WARTBURG LAUNCHES MASTER OF ARTS IN LEADERSHIP DEGREE WITH FULL COHORT OF STUDENTS

WARTBURG COLLEGE MARKETING & COMMUNICATION

A total of 18 students and professionals from as far away as Oak Park, Calif., rounded out the inaugural class in Wartburg College’s new Master of Arts in leadership degree program.  

The online degree program was designed for working professionals and provides a deep foundation of problem-based learning about leadership from different perspectives. It builds on the college’s longstanding commitment to leadership education, which includes the Irving R. Burling Distinguished Professorship in Leadership and the college’s Institute for Leadership Education.  

“I have been thinking about going back to school to get my master’s degree in library science, but when I heard about this program from Wartburg, it seemed very appealing,” said Karla Harter, a library assistant in the Grinnell College Libraries. “A master’s degree in leadership will be much more versatile in how I can use it in my life.” 

Members of the cohort come from many different work sectors, including business, K-12 and higher education, agriculture, the military, public administration and faith communities. 

“We are excited about the variety of experiences and backgrounds the students within the inaugural cohort bring to the program. Already we have seen how the different perspectives students bring enrich the learning of all,” said Michael Gleason, director of Wartburg’s Institute for Leadership Education.  

All participants will be mentored and will receive a high level of faculty support as they progress through the program. Graduates will have the opportunity to enhance their leadership portfolios; implement (or further implement) a project within their business, organization or community; and demonstrate learning through a written product that integrates knowledge of the course.  

“This program felt like the next right step in my leadership journey. I am very excited to not only learn more, but also have the opportunity to actively practice leadership through the applied project,” said Sara Swanson, a loan processing supervisor from Glenwood, Minn.  

The program includes two brief online intensive experiences at the start and end of the first year of the two-year program. The Master of Arts can be applied to any field and is designed to help individuals explore how they are called to lead and navigate personal leadership challenges. To learn more about Wartburg’s Master of Arts in leadership, visit www.wartburg.edu/leadership-masters.