Master of Science in Leadership
Birthplace of the ROTC | Leadership Has a History Here | Join the Tradition
Norwich Creates Leaders
200+ Years
Developing Leaders
Norwich has prepared leaders across industries, public service, government, and the military since 1819.
1,000+
CEOs & Vice Presidents
More than 1,000 Norwich graduates currently serve as CEOs or vice presidents in their organizations.
138
U.S. General Officers
Norwich graduates have served at the highest levels of leadership in the U.S. armed forces.
Develop the Leader Behind the Title
Leadership is more than authority or position. It requires understanding people, communicating with purpose, making difficult decisions, navigating change, and creating alignment when the path forward is not always clear.
Norwich University's online Master of Science in Leadership is designed for experienced professionals who want to better understand how they lead and strengthen their ability to influence people and organizations. You'll explore strategic communication, emotional intelligence, ethical decision-making, organizational change, and leadership practice while applying what you learn to challenges in your own professional environment. This 36-credit program can be completed in approximately 18 months, with students taking one six-credit, 11-week course at a time.
At a university that has prepared leaders for more than two centuries, leadership is more than a subject of study. It is part of Norwich's history and purpose.
Build a Leadership Portfolio You Can Keep Using
Your Leadership Development Doesn't End at Graduation.
Throughout the program, you'll develop a personal Leadership Development Portfolio, bringing together leadership frameworks, self-assessments, applied strategies, and lessons from your own professional experience. Norwich describes the portfolio as a practical resource that students can apply in the workplace and continue developing throughout their careers.
Instead of leaving graduate school with leadership concepts alone, you'll build a resource that reflects how you lead, where you want to improve, and the approaches you can draw on when circumstances change.
| Know Yourself: Use self-assessment and reflection to better understand your leadership tendencies, strengths, and opportunities for development. | Apply What You Learn: Connect leadership concepts to situations and challenges in your current professional environment. |
| Build Your Framework: Develop approaches to communication, decision-making, change, and organizational leadership that you can draw on as your responsibilities evolve. | Define How You Lead: Develop a more intentional understanding of the principles and practices that shape your approach to leadership. |
Take Your Education Beyond the Online Classroom
Norwich's international immersion opportunities bring online learning into an intensive, face-to-face academic experience, most recently in Berlin, Germany. Study alongside Norwich classmates, faculty, and international partners from around the world as you examine complex issues through site visits, expert discussions, collaborative learning, and firsthand engagement with the people and places connected to your field.
Designed to complement your online degree, these optional experiences offer a chance to apply what you've learned in a new environment, build relationships beyond the virtual classroom, and return to your studies with a broader perspective.
Norwich by the Numbers
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is the MS in Leadership right for me if I already have leadership experience?
Yes. Norwich's MS in Leadership is designed for experienced professionals who want to become more intentional about how they lead. The program gives you opportunities to examine your existing leadership experience through frameworks involving emotional intelligence, communication, ethics, organizational change, and strategy, then apply those concepts in your professional environment.
Rather than starting from the assumption that you need to become a leader, the program helps you strengthen the leader you already are.
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How is an MS in Leadership different from an MBA?
An MBA develops expertise across business disciplines such as finance, operations, markets, and organizational strategy. The MS in Leadership focuses more directly on people and leadership, including emotional intelligence, communication and influence, ethical decision-making, strategic vision, and organizational change.
If your primary goal is to broaden your business expertise, an MBA may be the better fit. If you want to focus more deeply on how you lead people and organizations, the MS in Leadership offers a more specialized path.
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What is the Leadership Development Portfolio?
The Leadership Development Portfolio is a collection of leadership frameworks, self-assessments, applied strategies, reflections, and other resources developed during the program. Students use it to connect their studies with their own leadership practice and create a resource they can continue using after graduation.
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Can I start with a graduate certificate?
Yes. Norwich offers graduate leadership certificates, including Organizational Leadership, Human Resources Leadership, and Public Sector Leadership & Crisis Management. The Organizational Leadership certificate, for example, consists of 12 graduate credits that can be applied toward the MS in Leadership if you later continue into the master's program.
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Is the program only for business or military leaders?
No. Leadership capabilities transfer across industries and sectors. Norwich's program brings together professionals from private industry, government, public service, military environments, and other organizations, creating opportunities to learn from people whose leadership experiences may differ from your own.
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How much does the MS in Leadership cost?
The current 2026–27 standard graduate tuition rate is $725 per credit. Eligible military-affiliated students, first responders, and members of specified federal agencies receive a discounted $550 graduate rate. Additional fees apply.
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How are courses structured?
The MS in Leadership consists of six 11-week courses. Students focus on one course at a time as they progress through the program.
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Can I transfer graduate credits?
Yes. Eligible students may transfer up to 12 semester credits of qualifying graduate study toward the degree.
Learn From Leadership Experience
Norwich's online leadership program brings together faculty and students with experience across professional environments, creating opportunities to examine leadership from multiple perspectives rather than through a single industry or organizational lens.
Upcoming Deadlines
With four start dates per year, start your master's degree when you are ready.
Next Graduate Session Start Dates:
Winter: November 23, 2026
Spring: February 22, 2027
Summer: May 31, 2027
Next Graduate Session Application Deadlines:
Winter: November 13, 2026
Spring: February 12, 2027
Summer: May 21, 2027
Hear From Norwich Leaders
My classmates live all over the world. Some have kids, a lot are in the military, and then there’s me. There is a vast range of experiences, and we all have something unique to contribute. Our class shows that learning is possible no matter where you are.
Celine Juneau
'25 Master of Science in Leadership
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An MBA felt like a check in the block, whereas the leadership program fed my passion.
Todd Coulard
'22 Master of Science in Leadership
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Norwich’s program stood out because its curricula appeared to be well balanced and very straightforward.
Jim Moschgat
'21 Master of Science in Leadership
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With a little time management and commitment to the degree, the online program is amazing and is well worth it.
Maki Farquharson
'24 Master of Science in Leadership
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I plan to use my degree as a catalyst in leadership advancement in my career.
Bridget Schwab
'24 Master of Science in Leadership
Read Story
Celine Juneau
Todd Coulard
Jim Moschgat
Maki Farquharson
Bridget Schwab