Penn State Launches Master’s in Corporate Leadership

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State University has launched a new master’s program in strategic management and executive leadership, a program focused on developing corporate leaders.

The degree is being offered exclusively online through Penn State World Campus in parternship with the university’s Smeal College of Business.

“The world has changed so rapidly, and many principles of strategy and leadership have changed,” said Al Vicere, professor in the Smeal College of Business and the faculty director of the new degree program, in a release. “There is an increased demand for leaders who are skilled in strategic thinking and strategy development. Those skills require work experience, but they also require enhanced academic knowledge to formulate, articulate and implement strategy.”

The curriculum includes courses in global strategic management, strategic leadership, strategy implementation and organizational change, strategic leading and identity, ethical leadership, and power and influence. Students can also choose to concentrate on either negotiation and influence or corporate innovation and entrepreneurship.

Vicere said the master’s program has been designed for business professionals look for a specialized business degree.

“They aspire to increased levels of responsibility and are seeking to expand their perspective on leading an organization in a constantly changing and complex environment,” he said. “They want to enhance their ability to connect their organization with the outside world and set direction and strategy to ensure the organization is able to grow and remain successful both today and in the future.”

Penn State is considered one of the top universities for producing corporate leaders. Last year, LinkedIn reported the university graduated the second-most CEOs in the country. In 2016, Time magazine ranked Penn State in the top 10 of universities with the most alumni as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.

“Business leaders who want to advance their careers need the flexibility that an online master’s degree offers,” said Shubha Kashyap, director of academic affairs for Penn State World Campus. “This degree will allow them to learn while they continue leading their organizations, with opportunities to apply their skills for professional and educational advancement.”

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.