Master of Letters (M.Litt.) Degree Program
Earn Your Degree in Family Life Education or Organizational Leadership
The Master of Letters (MLitt) program of study is designed for both career enhancement and entry into doctoral study at OGS. The MLitt program adheres to the underlying philosophy of education and learning methods of the OGS doctoral program. The degree requires a Program Orientation Workshop and 32 semester hours of course credit. Candidates for the MLitt degree choose a curriculum track in Family Life Education (FLE) or Organizational Leadership (OL). A combination of FLE and OL may create an interdisciplinary track.
Applicants may transfer up to nine semester hours from an acceptable master’s program. Applicants attend a Program Orientation Workshop. The orientation includes an overview of the subjects in the Family Life Education track and the Organizational Leadership track. Completion time for a master’s degree is about 24 months. For those who have not been involved with formal education for several years the courses are designed to provide comfortable reentry to the processes of formal learning. Following are the courses offered in the master’s programs.
Family Life Education
Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum provides skills and knowledge to enrich individual and family life. Students are trained to develop and deliver family-related services. For information on how Family Life Education coursework applies toward the Certified Family Life Educator credential, please contact the National Council on Family Relations at 1-888-781-9331 or write info@ncfr.org. Required courses for FLE are listed below. In addition to the ten (10) required courses, students may complete an optional internship in FLE.
Organizational Leadership
The subjects and syllabi structure for Organizational Leadership build upon principles of human behavior found in organizations large and small, public and private, regimented and volunteer, and profit-making and social service. The curriculum examines organizational systems and structures with emphasis upon interpersonal dynamics, ethics, and social costs and benefits.
The purpose is to equip graduates to implement qualities of effective leadership in an organization. The program is designed to improve the work of persons at every level of organizational participation, including entry-level employees, CEOs, board members, consultants, and educators. Required courses for OL are listed below. In addition to the ten (10) required courses, students may complete an optional practicum.
Family Life Education Course Descriptions
FL 701 [3] Family Life Education Methodology—A study of the philosophy and principles of family life education and methods for planning, implementing, and evaluating activities to fulfill its goals; how to establish educational goals, select materials and activities, evaluate outcomes, and implement programs that are sensitive to community concerns and values and bring benefits appropriate to the community being served.
FL 702 [3] Sociology of the Family—A study of the origin and development of the family as a social institution and its variations of structure, function, and culture; the relationship of the family to the economic, political, religious, and educational institutions in American society; dating, courtship, marital choice, and work-family relationships; present and future demographic trends, gender roles, and culture-related influences affecting the nature of family living.
FL 703 [3] Family Resource Management—A study of the management of human and material resources designed to develop competence with and responsibility for goods and services available to a family in contemporary society; recognition of types of resources, processes for planning and implementing wise management; principles and skills for evaluating family resources, setting goals, decision-making, and implementing plans to fulfill the goals; combines learning general principles while selectively applying them to one’s own situation .
FL 704 [3] Human Sexuality—An overview of the basics of sexual physiology, development, behavior, values, human sexual response, dysfunction, sexual abuse and violence, family planning, variations of sexual behavior, theories of sexual orientation, and the role of a family life educator in sex education.
FL 705 [3] Parenting in a Religious Environment—An examination of theoretical approaches to teaching, guiding, and influencing children and adolescents; the efficacy of major theories when put into practice by contemporary parents; beliefs and practices globally and historically; adjustments of parental style associated with individual differences and life-cycle status; provides appropriate opportunity to apply learning to personally relevant situations.
FL 706 [3] Human Development: Birth to Twenty—A study of physical, emotional, cognitive, social, moral/spiritual, and personality factors as they influence development through the life-cycle stages of prenatal, infancy, early and middle childhood, and adolescence; seminal theorists with alternate perspectives; and practical application for helping parents more effectively relate to and care for other family members.
FL 707 [3] Human Development: Adulthood and Aging—A study of physical, emotional, cognitive, social, moral/spiritual, and personality factors as they influence development over the course of adult years, through the aging process, and death; the changing role of parents in relationship with adult children; and the condition of children caring for aging parents.
FL 708 [3] Marital Counseling and Enrichment—A survey of marital counseling and enrichment theory and practice; contemporary trends in American culture; pre-marital counseling; crisis management and conflict management in marriage; marital distress and divorce; gender roles in the family; and family dynamics including the effects of the marital relationship on children.
FL 709 [3] Professional Ethics—An exploration of the issues, standards, and tensions that exist within professional ethics, personal morals, the social structure, and government; the ethical issues unique to or held in common among professions; investigation of ethics dealing with ethics in student’s own profession; the relationship and tensions among personal morals, belief systems, professional ethics, and the structures, norms and laws of one’s own society.
FL 710 [3] Family Law and Public Policy—A study of how local, state, and federal law and public policy affect the family structure and way of life; an overview of the historical development of law and public policies related to families.
FL 711 Internship (Optional)—Forty-five clock hours of activity delivering family life education; must be preventive and growth-oriented rather than therapy, counseling, social work, early childhood education, etc.; supervised by a Certified Family Life Educator, if possible, or by an experienced professional who is working in any capacity that fits within family life education as broadly defined by the National Council on Family Relations; aims, conditions, and activities of the internship must be approved by faculty prior to the starting date.
FL 714 [2] Master’s Thesis—A qualitative thesis on a topic approved by the Vice-President for Academic Affairs in consultation with the Graduate Research Council.
Organizational Leadership Course Descriptions
OL 701 [3] Foundations of Human Behavior—A survey of major theories of human behavior; concepts and definitions held by several philosophical and psychological schools; history, research evidence, and implications for contemporary organizational life and issues within contemporary global society.
OL 702 [3] Theories of Organizational Behavior—An examination of leadership, power, authority, problem resolution, and the impact of organizational structure in relation to management style on educational, religious, business, and governmental institutions.
OL 703 [3] Transformational Leadership —A colloquium which considers the formal and informal aspects of administration and organization with emphasis on life-cycle leadership and application to the structure, processes, and behavior of organized groups.
OL 704 [3] Human Relation Skills for a Pluralistic Society—An understanding of human relations skills for effective interpersonal communication; examination of cultural and values differences among ethnic, racial, religious, and other social groups; generic application for professionals in educational, community, family, work, and leisure settings.
OL 705 [3] Communication Skills and Assertiveness—An examination of communication theories and skills, psycholinguistic principles, and theories and strategies of active in-depth dialogue and assertiveness training; interactive skills assessment and development; includes goal setting, role playing, alternative behavior, evaluating consequences, and implementation of assertive behavior.
OL 706 [3] Conflict, Cooperation, and Problem Solving—A comparison and contrast of the origins and development of conflict and cooperation; mechanisms for managing and resolving conflict; making decisions that elicit support, and create unity and long-term affiliation among family; skill development for in-depth listening and effective dialogue.
OL 707 [3] Mentoring and Coaching in Leadership and Supervision—A review of theory-based methodology of employee guidance and facilitation; advantages and hazards of mentoring and coaching compared with other leadership styles, with emphasis on the corporate culture prevalent among nonprofit organizations.
OL 708 [3] Professional Ethics—An exploration of the issues, standards, and tensions that exist within professional ethics, personal morals, the social structure, and government; ethical issues unique to or held in common among professions; application of ethics in the students’ chosen professions.
OL 709 [3] Business Law—A study of case problems relating to the application of laws concerning contract, agency, property, and business and institutional organizations.
OL 710 [3] Principles of Sociological Research—An introduction to research methodology used in sociological research; emphasizes significant concepts, terms, and procedures widely used and applicable to management of nonprofit organizations; use of basic statistics and research design sufficient to enable students to complete a short research project yielding rigorous data to answer a relevant question within their professional or personal contexts.
OL 711 [3] Practicum in Selected Field of Study (Optional)—A research practicum conducted under the supervision of a faculty advisor and according to a student-prepared and faculty-approved proposal; evaluation by an employer and the faculty advisor.
OL 714 [2] Master’s Thesis—A qualitative thesis on a topic approved by the Vice-President for Academic Affairs in consultation with the Graduate Research Council.
