The Online MBA in Leading Innovative Organizations

Lead Innovation and Drive Organizational Transformation

Leaders who transform organizations don't just manage teams. They navigate complexity, drive strategic change, and build cultures where innovation thrives. Santa Clara University's Online MBA with a concentration in Leading Innovative Organizations prepares you to lead at this level: where vision meets execution, where change management requires both strategic thinking and people skills, and where organizational success depends on leaders who can inspire, negotiate, and adapt.

This MBA in leadership and management prepares professionals to guide teams through transformation, lead innovation initiatives, and advance into senior leadership roles. Rooted in Silicon Valley's culture of continuous innovation and shaped by Jesuit values, the program produces leaders who combine strategic capability with ethical judgment, and who know how to drive change while building trust and developing talent.

The outcomes speak clearly: 92% of Santa Clara Online MBA alumni report salary increases within six months of graduation.1

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Program Snapshot: Online MBA in Leading Innovative Organizations

  • Four start dates: fall, winter, spring, and summer
  • Graduate in as little as two years
  • Two on-campus residencies
  • AACSB-accredited

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Leadership Excellence That Drives Innovation

Most MBA programs include general management coursework. SCU's Online MBA with a concentration in Leading Innovative Organizations goes deeper, developing the leadership capabilities and change management expertise that distinguish transformational leaders from competent managers.

The curriculum starts with core MBA courses in finance, operations, marketing, and data analytics, building your understanding of how businesses function across all dimensions. Your leadership concentration then adds advanced training in strategic change management, organizational leadership, talent development, and negotiation: the capabilities that enable you to lead teams, drive innovation, and guide organizations through transformation.

Why pursue both? Because organizations need more than functional experts. They need leaders who can align diverse stakeholders around shared vision, navigate resistance to change, build high-performing teams, and execute strategy in dynamic environments. SCU's Online MBA concentration in Leading Innovative Organizations develops those high-level proficiencies.

Leading Innovative Organizations Concentration Course Highlights

MGMT 3052: Challenges in Leading and Managing Strategic Change (2 units)

Build fluency in the frameworks and approaches for leading organizations through significant change. Examine the challenges leaders face when driving transformation, from initial diagnosis through implementation and sustainability. Develop practical skills for managing resistance, building coalitions, and creating conditions where strategic change succeeds.

MGMT 3512: Leadership of Dynamic Organizations (4 units)

Investigate the priorities and practices of exemplary leaders through experiential, reflective learning. Build both conceptual understanding of leadership processes and practical leadership skills using case studies, video analysis, and team assignments. Develop your capacity to lead effectively in fast-changing organizational contexts.

MGMT 3526: Strategic Talent Management (2 units)

Learn to attract, develop, and retain the talent that determines organizational success. Study talent management as strategic capability, from workforce planning and succession management to building cultures that engage high performers. Develop frameworks for aligning talent strategy with business objectives.

MGMT 3544: Strategic Business Negotiations (4 units)

Study negotiation theory and practice across cooperative and competitive situations. Develop skills essential for managers and professionals who must get solutions accepted and implemented across diverse stakeholders. Learn through experiential exercises and analytical frameworks relevant to the broad spectrum of negotiation challenges leaders face, from salary discussions to M&A negotiations.

Customize your Online MBA in Leading Innovative Organizations around your career goals.

The MBA curriculum offers electives across business disciplines including global business perspectives, data science, and financial strategy.

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The Advantages of SCU's MBA Concentration in Leading Innovative Organizations

Access to Silicon Valley's Innovation Leaders

You'll learn from experts in the heart of the world's most innovation-driven business ecosystem. Silicon Valley's technology companies, fast-growth startups, and major organizations all drive continuous transformation, setting the standard for leading through change. Through faculty connections and the broader SCU network, you'll have access to leaders who understand what it takes to build innovative cultures, manage rapid growth, and guide organizations through disruption. And because this is distance learning, you'll bring this Silicon Valley perspective to your leadership role wherever you work.

Values-Driven Leadership Development

Santa Clara's Jesuit foundation integrates a distinct perspective into leadership education. You'll examine the ethical dimensions of leadership decisions, explore how to build trust while driving change, and develop approaches to talent management that honor both business performance and human dignity. This grounding prepares you to lead with integrity in organizations where stakeholder trust and ethical culture increasingly determine long-term success.

A Network of Leadership Professionals Across Industries

Your faculty bring real-world experience from companies such as Apple, IBM, and CitiBank. Your classmates are emerging leaders from diverse industries across the country. You'll build relationships with peers, mentors, and industry professionals who become your lifelong professional network.
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24/7 flexibility. Uncompromising quality.

Santa Clara designed this Online MBA concentration in Leading Innovative Organizations for working professionals who can't relocate or step away from their careers.

Complete your MBA in as little as two years while working full-time. Four annual start dates let you begin when it serves your situation. All classes are conducted online with asynchronous and synchronous elements, so you’ll watch lectures and complete assignments on your schedule while joining live sessions for real-time collaboration.

Two short on-campus residencies bring you to campus for intensive, face-to-face experiences. You'll participate in workshops and networking events that transform your cohort from online connections into lasting professional relationships.

The online format helps you maintain career momentum throughout your program. You'll apply new knowledge to your current role as you study, often increasing your value and visibility at your company.

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FAQs for the Online MBA in Leading Innovative Organizations

What skills will I develop in an MBA focused on leadership and innovation?

You'll develop critical leadership capabilities including strategic change management, negotiation, leadership strategy, and talent management. The curriculum prepares you to lead innovative teams and transformation initiatives. It builds your ability to inspire vision, navigate complexity, manage resistance to change, and create organizational cultures where innovation thrives across diverse business contexts.

Who should pursue an MBA in Leading Innovative Organizations?

This concentration is ideal for professionals looking to move into management, lead transformation initiatives, or advance into executive leadership roles. The combination of leadership development and business strategy training prepares you for impact across industries including technology, consulting, healthcare, and startups—anywhere organizations need leaders who can drive innovation and manage change effectively.

How does this MBA compare to a master's in organizational leadership?

An MBA with a leadership concentration provides significantly broader business strategy and management training than a specialized master's degree. While organizational leadership programs focus primarily on leadership theory and practice, the MBA develops your strategic thinking across all business functions: finance, operations, marketing, and data analytics. This makes you valuable not just in leadership development roles, but in broader management and executive positions where you'll guide enterprise strategy. For professionals seeking long-term executive trajectory, the MBA offers substantially more value.
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Take Command of Your Leadership Future

Tomorrow's organizational leaders will be those who navigate complexity with confidence, who inspire teams through change, and who build cultures where innovation and execution coexist.

Santa Clara University's Online MBA with a concentration in Leading Innovative Organizations equips you to be that kind of leader. The program combines Silicon Valley's innovation culture with Jesuit principles and rigorous leadership training, building your capability to drive transformation, develop talent, negotiate across stakeholder groups, and lead organizations through the constant change that defines today's business environment.

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There’s so much to know about Leavey’s online programs that you’re bound to have questions. We’re here to help. For information and support, schedule a call with one of our knowledgeable, friendly admissions outreach advisors. They’ll make sure you get all the answers.

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Admissions Deadlines for the Online MBA Program

Aug
10
Priority Deadline
August 10
Fall 2026 Term
Aug
30
Application Deadline
August 30
Fall 2026 Term
Sept
21
Next Start
September 21
Fall 2026 Term
Admissions Information
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Source:
  1. As of June 30, 2025. Based on self-reported data from Online MBA program alumni, in graduating cohorts between 2021 and February 2025, at six months post-graduation.