Master's in Organizational Leadership and Learning | GSEHD

Master Your Leadership Potential, Inspire Organizational Growth, and Cultivate Lifelong Learning

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, effective leadership goes beyond traditional management; it requires the ability to adapt, inspire, and foster continuous learning within your team and organization. Through the Master’s in Organizational Leadership and Learning program, you’ll prepare to direct individuals, teams, and organizations to maximize their development and performance, while inspiring their success.

Organizational learning focuses on the interrelationships among people, organizations, and learning, while utilizing systematic change processes. With a curriculum that blends leadership theory, rigorous research skills, and cutting-edge strategies, you’ll be well-equipped to inform effective decision-making that impacts leadership innovation.

As you gain hands-on practice in diverse aspects of leadership—often through a multi-level lens that explores a myriad of individual, group, organizational, societal, and global issues—you’ll cultivate the practical expertise to better understand organizational problems, develop effective solutions that will result in effective change, and lead their implementation.

Request Information

How to Apply

Upcoming Info Sessions

Scholar-Practitioner Faculty
Learn from faculty members who are active and experienced working professionals with real-world insights into leading organizations. All faculty members have a doctoral degree and are members of reputable industry associations.

Diverse Student Body
Engage in a collective learning environment shared by classmates with a broad range of professional backgrounds. Gain exposure to unique viewpoints and refine your critical analysis and communication skills with discussion forums and small group projects.

Accessible + Flexible
With courses available fully online or on the Foggy Bottom campus, you have access to all of the resources of our tier 1 research institution, wherever you are in the world.

Take advantage of our unique location in the heart of our nation’s capital, with access to research, internship, and employment opportunities with prestigious private and government organizations. The program offers hands-on practice in diverse aspects of leadership, expanding your understanding of how to lead in the midst of change and complexity.

GSEHD offers a multidisciplinary approach to learning. We challenge you to expand your understanding of leadership by examining it from the vantage point of several disciplines. This approach often facilitates creative, results-oriented breakthroughs.

Program at a Glance

Master of Arts in Education and Human Development in the Field of Organizational Leadership and Learning

Human and Organizational Learning

-Online
(Synchronous/Asynchronous*)

-Foggy Bottom Campus

-Summer, Fall (Online)

-Fall (Main Campus)

Our Mission

The goal of the program is to develop ethical, responsible, and humanistic leaders with strong ‘learning’ orientation, capability to effectively lead change, and capacity to continuously develop themselves and others in their organizations and environments.

*Course Delivery

Online courses are a blend of synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Classes meet synchronously 3-6 times throughout the semester in the evenings, Monday - Thursday. Specific schedules are shared in advance of the semester.

Curriculum

The following requirements must be fulfilled: 30 credits, including 21 credits in required courses and 9 credits in elective courses.

Code	Title
Required
HOL 6700	Human Behavior and Learning in Organizations
HOL 6701	Adult Learning
HOL 6702	Organizational Change
HOL 6704	Leadership in Organizations
HOL 6709	Leadership Development
HOL 6721	Assessing the Impact of Organizational Change Using Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
HOL 6746	Work Groups and Teams in Organizations
Electives
9 credits in elective courses, selected in consultation with advisor

Download the 2024 Course Plan >

Program Outcomes

Students will learn topics such as the foundations of human behavior, adult learning principles, group dynamics, research methods, diversity within organizations, organizational change, strategic change, leadership development, impact of globalization on societies and organizations, and assessing the impact of change efforts.

Graduates of this organizational leadership and learning degree benefit from its unique focus on leadership, as well as a strong understanding of how to lead in a competitive marketplace. This interdisciplinary program also allows you to tailor learning to deliver specific skills, including:

An understanding of organizational problems and innovative strategies to solve them
Practical methods for leading effective group processes, adult learning, organizational diagnosis and change
Effective use of critical thinking and reflection in problem solving
Enabling social responsibility and authenticity in your leadership strategy and your organization

Apply Now

GSEHD’s Office of Admissions invites you to apply for a spot in our program. Please review the following admission and financial information.

Ready to take the next step in your career? Review our step-by-step guide to applying to GSEHD >

To learn more about the program, admission process, and upcoming events, please connect with the GSEHD Admissions Team at askhol@gwu.edu or 202-994-9283.

Apply Now

Schedule Consultation with Admissions Counselor

To be considered for admission, applicants must submit the online application form as well as the following required supporting documents. There is no application fee.

Prerequisite: Bachelor's Degree
Resume
Transcripts from all previously attended colleges or universities
Statement of Purpose
Two Letters of Recommendation

*Additional application requirements may exist for international applicants.

View more details about requirements

Applications are now being accepted for Summer and Fall 2025. We encourage you to apply as early as possible.

Application Timeline	Summer (Online)	Fall (Online/On-Campus)
Priority Deadline	Nov 1	Nov 1
Round 1 Deadline	Dec 15	Dec 15
Round 2 Deadline	Jan 15	Jan 15
Round 3 Deadline	March 1	March 1
Round 4 Deadline	May 1	May 1
Round 5 Deadline	N/A	June 15
Round 6 Deadline	N/A	Aug 1

For more information or to inquire about the next admissions cycle, contact the GSEHD Admissions Team at askhol@gwu.edu or 202-994-9283.

Tuition & Financial Aid

We know embarking upon graduate school is a big decision - due in part to the costs of attending. At GW, we understand the time and thought behind making graduate school work for you. Please take a moment to learn more about the options and opportunities available to help fund your graduate education.

Learn more about scholarships, grants & financial aid

Graduate tuition is charged per credit hour, unless otherwise noted. Rates vary by program and location.

The tuition rate* for the on-campus Master's in OLL program is $1,905 per credit hour.

This program requires 30 credits.

Please note: Additional fees may apply for international students, late fees, etc. Current tuition rates may be updated during the year.

*Summer 2024, Fall 2024 and Spring 2025

View the current fee chart

Scholarships are available to eligible admitted students. Review eligibility requirements and learn more about funding your education >

Graduate tuition is charged per credit hour, unless otherwise noted. Rates vary by program and location.

The tuition rate* for the online Master's in OLL program is $1,230 per credit hour.

This program requires 30 credits.

Please note: Additional fees may apply for international students, late fees, etc. Current tuition rates may be updated during the year.

*Summer 2024, Fall 2024 and Spring 2025

View the current fee chart

Scholarships are available to eligible admitted students. Review eligibility requirements and learn more about funding your education >

I come from the law enforcement and military communities, but after entering the GSEHD program I have been exposed to other leadership styles from not only different communities, but different walks of life and corners of the world. I've learned from the faculty and the student community that there's a lot more to leadership.

Kevin Jelani
Master’s in Organizational Leadership & Learning

Career Outlook

Our degree in Organizational Leadership and Learning builds your skills in leadership, group processes, adult learning, organizational diagnosis, and consulting strategies to help you enter or advance your career in organizations in different sectors and become a leading practitioner who is highly sought after in organizations all around the world.

These roles include some of the most dynamic positions in business today. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Services reports that training and development managers earned a median annual salary of $111,340 in 2018, with jobs in the field expected to grow 8% by 2028¹. Management analysts had a 2012 median pay of $83,610 per year, with job opportunities expected by grow 14% by 2028². Lastly, general and operation managers earn a median salary of 104,980, with job opportunities expected to grow 6%³.

Learn more in our guide: What Can You Do With an Organizational Leadership and Learning Degree?

¹ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2018-19 Edition, on the Internet at bls.gov/ooh/management/training-and-development-managers.htm
² Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2018-19 Edition, on the Internet at bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/management-analysts.htm
³ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2018-19 Edition, on the Internet at bls.gov/ooh/management/top-executives.htm

OLL Career Opportunities