Mar 28, 2024  
Permanent Working Catalog (Spring 2025 Draft In Progress) 
    
Permanent Working Catalog (Spring 2025 Draft In Progress)

Community & Organizational Leadership, MS


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This graduate program is administered by the area of Nutrition  in the School of Health Sciences and Wellness .

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the M.S. degree in Community and Organizational Leadership, you will be able to: 

  1. Analyze community development process and practice. 
  2. Consider human relationships in fostering positive behavior change within communities. 
  3. Develop community-based programming to meet goals and objectives. 


The MS degree in Community & Organizational Leadership is designed to broaden your abilities in leadership, critical thinking and wellness in individual, family and community settings.

More information about the Master of Science in Community and Organizational Leadership program is available on the Health Sciences and Wellness  page.

The degree requires a minimum of 30 credits: 15 credits of core courses and 6 credits of project or thesis are required and the remaining 9 credits of electives are determined by your individual needs and career goals.

Electives, 9 credits


Any graduate level (500+) course taken at UWSP or transferred in from another institution will count towards the 9 credit elective requirement. You are encouraged to choose electives to meet your specific professional development needs and interests.

Culminating Experience, 6 credits


Choose one option:

Project, 6 credits


Develop and implement a project designed to accommodate a current community need. Requires 6 credits (COL 791  and COL 792 ). Requires professional presentation of project plan and results.

Thesis, 6 credits


For those interested in conducting qualitative or quantitative research. Choose a topic in an area similar to the interests of one of the faculty. Requires 6 thesis credits, including 6 thesis credits. Requires oral research proposal, written thesis. and oral final defense. You may repeat enrollment in COL 799  each semester in which you are involved in your thesis, until the 6 credit requirement is completed.

Coaching Certificate, 6 credits


If you are pursuing the Health and Wellness Coaching Graduate Certificate , you can develop a project designed to accommodate a current community need related to coaching by taking HSW 775  and implement the project in COL 792  to satisfy the 6-credit “Culminating Experience” requirement. Requires professional presentation of project plan and results.

Child Life Specialist Certificate, 6 credits


If you are pursuing the Child Life Specialist Preparation Graduate Certificate, you may utilize your child life internship experience to satisfy the 6-credit “Culminating Experience” requirement.

Take these courses for 3 credits each:


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