Leadership Master’s Program

I was searching for an affordable, online master's degree program that offered project management and/or leadership. Granite State College is that place! I have been enrolled for just under a year, and I love the programs offered. I am enrolled in the MSLD with a focus in Project Management and I wouldn't change a thing. The director of the program is wonderful and very attentive to the students' needs. The classes are fun and interactive even though they are all online. I am highly looking forward to graduating this coming December!

- Jana

The master's program at Granite State College is staffed by many caring and capable instructors. After 6 months in the program, I continue to look forward to the start my next classes. I recommend GSC to everyone who is looking for an online program in Project Management or Leadership.

- Susan

I have always been, and always will be a learner. I found myself faced with having to be creative with my education when my parents had the difficult conversation with me that my acceptance to Northeastern University was not something they could afford, even with the $3,000 a semester scholarship. A well respected and accomplished student all throughout my childhood education and suddenly I was faced with having to create my own method of continuing my growth as an adult. Little did I realize at the time - this was a good position for someone like me to be in.

I was fortunate to get a contracted job with full benefits at the University of New Hampshire right out of high school Fall of 2001. It is the University System of New Hampshire I have to thank for my education – both professionally and academically. While working full-time at UNH, I attended classes part-time, receiving a free class each semester as long as I kept my GPA up. Some semesters I took on multiple classes; a couple I even attended full-time while continuing to work full-time as well. It took five years, but I was able to receive my Associate of Applied Science in Community Leadership at the Thompson School without any debt whatsoever. This degree focused a lot on non-profit management and leadership development. It literally opened my eyes to options for a career I had never considered before. I began to research local non profits and seek out leadership positions. This search successfully led me to working for Strafford County Nursing Home as an Activity Aide, which then turned into the positions I have held since, working with elderly and in non-profit agencies.

For my bachelor's degree I was referred to Granite State College as my professor and advisor thought the self-design program was right for me. She was certainly correct in thinking so! The self-design program at GSC, along with their supportive staff assisted me to create a meaningful and fulfilling curriculum that I use today in my statewide job. Granite State College is a school that works alongside with you, and that is why I love it so much.

I am now working on my master's degree in Leadership at GSC so I can truly complete the journey I have started for myself through the University System of NH. I currently oversee a federal, statewide program for NH call the Senior Companion Program. We have 80 volunteers who visit with over 400 frail and homebound elders and adults with disabilities in their homes. We partner with 27 fellow senior care and non profit agencies in our program. To have a master's degree of this aptitude I will be able to continue to expand my leadership role within the program and beyond. I have aspirations to be the Director of Elder Services for my agency one day. My current director is looking at retirement in the near future and I would love to take on the challenge. If not with the current agency I am in, I am now also considering working for a federal or state program with a high level of responsibility. I have always said since realizing I loved working with seniors, I would like to one day be an administrator who oversees a community living facility for seniors or even work with the Attorney General’s Office.

- Nicole

Occasionally, I meet up with a potential graduate student who has a touch of anxiety about writing their statement of intent, one of the application components for Granite State College's Master's Degree Programs. I gently explain that it is 500-1000 word statement which includes professional goals and aspirations, motivation for applying for the degree, and relevant formal or informal experiences. I suggest that they start by predicting their career future. Where do they see themselves in a few years? What narrative can they bring to the program? Review the course descriptions carefully, envision the skills taught in GSC graduate classes, and apply them personally and professionally. Review the Granite State College practitioner based graduate faculty. Where do they work? What can you gain from their real world experience? After these brief suggestions to the applicant, I sense relief on their part.

The greatest presumed anxiety on graduate essay writing is marketed to the upper tier and ivy b-school applicants. You can hire an editor, work with a coach, or just purchase one. I found a multitude of options on the internet. What is most alarming is that, if you think you are darn good enough for an elite school, one would hope that penning the perfect picture of your business acumen would be YOU. A well thought out and perfectly written statement about YOU can only come from YOU.

The GSC Office of Graduate Studies understands that you are who you are. You want to succeed and we're here to see that you do. Our degrees are concise, focused, and applicable to numerous businesses and industries.

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently. It’s a strategic competency for organizations, enabling them to tie project results to business goals - and thus, better compete in their markets--according to the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The Master of Science in Leadership program focuses on an action-learning approach, intended to leverage the interdisciplinary backgrounds of participants and help build leadership competencies. We believe that the principles of leadership, when mastered, are applicable in any environment – whether commerce, education, health care, government, or social services.

To find out more about GSC's programs, give us a call at 603.513.1135 or visit www.granite.edu. And, relax about writing our essay, we know you can do it.

You can run, but you can’t hide—in online.

If you have never taken an online course, or have free floating anxiety about logging into a classroom, please read on. Some of the potential students I meet in information sessions, graduate school fairs, or speak with on the phone, have a huge block of fear when it comes to learning this way. At Granite State College (GSC), we offer two master’s degree programs: an M.S. in Leadership and M.S. in Project Management. We do offer a few graduate courses in Concord, Portsmouth, and Manchester - however, the majority of the Master of Science classes are often online.

Laura was an adult Granite State College student for several years, furiously working towards completing her baccalaureate degree while taking part time classes. She was a professional HR director, and GSC helped her get to where she wanted to be. She loved taking courses at GSC, and had taken them in all delivery methods - hybrid, weekend, evening, and online courses. I was delighted to meet Laura at a conference recently - her enthusiasm for lifelong learning was infectious. I thought she would be a great master's candidate for either the Project Management or Leadership program.

As she was nearing the end of her undergraduate career, the last course she needed to complete was Interpersonal Communication. It was a course offered online and she had every intention of taking it, even with its ironic online delivery. While telling me her story, I flashed back to my undergraduate days. I took Interpersonal Communication in a decade when online learning was not available. I quickly assumed it could only be a classroom course, learning the art and science of successful communication. I paused in my thoughts and was preparing for the worst. How could a college create this online? I prepared for a sympathetic reply.

As she continued her enthusiasm for (what I thought) was a pedagogical mish mash of course delivery gone wrong, I started to listen closer. Her family and friends thought she was making an error in judgment.  "Don’t do it," they said. "You’re crazy." She took the course successfully and told me it was the best course she ever took. The posts were lively, deep, and thoughtful. She made friends with a number of people in the virtual classroom. “You can’t hide in an online learning platform. Students who are shy in a classroom can’t hide in online learning. You can also think about your posts, edit, and get your point across clearly.” Her sales pitch was right on queue. And, I know she is correct.

This brief encounter with Laura gives me more fuel and intelligence for the GSC graduate programs. I have chatted with potential students who feel the same way Laura’s friends and family did. The anxiety about getting a graduate degree online can be eradicated when you listen to Laura's story. She preferred her online courses. It was her time. She’d get up at 5:00 a.m. and start her coursework before the day got away from her. Laura is now applying to Master of Science in Leadership, and is very excited about the incredibly flexible, affordable, and relevant program. “It’s time to do it. And, I love that I can take it online.”

 

 

This week the Nashua Telegraph published this special feature:

Image source:  nashuatelegraph.com
 

What we think is especially compelling is the section that profiles the business leaders of the next 20 years. We were proud to read about Nashua Community College's President, Lucille Jordan, and honored that GSC was mentioned as part of her story:

"Forty percent of [NCC] students transfer to four-year institutions to earn their bachelor's degree.

Making that easier is this year is the fact that Granite State College, part of the University System of New Hampshire, is now 'co-located' at NCC."
 

We are new to Nashua and this feature served as a great inspiration for what we can accomplish with their community. For example...

We have the opportunity to provide a convenient pathway for NCC students to expand their education goals and pursue a bachelor's degree with GSC

We can help business leaders retain their best employees with our master's degree programs like the M.S. in Leadership and M.S. in Project Management

We can engage with the healthcare community through our RN to BSN degree program

K-12 educators can pursue teacher certifications in the critical shortage areas in education and help to make a difference in the Nashua School District

These are just a few of our current goals in Nashua and we can't wait to lay our roots deep and explore the possibilities.

Congratulations to ALL who were honored in the "Nashua 50 and Next 20." Thank you for all that you do!
 

As a graduate admission counselor, I can tell you many wonderful things about our programs.  For example, you have the flexibility of the program - your choice between taking an online class and learning in a traditional classroom setting. I can speak to you about the affordability factor - where else can you earn a master’s degree for under 15k? We can talk about assessment and outcomes, and the high level of customer service the faculty and staff at Granite State College gives to all students. We can review the pedagogy of our two highly tuned programs. And how they are designed to incorporate your own set of competencies and propel them into a new improved skill set. But after much thought, I believe one of the best methods of trying to convince you to apply is to hear what our students have been saying.

“I have received my Associate, Bachelor's, and am two weeks away from receiving my Master’s degree from Granite State College. Granite State College is a professional school with professional faculty that helped me to achieve goals that I would have never thought of achieving ten years ago. The flexibility of their online courses and on-site courses in multiple locations gave me the flexibility to “fit” school in no matter where I was at in my life. In addition to the education I have received at GSC, I have also had the opportunity to make great friends and create a network of people of both faculty and students.” -- Bonnie Soule

Thank you, Bonnie! I appreciate your comments. I am delighted that Granite State College could help you achieve your educational goals.

“The graduate program at Granite State College is flexible for my demanding career and has allowed me to expand my leadership knowledge and provided me the management tools I need to succeed in today’s fast paced public safety environment.” -- Paul Dean

Thank you, Paul, for sharing your experience and growth that you gleaned from our master’s program. Paul works in law enforcement, and from his post it sounds like he got the tools he needed to excel at his job. Way to go, Paul!

Take your career and life to the next level. Achieve educational goals you never thought were possible. Call me at 603.513.1135 or visit www.granite.edu to explore our graduate programs. You will be glad you did.

I love my job.  I recently had the opportunity to attend two events and was able to be up close and personal with two of the University System of New Hampshire's (USNH) presidents—and this does not include the one I work for.

Each venue was different in topic and setting. After listening to each of the president’s messages, one passage was the same. “We are only given 6% of our budget from the State. Essentially, we run like a private school.” Could that have been planned? No, I seriously doubt College Presidents call each other the night before about wearing the same tie color or chat about the same message to give (that’s what Politicians do!).  The message was said both times without judgment. It’s just a fact.

What impresses me most about working for this 31,000 student and 6,000 employee university system is that collegiality and respect runs rampant. For me, working for Granite State College’s relatively new graduate programs, I get a positive affirmation from a colleague almost each time I meet someone new. We are free to collaborate, explore, expand and discover the talents that each institution has that could benefit a sister school, and our voices are heard when we speak of ideas and change.  Here, the equation is 1 + 1 = 3. Yes, you get more when you work together with excellence in leadership with what you have.
 

The more I thought about this academic environment I call my professional home, I began to realize that we also teach our students how we behave, or even better, what we believe. The collegiality in the USNH parallels the Granite State College Master of Science in Leadership.  In part, the pedagogy behind our program in leadership comes from scholar Joe Raelin's Four C’s of Leadership: Collective, Concurrent, Collaborative and Compassionate. We are collective, which means that we can all serve as leaders, and can be heard. Concurrent is the thought that we can all have a say; a contribution is an important part of the process. Collaboratively, we all work together and engage in dialogue. And lastly, we have compassion, which preserves the dignity of everyone on the team, especially when an action is taken.

At GSC and our sister institutions, we practice this on a daily basis.  Collectively, we work together coming up with solutions and ideas that serve the greater good of our students and our community—including our sister institutions. Concurrently, we are free to have leadership at all levels in our institutions—we are all important members. Collaboratively, we work together until a mutual idea is brought forth and found to be the best solution. And, we are compassionate through our humble nature. We don’t gloat. We worked together.

At Granite State College, our graduate programs' philosophy is to teach what you practice.

The fall semester begins in a few weeks. I know that Granite State College has one of the best project management programs around, and a terrific leadership master's program. No matter how much I blog about how great the faculty, program directors, and the entire staff of the College,  you can only really tell when you hear from the students in the programs. Please take a moment to listen to Mary.

 

I read a recent survey of the cost of a graduate degree—and it got me thinking. Here’s what I am trying to understand: A Mercedes-Benz is expensive. You can find a model for $80K. Yes, it is aesthetically beautiful, comfortable, and prestigious. A Toyota Prius is roughly one-third of the cost of the Benz. The Prius is practical, well-designed, and extremely fuel efficient. However, the most important similarity is that both cars get the driver to the same place.

Fast forward to graduate programs in New Hampshire. There are many choices. Do they get you to the same place? Granite State College’s Master of Science in Leadership and MS in Project Management offer similar curriculum and assessments linked to professional standards as other higher-priced institutions, extremely good student customer service and care, pragmatic skills for an evolving and global marketplace, faculty who are experts in their subject matter, online and in-person course options, and finally, affordability.

If you are interested in looking further into an experience at Granite State College, and into the Master of Science in Leadership and the Master of Science in Project Management—I will be in Durham on Wednesday, August 8, from 12 to 1pm to conduct a drop-in info session at Memorial Union, Theater One. I hope to see you there!

It's official. Our mobile classroom is up and we're ready to enroll students at our new co-location at Nashua Community College for the Fall term!

On Thursday, July 26th, we co-hosted a celebration with NCC to announce our new partnership. The highlight of the event was the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.

Here's an "action shot" of NCC President Lucille Jordan, Governor John Lynch, Mayor Donnalee Lozeau, and GSC President Todd Leach cutting the ribbon!

The courses offered on NCC's campus are designed so those with an associate degree can easily leverage this experience into an affordable bachelor degree program. We will be featuring classes for the B.S. in Business Management, B.S. in Psycholgoy, B.S. in Applied Studies (Management Option), the B.A. in Individualized Studies, Teacher Certification Courses, and classes in the Masters Degree in Project Management and M.S. in Leadership programs.

Click here to learn more!
 

Times are changing and so are the thoughts on Leadership.  Companies are changing their way of thinking, their way of managing their employees. Being productive is not the only thing to concur in businesses today. Statistics show that employees that are happy are more productive employees.  So how do you make employees happy?  Well, it takes lots of patience and understanding along with knowledge and the ability to be creative, thinking outside the Box, something you can learn at Granite State College.  Yes, this is a skill, a skill that can be learned, discussed and debated in the classroom before you put it to the test in the Real World workplace. 

I have worked many places and held many different kinds of jobs. Happy employees make more productive employees is a very true statement.  There are evening college classes that you can take to get those skills well tuned so you have the confidence to engage them in the workplace. Get engaged in the times, sign up for classes at Granite State College!! Did you know that Granite State College even offers a new Leadership Master's Program? Check it out! 

 

It is an exciting time at Granite State College! The Office of Graduate Studies will launch in July the new Master of Science in Leadership. The Leadership Master’s Program is designed to develop student’s strategic leadership skills while guided by their ethical principles. The MIT Leadership Institute defines 4 capabilities Leadership Framework. The components are sense-making, relating, visioning, and inventing.[1]  In this new graduate program the curriculum embodies these components.  Students will focus on making sense of their capacity to function as a leader in today’s environment, relate organizational relationships to facilitate organizational effectiveness, conducting visionary exercises to facilitate organizational growth and opportunity, and invent new ways to respond to changes in the environment of the organization  and actualizing the organizational vision. This framework makes for a sound leadership education. The ten course program provides students with practical and theoretical foundations to develop a personalized leadership construct. The Master of Science in Leadership is one of Granite State College’s Online Graduate Degrees. Get more information on the new graduate program being offered at Granite State College at http://www.granite.edu/academics/degrees/masters/leadership.php.

 

"Change" is a word that is often overused, but in the world of higher education "substantive change" has very specific meaning. An institution that goes through substantive change is one that embarks on new directions that require review by its regional accreditor. Granite State College has undertaken such a change by moving from an institution offering only undergraduate credit to one that will now offers its first masters degree.

The Master of Science in Project Management is intended to provide students with a highly transferable set of skills and competencies that are in high demand across a number of industries. GSC's first masters degree is designed to provide students with both pragmatic content and high level learning opportunities that can prepare students to advance in management and leadership level positions. A cursory search of job postings lists many positions in which project management skills are specifically identified. In addition, managers in general can gain a competitive advantage in the job market by gaining project management competencies.

Granite State College worked closely with industry experts to develop its first masters program in order to ensure our graduates will be well prepared to compete and advance in their chosen careers. At this point, the Granite State College masters degree is the only MS in Project Management offered by a New Hampshire institution. 

We are confident that our new masters degree will meet the advanced education needs of working adults and professionals across the state and beyond. The new program will be offered entirely online as well as at select Granite State College locations.