Degree Overview and Curriculum

In the international business environment, leadership requires a different set of competencies than in a purely domestic setting. How one meets the challenges of business leadership across cultural and geographic boundaries is increasingly important in determining successful outcomes in today’s global market.

The Master of Science in Global Leadership program is an interdisciplinary degree that examines the challenges of leadership, ethics and business in the fast-paced international marketplace. Since its establishment in 1999, the MSGL program has graduated more than 400 leaders from all walks of life, including government, military and business professionals. Developed to meet the needs of working professionals, the MSGL program offers a high level of flexibility, most notably in the integration of online and traditional classroom learning.

The MSGL program is comprised of a 16-month, 31-unit curriculum that focuses on developing leadership skills tailored to global business. The program emphasizes the importance of cultural sensitivity in the political and economic arenas and includes a two-course Certificate in Project Management. Graduates of the MSGL program are equipped with the technical business and leadership skills, and the fundamentals of applied ethics required for success in today’s evolving global marketplace.

Educational Objectives

• A comprehensive understanding of fundamental business themes including global business practices, foreign trade, and governmental policies related to conducting business in the private and public sectors throughout the world.
• Development of conceptual understanding and practical skills necessary for successful leadership within a wide variety of organizations, to include studying group dynamics, negotiations in a multi-cultural environment, team building, project management, business analysis, and effective oral and written communication for a business environment.
• Exposure to cultural perspectives on ethics and leadership processes necessary to guide organizations in dealing with periods of high tempo operations in the international arena.
• Development of an enthusiasm for life-long learning by fostering cohort bonding and group exercises that focus on interpersonal learning skills.
  

Requirements for the MSGL Degree

The MSGL program allows participants the opportunity to work toward their degrees without interruption to their full-time career responsibilities. The 31-unit curriculum is designed to offer the greatest possible flexibility through logical sequencing of specific courses.

Upon entering the program, participants begin with a month of online work in preparation for an intensive one-week session at the University of San Diego campus. During the next several months, participants regularly complete online assignments and resident students attend monthly Friday and Saturday classroom sessions to continue collaborative learning within their cohort. Participants then gather for one final week at the University of San Diego, culminating in a capstone exercise and graduation from the program.

Students residing outside the San Diego area who are unable to attend monthly weekend class sessions may complete all course work between the first and last weeks via distance learning means.

MSGL Graduate Qualities

• Increased understanding of the foundation of leadership theory and its application in global business
• Broadened understanding of the basis of ethical thought and ability to apply theory to resolve ethical dilemmas
• Improved competency in the fundamental processes of managing people and business in a global context, including managing cross-cultural differences
• Ability to apply the fundamentals of project management and project leadership in international business
• Expanded skills in written and oral communication, including the use of online tools and technology to collaborate and achieve goals in a virtual team

MSGL Curriculum

The course titles and credit hours for courses that are part of the MSGL program are listed below.

Leadership in the Global Environment

MSGL 502 Virtue Ethics and the Good Society (2)
This course examines ethical principles and theories, ethical decision-making techniques, and obstacles to ethical behaviors. Practical comprehension, empathic reasoning, and applications to military, government, business and international agencies are emphasized. Topics include traditional ethical theories, popular ethics tests, relativism, values, character development, stakeholder theory, and psychological aspects of moral development and impediments to ethical behavior such as rationalizations. Teaching methods include lecture, case studies, discussions, and debate.

MSGL 503 International Comparative Leadership & Management (2)
This course will prepare participants to recognize the differences in cultural value systems and behaviors in the global environment, and how they affect leadership. Practical suggestions on how to succeed as a manager in foreign cultures and as a manager of foreign nationals will be examined. The course compares and contrasts the styles and effectiveness of leadership practices of contemporary and historical leaders. Teaching methods will include lecture, discussion, group exercises, and case study.

MSGL 506 Leading Others: Individuals, Teams & Organizations (3)
This course explores multiple leadership models and examines their applicability to diverse global situations. It also trains participants in essential skills for leading individuals, teams and organizations. Topics include power and influence, transactional versus transformational leadership, emotional intelligence, leadership styles, situational contingencies, team facilitation, process analysis and strategic planning. Teaching methods include self-assessment, lecture/discussion, team projects, film analysis, role-plays, process observation, case analysis and experiential exercises.

MSGL 507 Understanding Organizations (3)
This course develops an understanding of fundamental organizational concepts to include basic organization theory, structures of organizations, the learning organization and organizational change techniques. The course begins by establishing knowledge of basic definitions and structures, moves to build an understanding of organizational cultures and concludes by discussing strategies for change—building more effective organizations. Teaching methods include lecture, discussion, exercises, team assignments and various audio and video sources.

MSGL 509 Integrating Leadership Project (1)
This course is the capstone of the global leadership program. Each master’s candidate will participate in an international business simulation that will model the challenges and behaviors of a realistic corporation involved in the global arena. The simulation will serve to exercise skills and knowledge gained during the completion of the entire curriculum, integrate the essence of all courses and serve as a realistic bridge between academic study and practical experience.

Comparative Geo-Political World Tour

MSGL 510 Global Society (2)
This course will focus on the historical, cultural, ethical, leadership and religious traditions of the major countries within each region. Topics include rituals, value systems, interpersonal interactions, customs, attitudes, social organizations, etiquette, protocols, and gender relations. Teaching methods include lecture, case studies, and discussion.

MSGL 512 Global Politics, Policy and Law (2)
This course examines the complex array of politics, ethics and law in the global environment, the influence of culture on ethics and law, international organizations, and methods for resolving international disputes. Topics include national security issues, international law and policy making, labor and employment issues, strategic alliances, human rights, state sovereignty, intellectual property rights, and aspects of foreign commercial and investment activities. Teaching methods include lecture, case studies, discussion and debate.

MSGL 526 International Negotiations (2)
This course examines the science and art of negotiation. The science will be learned largely through readings and discussions of the readings. The art will be learned through experience gained in simulated negotiations. These negotiations normally are set in a foreign country, exposing the participants to nuances of different cultures. Teaching methods will include lecture, discussion, group exercises, and case study.

Business Processes & Techniques in the Global Market

MSGL 513 Understanding International Business (3)
This course develops an understanding of the global environment in which international business takes place as well as the role and behavior of the international firm as it responds to the environment. The course provides the knowledge, skills and sensitivities that help manage business operations more proactively in the turbulent international environment. Through cases and discussions within a social and ethical framework in the international marketplace, aspects of production, research, marketing and finance along with their interrelationships are studied.

MSGL 523 Finance for Global Business (2)
This course in Finance and Accounting will cover topics in corporate finance such as the time value of money, ratio analysis, capital budgeting and international finance. Additional topics include the structure of basic financial accounting statements, a comparison of cash flow to accounting profit, and the analysis of financial derivatives and their use in currency risk management. You will learn some of the financial tools used by professionals and also increase your understanding of the tasks and issues that are relevant to conducting business globally.

MSGL 527 Strategic Planning and Management (2)
This course examines strategic planning including the development of appropriate mission statements, international and global environmental analyses, the establishment of objectives, and the development of appropriate strategies and tactics to fulfill the objectives. In a military context, these principles can be applied to situations such as disaster relief, drug interdiction, border security and regional military actions. Teaching methods include lecture, discussion, group exercises, and case studies.

MSGL 528 Applied Project Management (3)
This course will take a detailed look at the five phases of project management: initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. Deliverables from MSGL 522 will be revisited with a focus on the best tools available to the project manager for perfecting the skills needed to accomplish the desired outcomes. Students will also gain additional expertise with MSProject® through in-class exercises and outside assignments. Emphasis in the course will be on the nomenclature and skills needed to successfully pass the PMP® certification examination in project management. Teaching methods include lecture, case studies, and experiential exercises.

MSGL 529 Project Leadership (2)
This course will examine the relationships a project manager has with all project stakeholders.  A strategic approach will be taken on successfully managing within the larger organization, leading the project team, and satisfying the customer.  Topics will include responsibilities and authority, staffing projects, project communications, managing conflict, and time management.  Emphasis in the course will be on the nomenclature and skills needed to successfully pass the PMP® certification examination in project management.  Teaching methods include lecture, case studies, and experiential exercises.

MSGL 531 Marketing for Global Business (2)
Marketing in a Global Environment examines the role of marketing management within the global competitive environment. We survey the key elements of marketing and how these concepts can be implemented by marketing managers in both the domestic and international marketplace. Topics include market research; product development, branding, positioning and differentiation; pricing techniques; promotional techniques; distribution choices; and developing marketing strategy. Special attention is given to the management of cultural differences encountered by global marketing managers.

For more information, contact:

John Ruzicka
Assistant Director for Marketing
& Program Development
MSGL Program
Phone: (619) 260-4833
Fax: (619) 260-7735
jruzicka@sandiego.edu