Organizational Leadership

About the Major

The organizational leadership major equips students with leadership knowledge and skills needed to work in a wide spectrum of careers, including frontline supervision, human resources, project management, training and development, manufacturing/production, and human service organizations. The blended, hands-on curriculum provides the flexibility to prepare you for leadership roles no matter where you are in your career. The program incorporates group dynamics, global leadership perspectives, theory, and practice. Many organizational leadership courses are offered in a variety of formats to accommodate busy students and professionals.

Skills and abilities the major develops include: communication, leadership, human resource management, project management, analytical, and decision-making.

Engaged Learning Experiences

Regardless of your major or future career, engaged learning is vital to your present and future. It makes you more marketable for jobs and professional schools upon graduation, it enables you to build deeper connections with faculty and staff in your field of study, and it makes your learning personal by connecting your interests and values with the curriculum from your classes. Check out the three ideas below for places to get started, or learn more at IUPUI’s Institute for Engaged Learning website.

Student Organizations

ET has many student organizations, which are a great way to build your skills, network, and grow as a professional.

Professional Work Experience

Grow your skills through internships, co-op, or part-time jobs.

Study Abroad

ET has many program-specific study abroad opportunities--a great way to gain cultural competency and grow your skills.

Opportunities After Graduation

Employment of management occupations is projected to grow 8% from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as average for all occupations. Employment growth is expected to be driven by the formation and expansion of organizations, which should require more staff to manage these operations. High-growth fields include information technology, financial management, sales, human resources, industrial production, and health services managers.

This major requires specific concentrations, minors, and certificates from a variety fields to prepare students for employment in human resources, training, and supervisory roles. Job openings will be greater for those with skills in labor negotiations, international human resource management, logistics, and information technology.

The average starting salary reported by 2019 organizational leadership graduates was $55,920, and the median salary was $51,000. The median annual salary for management occupations nationally was $105,660 in May 2019, which was the highest salary of all the major occupational groups. Both starting and median salaries vary greatly based on industry area, skills, and years of experience.

(This section is intended for informational purposes, not prediction of actual salary.)

Organizational leadership graduates may pursue advanced degrees in areas such as: human resources management, business administration (MBA), or a variety of industry-specific areas.

Major Possibilities

Sample Coursework

Organizational behavior
Project management
Human resource management
Ethical decision in leadership
Global workforce leadership

Possible Careers

Quality control coordinator
Project management leader
Human resource generalist
Training and development specialist
General manager
Production supervisor

Where could I work?

Ascension Health
Covance
Cummins
Duke Energy
IET, Inc.
John Wiley & Sons
TriMedx

Complementing Interests

EEnterprising

RRealistic

SSocial

Get your interest code

Where to Get More Information

Purdue School of Engineering and Technology

ET 331; (317) 278-1313

American Management Association

Society for Human Resource Management

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Cluster

This major belongs to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) cluster. The STEM cluster is the academic home of University College students pursuing majors in the sciences, technology, engineering, informatics, and computing. The STEM cluster partners with students on their academic advising and career plans to guide them into their degree-granting schools.

Learn about the STEM cluster

Learn about other clusters

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