Master of Arts in Creative Leadership Learning and LeadingTransformational Change This masters program is designed for working professionals who want to bring about equitable and sustainable change within organizations, businesses, social enterprises, or government agencies. This curriculum prepares individuals at any stage of their career for a future where leadership is networked, collective, relational, and transformative. With a focus on forward-looking organizational practices, the program develops empathic leaders who collaborate across differences and build solidarity around a shared purpose.Why a master’s in leadership from an art and design college? Creativity is ranked as one of the top skills needed in organizations of any size. This distinctive curriculum combines methods and practices of artists and designers with care for the environment, regenerative economic models, structures in which authority is distributed, and environments where people feel both agency and a sense of belonging.The MA in Creative Leadership is a fifteen-month, asynchronous, online program with two week-long residencies in Minneapolis. The small cohort size and format provides flexibility within a strong peer network. Faculty are seasoned professionals who are practicing what they teach in the classroom. Application Deadline, March 1 As a master's student in Creative Leadership, you will:Apply the structures, principles, and practices of non-hierarchical, decentralized, and agile networks, organizations, and teams.Incorporate practices of artists and designers into processes of collaboration across differences, undertaking transformational change, and imagining and making new worlds.Apply (eco)systems understanding to analyze interdependencies between environmental, social, and economic forces; design regenerative organizations or other systems.Exercise relational leadership, conversational receptiveness, and cultural competence in interpersonal interactions; effectively foster an inclusive, caring workplace.Use storytelling, coaching, facilitation, and listening skills to connect with others, catalyze change, and promote community building and social healing.Advance values-led change in self/career, organization/team, or system/community; identify areas of strength and growth in one’s leadership practice to develop a personal plan and praxis. Tell me more about Creative Leadership Email CAPTCHA Class Highlights This 30-credit Master of Arts program emphasizes project work, engaged discussions, and collaboration with fellow students. Required classes include: Theory and Practice of Creative Leadership The Culturally Competent Leader and the Inclusive Workplace Design Thinking and Approaches to Address Complex Social Challenges Managing Remote and Non-hierarchical Networks, Organizations, and Teams Leading for Environmental Sustainability Degree Information After MCAD There are many paths to explore with a Master's in Creative Leadership. Potential careers include: Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Director Non-profit Executive Director B-Corp Leader Start-up CEO Community-Based Organization (Co)-Leader Organizational Change Facilitator or Manager Cultural or Social Entrepreneur Association or Network Organize Additional Careers Posts Designing for DignityPublished onMarch 27, 2025 The Power of Non-Hierarchical TeamsPublished onFebruary 20, 2025 Finance as a Creative ActPublished onFebruary 20, 2025 "This program is transformational; it teaches leadership and personal skills needed to meet the present and simultaneously plan for the future. Because of the small size, faculty are an engaging resource inside and outside the classroom." Ben Newman ’23, Alumni and Executive Director of Baltimore Chamber Orchestra Image Photo Credit: David Esquivel/UCLA Alumni Profile Edgar Miramontes MA, Minneapolis College of Art and Design BA, University of California Image Faculty Profile Kami Norland MA, University of Wisconsin–Superior BA, University of Minnesota–Duluth
Image Photo Credit: David Esquivel/UCLA Alumni Profile Edgar Miramontes MA, Minneapolis College of Art and Design BA, University of California
Image Faculty Profile Kami Norland MA, University of Wisconsin–Superior BA, University of Minnesota–Duluth