MBA in Leadership

Liberty University’s online Master of Business Administration in Leadership is designed to cultivate business executives through challenging coursework. It uniquely integrates servant leadership principles with biblical teachings, viewing Christ as a model of leadership. This approach emphasizes shared power, employee engagement, and individual growth, not just output. Students explore leadership theory, focusing on building trust, communicating vision, and driving organizational change. The program also provides essential training in strategic marketing, legal aspects, financial management, and business research methods, preparing leaders to enhance productivity and quality of work life.

Highlights:

• Servant Leadership Focus: Integrates biblical principles and servant leadership theory for ethical organizational change.
• Industry-Relevant Curriculum: Taught by experienced business professionals, ensuring practical, applicable skills for real-world challenges.
• Flexible Online Pacing: Offers 100% online coursework with multiple start dates and no set login times, designed for working professionals.

Quick Facts:

Why It Made Our List: This program stands out for its strong values-based leadership curriculum and flexible online format, making it ideal for professionals seeking ethical advancement.

Colorado Christian University’s online MBA in Leadership is tailored for adults aspiring to senior management, entrepreneurship, or ministry leadership roles. This program’s principles are broadly applicable across for-profit, nonprofit, military, and law enforcement sectors. Attracting diverse professionals, it offers unique peer learning opportunities, grounding future leaders in Christian ethics and preparing them to lead effectively in any organizational context.

Highlights:

• Christian Ethics Foundation: Emphasizes leadership principles grounded in a strong Christian ethical framework.
• Industry-Diverse Peer Learning: Attracts skilled professionals from varied sectors, enriching the learning experience through peer interaction.
• Flexible, Accelerated Pacing: Designed for busy adults, with courses delivered in convenient five-week and seven-week blocks, allowing completion in as little as 18 months.

Quick Facts:

Why It Made Our List: This program excels with its unique integration of ethical, values-aligned leadership principles from a Christian worldview, fostering servant leaders.

The University of Houston-Downtown’s Leadership MBA is highly industry-driven, with direct input from high-level corporate executives shaping its curriculum. This program is ideal for professionals in early leadership roles or those seeking to refresh their management skills. It thoroughly explores various leadership dimensions, providing students with opportunities to apply these in their daily work. The goal is to cultivate well-rounded leaders who can refine their styles, ultimately driving sustained competitive advantage for their organizations and broader communities.

Highlights:

• Industry-Driven Curriculum: Developed with direct input from high-level corporate executives, ensuring career relevance.
• Practical Skill Development: Provides opportunities to practice leadership skills in daily work, transforming organizational roles.
• Refined Leadership Styles: Focuses on developing well-rounded leaders who can refine personal styles for effectiveness in organizations and communities.

Quick Facts:

Why It Made Our List: This program stands out for its highly industry-driven curriculum, directly shaped by corporate leaders, ensuring graduates gain immediately applicable leadership skills for a sustained competitive advantage.

Drexel University’s MBA with a Leadership concentration focuses on developing effective leaders beyond mere delegation. The program explores various leadership dimensions, including team dynamics, remote management, and empowerment. It’s designed for both new and experienced leaders seeking to refresh or enhance their skills, with an emphasis on the immediate application of classroom learning to the workplace. Key topics include virtual team leadership, negotiations, sustainability, and ethics. This concentration is offered in person, providing a comprehensive and practical approach to mastering contemporary leadership methods.

Highlights:

• Comprehensive Leadership Focus: Explores myriad dimensions of leadership, including virtual team management and empowering subordinates.
• Immediate Practical Application: Designed for students to apply classroom learning directly to their work for immediate impact.
• Flexible Hybrid/In-Person Options: Offers adaptable full-time (12-18 months) and part-time hybrid formats for convenience.

Quick Facts:

Why It Made Our List: The program is distinguished by its practical, in-depth exploration of contemporary leadership challenges and its flexible, accelerated options, which allow for the immediate application of learned skills in diverse organizational settings.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s MBA@UNC, a top-ranked online program, prepares high achievers for senior leadership roles. Its Management and Leadership concentration uniquely expands abilities in team effectiveness, change management, and strategic decision-making. Through tailored coursework and experiential learning, students develop the skills and confidence to lead effectively across various industries. Additionally, the Leadership Academy certificate can be earned concurrently, further enhancing professional credentials while contributing to MBA degree requirements. This flexible program emphasizes practical application and empowers leaders for new challenges.

Highlights:

• Experiential Learning Approach: Prepares students for senior-level roles through curated coursework and hands-on practice in leadership skills.
• Integrated Leadership Academy: Offers an additional Leadership Academy certificate that counts towards MBA requirements, enhancing professional credentials.
• Flexible Online Customization: Provides a highly customizable online curriculum, allowing students to tailor their learning to specific professional goals without disrupting their careers.

Quick Facts:

Why It Made Our List: This program made our list because it’s a top-ranked online offering, renowned for its flexible, experiential approach to leadership development and the unique opportunity to earn an integrated Leadership Academy certificate.

Concordia University Wisconsin’s MBA in Leadership uniquely blends theoretical understanding with practical application, preparing graduates for dynamic business environments. The program emphasizes self-discovery as a leader, effective team guidance, and organizational leadership, thereby ensuring a well-rounded skill set. Students develop both qualitative and quantitative analytical abilities, alongside crucial “soft skills” for impactful leadership. Grounded in an ethical foundation, the curriculum also enhances communication and creative problem-solving. This flexible program is offered on campus, at off-site locations, and online, making advanced leadership education accessible.

Highlights:

• Integrated Theory & Practice: Combines academic leadership theory with practical techniques for immediate organizational application.
• Ethical & Self-Discovery Focus: Grounds students in an ethical foundation while guiding them to discover and refine their personal leadership strengths.
• Flexible Learning Options: Offered online, at main campus, and off-site locations, catering to diverse student needs and schedules.

Quick Facts:

Why It Made Our List: This program made our list because of its unique blend of theoretical and practical leadership development, strong ethical grounding, emphasis on self-discovery, and highly flexible delivery formats.

St. Cloud State University’s AACSB-accredited online MBA, with a concentration in Management and Leadership, delves into effective leadership dynamics, exploring power, influence, and leader-follower interactions. The program enhances persuasive communication and examines business ethics from global and cyber perspectives, alongside essential business fundamentals. Students benefit from experiential learning, as it allows them to apply concepts to real-world scenarios. With supportive faculty and a curriculum grounded in ethics and sustainability, graduates are well-prepared for executive roles, including those of CEO or Director of Operations. 

Highlights:

• AACSB Accreditation & Ethical Focus: Fully accredited online program emphasizing principled leadership, business ethics, and integrity from global and cyber perspectives.
• Personalized Coaching Connections: Offers unique access to a career coach for personalized development plans, resources, and work-life balance support.
• Experiential Learning & Real-World Impact: Integrates hands-on learning opportunities to apply concepts and grow career-relevant skills.

Quick Facts:

Why It Made Our List: This program made our list because it combines a respected AACSB accreditation with an accelerated, fully online format, a strong emphasis on principled leadership, and exceptional personalized career coaching for robust professional development.

Oral Roberts University’s online Master of Business Administration in Leadership program prepares graduates to be effective managers and exemplary leaders. The program uniquely integrates a biblical worldview and “Whole Person Education,” equipping students with Spirit-empowered approaches to inspire others and positively shape organizational outcomes. Beyond core business skills, it emphasizes a distinct application of leadership, ensuring professionals are set apart as skilled practitioners in management, finance, marketing, and strategic decision-making.

Highlights:

• Spirit-Empowered Education: Uniquely integrates a biblical worldview and “Whole Person Education” (mind, body, spirit) into leadership development.
• Global Impact Focus: Aims to equip leaders to make a significant difference in a complex and global business environment.
• Flexible 100% Online Format: Designed for working professionals, offering complete online accessibility.

Quick Facts:

Why It Made Our List: This program made our list because of its distinctive integration of a Spirit-empowered, biblically-based “Whole Person Education” philosophy with a comprehensive leadership curriculum, preparing graduates to lead with integrity and purpose globally.

Lamar University’s online MBA in Leadership cultivates advanced skills highly sought by employers, including expert communication, strategic decision-making, and effective problem-solving. Taught by industry-experienced faculty, the curriculum explores ethical leadership and emphasizes building high-trust cultures, fostering meaningful relationships, and enhancing productivity. Utilizing practical frameworks like FranklinCovey’s “The 4 Disciplines of Execution,” students learn to drive goal achievement and unleash human potential within diverse organizations, preparing them for top executive and management roles.

Highlights:

• FranklinCovey Integration: Incorporates “The 4 Disciplines of Execution” to teach practical goal achievement and productivity strategies.
• Advanced Skillset Development: Focuses on building high-demand skills like communication, negotiation, and problem-solving for dynamic leadership.
• Ethical & Relationship-Driven: Emphasizes the theory and practice of ethical leadership and fostering meaningful professional relationships.

Quick Facts:

Why It Made Our List: This program made our list because of its highly accelerated online format, practical application of renowned leadership frameworks like FranklinCovey, and its focus on developing immediately applicable skills for dynamic leadership roles.

James Madison University’s MBA in Leadership is designed for mid-level managers with five or more years of experience seeking advancement. This hybrid program, combining online and bimonthly in-person sessions, emphasizes “Leading Through Change.” Its curriculum develops ethical leadership, focusing on stakeholder management, crisis response, and global challenges. Students acquire essential hard and soft skills, further supported by personalized executive coaching, which prepares them for high-level executive positions.

Highlights:

• “Leading Through Change” Focus: Curriculum specifically designed to equip mid-level managers with skills for navigating dynamic and competitive business landscapes.
• Hybrid Format with Executive Coaching: Combines live virtual classes with bimonthly in-person residencies, complemented by personalized executive career coaching.
• Experiential Learning Emphasis: Strong focus on both in-class and hands-on activities to develop essential hard and soft leadership skills.

Quick Facts:

Why It Made Our List: This program earned its place due to its tailored “Leading Through Change” curriculum and robust hybrid format. The program’s emphasis on personalized executive coaching and practical, experiential learning offers significant value for managers seeking to advance into high-level leadership roles.