Concordia University Chicago

Concordia University Chicago provides a specialization in school business management with and without an Illinois Chief School Business Official (CSBO) Management endorsement. The information below is only for candidates who do not already have a graduate degree.

Learning Objectives

By pursuing a CSBO, you will gain a solid foundation in school business administration. You will acquire skills in budgeting, facilities management, human resources, public relations, and legal issues that are required to be a successful administrator. Included in the curriculum are six hours of clinical experience as required by the State of Illinois to be eligible for the CSBO endorsement.

Proficiency Exam Requirements for CSBO

In order to obtain a CSBO endorsement students will be required to show evidence that they have taken and passed both the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) and the CSBO content test #185.

Career Possibilities

• Chief financial officer
• Function specialists: transportation, facilities, accounting
• Human resource director
• Chief operations officer
• School administrator
• Superintendent

Why Pursue a Master's in Leadership?

Are you a big-picture or a detail-oriented person? The organizational landscape is one that is global, change-oriented, and fast-paced. Leaders need to be forward thinkers, innovators, sensitive, flexible, and able to adapt to the demands and expectations of stakeholders.

While an MBA will prepare you to manage, an MA in leadership will prepare you to lead. Organizations need leaders who understand that the top-down type of leadership must give way to an organic and fluid method of leading others. You will emerge with a confidence of knowing you can lead with strategic foresight.

The program’s central core focuses on leadership theory and offers specializations in knowledge management, health services, servant leadership, higher education leadership and organizational leadership. Concordia University Chicago leadership students become part of a global learning community of individuals, and graduate with the essential leadership toolkit containing communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, research and analysis, and people skills.

The higher education leadership curriculum encourages students to draw and build upon knowledge and experiences related to their professional work while also requiring students to develop strong research skills and a familiarity with evidence-based decision-making. While grounded in topics related to Higher Education systems in the United States, this emphasis also provides opportunities to explore the internationalization and globalization of higher education.

Concordia University Chicago's master of arts in leadership studies program is based on the conviction that leaders must learn to lead change so that services and deliverables are effectively, ethically and efficiently delivered to an increasingly diverse population in the context of a changing economy and rapidly developing technologies. The graduate program in leadership studies focuses on practitioner needs by linking theory to the best practices of leadership.

The leadership skills that students attain while pursuing a master’s in leadership are transferrable across all types of organizations—private, for profit, nonprofit and public. The Concordia-Chicago leadership curriculum was developed to prepare students to lead organizational change and innovation, while managing the challenges of continuous change and global competition.

Students who pursue their master’s in leadership may be working as or want to pursue careers as information officers, strategic planners, project managers, sales directors, military officers, hospital administrators and religious leaders. The Concordia-Chicago master of arts in leadership studies is designed for people with all types of backgrounds and interests, whether they work or want to work in the government, nonprofit, for-profit, health care, higher education, military, and human services at the local, regional, national or global level.
Core Qualities of a Leader

While salaries vary based on industry, experience and geographic location, the following qualities are essential leadership skills that are relevant and necessary for all organizations. The MA in leadership at Concordia University Chicago is the program where you can acquire or hone your leadership and managerial skills, with special emphasis on communication, problem-solving and decision-making.

Communication skills. Top executives must be able to communicate clearly and persuasively. They must effectively discuss issues and negotiate with others, direct subordinates, and explain their policies and decisions to those within and outside the organization.

Decision-making skills. Top executives need decision-making skills when setting policies and managing an organization. They must assess different options and choose the best course of action, often daily.

Leadership skills. Top executives must be able to lead a successful organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources.

Management skills. Top executives must organize and direct the operations of an organization. For example, they must manage business plans, employees and budgets.

Problem-solving skills. Top executives need problem-solving skills after identifying issues within an organization. They must be able to recognize shortcomings and effectively carry out solutions.

The future of marketing is undeniably digital. Today's rapidly advancing technologies are transforming the business landscape in a way that requires a shift in the marketing paradigm. Marketing budgets are increasingly shifting from traditional marketing and advertising to digital as mobile, social media and video spending continue to increase and change the face of the media market.

Learning Objectives

Concordia University Chicago's MBA specialization in digital marketing provides you with the strategic and analytical skills to guide organizations in a digital world that is overflowing with data on customers, products, and interactions. The four courses within this specialization are designed to help you understand digital marketing strategy and planning, mobile marketing and social media strategies as well as digital marketing analytics. Your organizations are demanding that you understand important and appropriate digital metrics and how to use them to analyze and improve digital marketing initiatives and marketing ROI. Graduates will successfully champion digital marketing campaigns while achieving their organization’s growth initiatives.

Specialization Outcomes

1. Synthesize concepts from various business disciplines to develop effective digital marketing strategies and strategic plans.
2. Develop a refined management and leadership framework to evaluate ethical issues in digital marketing and social media strategies.
3. Understand current developments in social media, the potential impact on marketing strategies, and selection of appropriate information technologies to develop business solutions and improve performance.
4. Integrate a global interconnectedness perspective into a business philosophy and practice.

Career Possibilities

• Digital Content Marketing Manager
  Director of Digital Marketing Strategy
  Digital Brand manager
  Digital Marketing Consultant
  VP of Global Digital Marketing Programs

If you are interested in advancing your career and obtaining a management position within a health care-related organization, an MBA specialization in health care management will help get you there. The health care industry continues to evolve and face challenges that are well suited for MBAs. You will be qualified to pursue health care management positions related to human resources, finance, information systems, and patient care.

Learning Objectives

This program addresses the unique attributes of health care organizations. Students are prepared to take on leadership roles and address specific managerial issues encountered in today’s health care economy. Students will develop critical thinking and fundamental business analysis skills. They will leave the program proficient at problem solving the operational and financial challenges that health care administrators face.

Specialization Outcomes

1. Understand and analyze accreditation, regulatory, licensure, and compliance issues as they relates specifically to the healthcare industry.
2. Apply and assess the economic supply and demand aspects of the healthcare service delivery model(s) and the impact on the organization and stakeholders.
3. Identify and evaluate the major causes of global healthcare delivery, financial, management and political challenges and develop strategies to improve the delivery of  healthcare policy and services.
4. Apply understanding of diversity, economic, ethical, and fiscal perspectives to healthcare management decision making aligned to healthcare reform initiatives and policy formation as it impacts the business and stakeholders.
5. Demonstrate proficiency in use of technology to make and evaluate data driven decisions.

Career Possibilities

• Hospital CEO, CFO
  Head of Quality Improvement
  Hospital Administrator
  Health Care Association Director
  Health Care Consultan

The value project management provides to executing successful business initiatives is broad and seemingly boundless, from meeting timeline and workload projections to efficiencies that lead to tighter budgets and better bottom lines. As companies across industries increasingly realize the value of project management, the field continues to see workforce development needs increase at an astronomical rate. According to the Project Management Institute, “through 2027, the project management-oriented labor force in seven project-oriented sectors is expected to grow by 33 percent, or nearly 22 million new jobs,” and “by 2027, employers will need nearly 88 million individuals in project management-oriented roles.”1 The online MBA with a Project Management Specialization from Concordia University Chicago prepares graduates to effectively fill this ever-growing need.

The doctoral program in leadership with a specialization in higher education is designed for higher education professionals who have the goal of becoming an established expert in higher education leadership, administration and education. Courses in the program focus on the policies, practices and issues facing both public and private post-secondary institutions. Students gain research skills that stem from evidence-based decision making, while simultaneously gaining an understanding of the complexities of higher education institutions. The program focuses on higher education systems in the U.S., but also analyzes the globalization of higher education.

The specialization in higher education is designed to enable students to:

• Understand the complexities of higher education and its organizational and business principles and practices.
  Apply and analyze learning solutions that support and drive higher education and student retention and success.
  Strategically support the various stakeholders with informed and judicious decisions.
  Identify and integrate leadership orientations that align with the institutional mission and vision statement.
  Exercise professional ethical behavior that supports the institutional mission and allocation of resources to support and achieve institutional objectives.

Learning Objectives

In addition to the overall objectives of the leadership department and its programs, students will acquire the following knowledge, skills and competencies in the leadership program’s specialization in higher education:

• Be cognizant of current and emerging trends in higher education and apply one’s knowledge of best practices in support of student retention and success.
  Appreciate the diverse leadership perspectives in higher education in areas of systems, organizational change, outcomes assessment and research models for engaging and promoting effective institutions.
  Integrate current theory and best institutional practices into one’s personal and professional performance to promote institutional health and sustainability.

The doctoral degree specialization in higher education prepares graduates for leadership positions in post-secondary, community college, college and university systems as well as state policy and administrative positions. In many instances, graduates will be represented in higher education faculty ranks, mid- and upper-level administrative positions and student support services. In addition, this specialization prepares graduates for consulting, training and development positions as well as state policy-development roles.

The doctoral program in leadership with a specialization in higher education is designed for higher education professionals who have the goal of becoming an established expert in higher education leadership, administration and education. Courses in the program focus on the policies, practices and issues facing both public and private post-secondary institutions. Students gain research skills that stem from evidence-based decision making, while simultaneously gaining an understanding of the complexities of higher education institutions. The program focuses on higher education systems in the U.S., but also analyzes the globalization of higher education.

The specialization in higher education is designed to enable students to:

    Understand the complexities of higher education and its organizational and business principles and practices.
    Apply and analyze learning solutions that support and drive higher education and student retention and success.
    Strategically support the various stakeholders with informed and judicious decisions.
    Identify and integrate leadership orientations that align with the institutional mission and vision statement.
    Exercise professional ethical behavior that supports the institutional mission and allocation of resources to support and achieve institutional     objectives.

Learning Objectives

In addition to the overall objectives of the leadership department and its programs, students will acquire the following knowledge, skills and competencies in the leadership program’s specialization in higher education:

Be cognizant of current and emerging trends in higher education and apply one’s knowledge of best practices in support of student retention and success.
Appreciate the diverse leadership perspectives in higher education in areas of systems, organizational change, outcomes assessment and research models for engaging and promoting effective institutions.
Integrate current theory and best institutional practices into one’s personal and professional performance to promote institutional health and sustainability.

The doctoral degree specialization in higher education prepares graduates for leadership positions in post-secondary, community college, college and university systems as well as state policy and administrative positions. In many instances, graduates will be represented in higher education faculty ranks, mid- and upper-level administrative positions and student support services. In addition, this specialization prepares graduates for consulting, training and development positions as well as state policy-development roles.