Master of Arts in Leadership

Lead with Purpose: Innovation and ImpactIn an era marked by rapid change and complexity, the need for visionary, ethical leadership is more important than ever. The University of the Pacific’s new 1-year, accelerated Master's program unites the power of organizational innovation with a deep commitment to social justice, preparing you to become a true agent of transformation in your community and beyond.Today, more than ever before, leaders are standing up and taking action for social impact and change within our communities, professional organizations, and nation. This program emphasizes the critical components of leadership that empower you to tackle today's challenges head-on.Project-Based LearningAt the heart of our program are rigorous, project-based courses taught by professional leaders and agents of change who are actively doing this work. You will engage in an immersive learning environment that promotes both professional and personal growth.Our program moves beyond traditional management to focus on Leading for Transformational Change. This means recognizing your professional responsibility to:Critically analyze and disrupt initiatives and systems that marginalize and oppress communities.Explore innovative strategies to champion positive social change and support deep organizational transformation.You will learn to develop and deploy cutting-edge strategies that not only support systemic organizational change but also foster a culture of collaboration, creativity, and resilience essential for leading transformation.Our new accelerated curriculum offers the same depth of knowledge and practical experiences over 1-year as our former 2-year program did. Each term, our scholars will take two, 8-week courses that build upon each other while taking one 16-week course designed to complement the other content.For example, LEAD 210, The Ethical Leader, runs for the first 8 weeks of our spring term, and then students apply that knowledge and experience as they move into the next 8 weeks in LEAD 252, Coaching for Organizational Contexts. At the same time, students are enrolled in LEAD 221, Facilitation of Projects and Initiatives, building an overall project during the term that aligns all content across all three courses. This unique course design supports seamless integration of knowledge and practice to changemaking leadership.