Welcome...

to organizational leadership degree completion program

Organizational change in the 21st century calls for leaders who are committed to serving others. The Eureka College Organizational Leadership program is our response to that call. Our program is designed to prepare students to assume management-focused leadership positions at organizations in both the public and private sectors. Through a dynamic curriculum that links theory with best practices, students are trained in the principles and skills of transformational
leadership - leadership that translates vision into change within the team-based management environments that characterize today's organizations. At the heart of the program is an interdisciplinary sequence of courses crafted to foster an understanding of individual and group behavior that is essential for effective leadership. This sequence is complemented by a practicum component, a unique experiential opportunity through which students are challenged to solve real-world leadership problems faced by their own organizations as well as those faced by area groups, institutions, and companies.

Program Goals

Knowledge

	- Leadership best practices
	- Behavioral dynamics of team-based organizations
	- Historical and contemporary theories of leadership
	- Management concepts and principles
	- Ethical dimensions of leadership

Skills

	- Articulation and promotion of organizational vision
	- Collaborative problem solving and consensus building
	- Critical and creative thinking
	- Team empowerment
	- Effective communication

Application

	- Servant leadership
	- Problem-based learning
	- Personal leadership philosophy

Program Format

The Organizational Leadership Program is offered as a cohort. A cohort is a group of individuals who have gathered together to participate in a common goal. You will start and complete this program as a member of a cohort (determined by your start date in the program). You will work with the same individuals throughout the duration of the program.

Each course for the Organizational Leadership cohort is offered in alternating, intensive weekends for approximately 20 months (or 5 semesters).

Due to the short duration, the courses have been put into an accelerated format, although individuals are only taking one course at a time. Courses are delivered during the weekends, from 5:30 to 9:30 pm on Fridays and 8 am to 5 pm on Saturdays. Snacks and meals are provided.

Careers with a Degree in Organizational Leadership

The following are just a few of the possible career options for those with a degree in Organizational Leadership. The possibilities are endless for those who know how to effectively lead and market your knowledge, skills and experience!

Human Resources	Corporate Recruiter
Career Planner	Staff Supervisor
Operations Manager	Independent Trainer
Sales Consultant	Business and Management
Staff Development	Organizational/Corporate Consulting
Corporate Trainer	Labor Relations
Non-Profit Management

Check out Eureka's Org Lead mention.

- Pantagraph article on EC Organizational Leadership Program -


John & Torri Ferguson Organizational Leadership Students

Get to know

EC - discovery at any age

Going back to college to complete a degree is typically seen as a challenging task, but John and Torri Ferguson have a great way to face the challenge—together. As members of the third cohort, John and Torri are the first married couple to join the Organizational Leadership Degree Completion Program at Eureka College.

Both John and Torri formerly studied at Eureka College, but their educational goals were put on hold when their lives became too busy as they started their family. Currently, along with raising their two teen-aged children, John works at State Farm Insurance, and Torri is a library aide at the middle school in Gibson City. John said, “I had always intended to finish my education and, as with many people, time slipped away and the responsibilities of raising our kids and providing for our family took precedence over finishing my degree.”

The program is specifically designed for working adults with the equivalent to an Associate’s Degree to obtain their Bachelor’s Degree in an accelerated format that meets every other weekend for approximately twenty months. The Organizational Leadership curriculum is intended to help students apply the knowledge they gain to enable them to become more effective employees and managers. Also, John stated, “The Organizational Leadership degree will increase my earning potential within my current organization, and while I am not currently looking to change organizations, it would certainly increase my value should I ever decide to change companies/careers.”

However, increased earning potential is not the only reason the Fergusons have rededicated themselves to education. “I want to set a good example for my children. This is what drives me the most. I want them to know how important it is to get a college education,” Torri said. Their family is very important to the Ferguson’s. At first they worried that they would not be able to manage full time jobs and all of their class work, while still upholding their commitments in their personal lives. As Torri said, “I think my biggest fear was balancing everything, and if I would remember how to write. My fears are resolved. By the time the first class was over, I knew I could do this.”

John and Torri depend on each other in order to reach their educational goals throughout the program. Together, they are able to find a encouragement and balance in their lives. John describes, “[O]ne of the best parts of being the first married couple to go through the program. We are able to help each other out and motivate each other to do well.”

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