Organizational Leadership

Discover your strengths and develop your skills in leading organizations that make a positive impact on society.

Turn your love for organizational leadership into a meaningful career, by taking what you already know from real-world experience and applying it through our Organizational Leadership program. We give you the tools to help you land a career you love, so you can get busy making a difference in your community.

Our Organizational Leadership program is the perfect fit for students wanting to pursue their love of nonprofit, public and private leadership and evolve it into a meaningful career. Students will gain real-world experience from a hands-on curriculum and will have an opportunity to intern nationwide as well as globally.

students in a classroom

The Organizational Leadership major provides the skills and knowledge for business students to become leaders in the nonprofit, public or private sectors. It will also provide training for members of youth organizations to shape future leaders in youth organizations. In today’s fast-paced worlds, many students and young professionals strive to make a difference in their communities and around the world.

Drawing on the diverse background of faculty, staff and community partners, students will explore the ethical dimensions of leadership and learn business acumen and executive leadership skills. The program will introduce students to effective methods to handle conflict and negotiations and how to foster and lead organizational change. The future leaders will also put their knowledge into action inside and outside of the classroom through hands-on, experiential learning activities and projects.

The Three ORGL Pillars

Strategy: Leaders see the big picture and how to move the pieces to get there. With strong business acumen, be ready to lead non-profit, public and private organizations. Engage in conversation about leadership theories, organizational change, ethical leadership, youth leadership, and conflict management.

Strengths: Explore organizational behavior and teams. Become a Self Leader and identify your personal talents to develop them into strengths. Practice recognizing strengths in others and how to lead them effectively.

Service Impact: This is business with a heart. Dive into nonprofit leadership. Understand the importance of corporate social responsibility. Learn about board development and interact with our outstanding advisory council members.

Careers

Wondering what you can do with a degree from WVU's Organizational Leadership major? Check out these ideas from WVU Career Services and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). A median salary is the midpoint of what people typically earn—half of those surveyed earned above the median salary, and half earned below.

Bright Outlook
Green Occupation
Requires a Graduate Degree

Chief Executives
$189,520 Median Salary

Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.
Possible job titles for this career include: Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
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Fundraisers
$61,190 Median Salary

Organize activities to raise funds or otherwise solicit and gather monetary donations or other gifts for an organization. May design and produce promotional materials. May also raise awareness of the organization's work, goals, and financial needs.
Possible job titles for this career include: Development Director.
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General and Operations Managers
$98,100 Median Salary

Plan, direct or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing or administrative services.
Possible job titles for this career include: General Manager (GM).
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Social and Community Service Managers
$74,240 Median Salary

Plan, direct or coordinate the activities of a social service program or community outreach organization. Oversee the program or organization's budget and policies regarding participant involvement, program requirements and benefits. Work may involve directing social workers, counselors or probation officers.
Possible job titles for this career include: Program Director.
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This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.