace and utilize realistic experiential assignments and case studies. The senior capstone is a culmination of the skills gained in the coursework and applied in an industrial workplace setting as a consulting project with a local industrial employer. Upon completing the Industrial Leadership degree, students will be prepared to fill leadership roles within industrial organizations to solve problems and meet those organization's objectives.
Transformational Leadership and Culture Emphasis
The purpose of the Transformational Leadership and Culture emphasis is self-reflection and learning to be a positive force for change in your organization. Time and time again, we are faced with the realities of leading people, and our common goal should be ensuring that everyone in the organization is nurtured for success. To do this, we need to look within ourselves and identify what might be holding us back from creating those quality relationships. We are not simply managing processes, but leading people. To promote success in our lives and our organization, we need to unleash our inner spirit and create opportunities for achievement. At the end of the day, we need to ask ourselves if we are willing to put forth the effort for purposeful leadership and the overall success of our people and the organization.
Student Learning Outcomes
Overall Outcomes
Strategic Leadership Emphasis
Industrial Leadership Emphasis
Transformational Leadership and Culture Emphasis
This major requires 30 units distributed as follows:
Take the following 30 units:
The following coursework must be complete with a Grade of 'C' or better.
Strategic Leadership Core (12 units)
Students enrolled in this plan may not enroll in or pursue the following:
If you have completed the Transformational Leadership and Culture, Undergraduate Certificate prior to enrolling in this plan, the Certificate coursework may be applied to this plan.
Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.
You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or General Studies Requirements.
We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.
Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.