Benefits of an Online Master’s in Organizational Leadership for Working Professionals

Do you picture yourself occupying a spacious corner office at a Fortune 500 company? Earning your master's degree in organizational leadership could put you on an accelerated path to your dreams. Organizational leadership jobs are in high demand today because they help you become a talented manager of people. As the head of human resources or talent development manager at your company, you'll be largely responsible for helping individual employees make the best use of their specific talents.

Let’s Talk About the “Why” Behind a Master's in Organizational Leadership

Why earn your online Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (MSOL)? If you're interested in climbing the corporate career ladder, this degree will help you advance several rungs. It's a people-oriented degree, meaning it focuses more on the human aspect of management than analysis. While a Master of Business Administration (MBA) will teach you more about budgeting, finance, and accounting, your MSOL will help you motivate your workforce and show you how to better develop their individual talents.

In today's world, where recruiting and retaining quality people is key, a master's in organizational leadership is a valuable asset. This degree will help you become a better communicator, a more effective leader, and a savvy team builder, giving you the skills to make employees feel more valued and more comfortable in the workplace. This is essential because many people who leave their jobs do so because they feel disrespected at work or see little-to-no opportunities for promotion. In fact, according to the PEW Research Center, these grievances topped the list of why people quit their jobs in 2021, preceded only by low pay.

Every organization wants to retain and develop top talent, so earning this degree is a solid career move. It gives you the skills 21st-century companies are actively searching for, and its focus on people as opposed to departments makes it applicable to any industry. For example, you might find yourself working at a large corporation, for a local nonprofit, or as part of a community-wide improvement project that brings together artisans from various industries. As the organizational leader, it will be your job to interact with the workforce, helping them refine the skills they have or helping them master new skills that make them more valuable employees.

Online Vs. Campus

Have you decided to pursue your Master of Science in Organizational Leadership? The question remains of how you plan to earn it. Will you study online or in person? Both online and on-campus attendance have their benefits. However, the online option is often best for nontraditional students. These are students who may be returning to college after a hiatus. It's often a popular choice for those with families or full-time jobs that occupy a lot of their time because it offers more flexibility than on-campus instruction. Lectures are often asynchronous, meaning they've been pre-recorded for convenience. You can watch them after work or after dropping the kids off at school.

But there are other benefits to earning an online master's in organizational leadership:

• Reduced travel time and costs
• Tuition is often lower
• Ability to work around other responsibilities
• Opportunity to polish time-management skills
• More free time to pursue hobbies and interests

If you'd like to earn a degree that will advance your career in business without disrupting your life in the process, an online MSOL is a solid choice.

Your Dream Job is Only a Master's Away

What, exactly, defines a dream job? Is it a job that pays well? Does it offer tons of vacation days? Does it provide great health and dental benefits? These are all important perks to have. Surprisingly, though, they may not be quite as important as you think. Many of today's employees are happiest when they feel their company's values align with their own, when they feel the work they're doing is important and valuable, and when they feel as though they're permitted to perform to the best of their abilities. They also enjoy the feeling that comes from knowing their work is helping others.

Forbes found that roughly 90 percent of America's workers aren't currently engaged in working their "dream jobs." This is a sad statistic because something so simple as earning a degree could change that. Imagine the difference between reporting each day to a job you dislike and arriving at work eager and excited to begin your shift. This is the difference your online master's in organizational leadership can make. While it is an additional investment in time and money, it's also an investment in your own happiness and satisfaction. And many students who've earned their BSOL have gone on to jobs where they feel well-rewarded and fulfilled.

Potential and Growth to be Recognized

So, is it worth investing an additional 18 to 24 months toward earning your master's degree? Statistics say yes. In fact, it's worth more than a million dollars over the course of a lifetime, according to the Social Security Administration. You'll put more effort into it, but the benefits you'll reap are for life. 

More than just money is at stake. Having a master's degree makes you a more marketable job applicant, and it may help you get your foot in the door in a mid-level position, as opposed to entry-level. Your initial pay may be higher, and you may have more freedom to make decisions. When your master's degree is in organizational leadership, you'll have a real impact on your company and its people.

But what if you don't see yourself in the role of corporate leadership? What if your dream job focuses on becoming a successful entrepreneur? What if you want to own and operate a small business and make a lucrative and rewarding career out of being your own boss? Earning your online MSOL will be hugely beneficial to you in this scenario as well. It will help you recruit and retain the best employees, communicate your requirements in ways that are instructive and not demeaning, build a loyal and productive team, and coach them to victory. Along the way, it will help you better manage and organize every aspect of your small business, from logistics to operations.

Your Master's in Organizational Leadership Will Allow You to Dream

Organizational leadership jobs are rewarding because they help you build on what you learned in school. You'll have the opportunity to practice your skills in communication, learn to be a more effective leader, gain a better understanding of the psychology of why people do what they do, and help others overcome the obstacles in their paths. Essentially, a master's in organizational leadership is a helping degree. It helps you advance your own career and happiness while helping others become their best selves, too.

When you're ready to learn more about the many advantages of earning an online master's in organizational leadership, we invite you to explore University of the Cumberlands. Our Online Master of Science in Organizational Leadership will prepare you to succeed in a range of industries, from the corporate world to the world of small and medium business. And at University of the Cumberlands, our mission is to make education accessible to everyone, regardless of their current life situation. Through our online programs, we offer a flexible routine that's designed to integrate seamlessly with other work and home responsibilities.

Fill out our online form to request more information, or call our admissions office today to enroll in our Online Master of Science in Organizational Leadership. It's a great first step in building a career you will love.