More than 200 students have thus far enrolled in a Duquesne University online MS in Leadership and Business Ethics (MSLBE) program that just rounded out its third year of course offerings. Administrators of this program are quite pleased, since they initially projected that the MSLBE program would enroll about 90 students over five years.

The comprehensive 36-credit curriculum addresses ethical theory as well as application of ethics and leadership in the business environment. The degree enhances recognition of ethical dilemmas at work and provides decision-making frameworks to resolve these ethical dilemmas from leadership, ethical and analytical perspectives.

According to Jim Weber, program director and professor of business ethics, the students enrolling in the MSLBE program are a diverse population coming from large and small businesses, non-profit organizations, the military and the education sector. "I think we hit the market at the right time. I am finding that students are really looking for specialized advanced degrees that are more accessible and in some ways a little shorter in duration to complete, and the online MSLBE satisfied that better that some of the traditional MBA-type programs."

Students in the program hold positions in the workplace ranging from a senior payroll specialist and school administrator to customer service and sales management.

Faculty in the program are full-time or tenured Duquesne professors as well as adjuncts who are professionals in the workplace, said Jim Ulrich, assistance professor and team leader. "We like to build diversity into the faculty." For example, a conflict resolution course is being taught by people with law degrees who are currently working in workforce mediation. Human resource directors are teaching leadership, and CFOs are teaching human and financial resources. One adjunct is a retired naval officer who also worked for Harley Davidson as an organizational development consultant.

"We looked around and saw that the business school was developing an expertise in ethics," added Weber. "The university has a commitment to ethics as part of its missions statement, and they thought it was a natural mix." Additionally, their outreach to business executives made them aware of the fact that "a lot of organizations were looking for leadership and for ethics programs. We decided that those two might go together in terms of resources and that we would have a marketable product."

Duquesne is also launching a new online MS in Sports Leadership this fall that is designed for sports industry managers.

MSLBE program - www.leadership.duq.edu/home/main.cfm?sid=164

MS in Sports Leadership - www.leadership.duq.edu/home/main.cfm?sid=10197