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Leadership and Professional Studies

Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Careers in Leadership Studies

A Bachelor of Science in Leadership Studies opens doors to a wide range of career paths because it builds versatile skills such as communication, team management, critical thinking, ethics, and strategic decision-making that employers value across industries. Your strengths-team leadership, strategic thinking, ethics-fit roles needing soft skills over technical expertise. Pair it with internships or targeted electives (business, analytics, industry-specific) to sharpen your edge. The flexibility of a degree in leadership studies lets you pivot into roles that prioritize people management, organizational improvement, or advocacy. 

  • Management Analyst/Consultant
    • What You’d Do: Analyze business processes, recommend efficiencies, and guide organizations through change (e.g., cost reduction, workflow redesign). 
    • Why It Fits: Your leadership training in problem-solving and team dynamics is perfect for consulting. Add business and data analysis skills to seal the deal. 
    • Salary: ~$90K median (BLS 2023), with growth potential in firms like BCG or Accenture. 
    • Path: Start as an analyst, pursue an MBA for senior roles if desired. 
    • Suggested Elective Course Areas: Financial Management, Business Analytics and Information Systems 

      · MISY 1373 Intro to Business Technologies
      · MISY 3310 Principles of MIS
      · MISY 3321 Spreadsheets for Business Analytics
      · MISY 3370 IS Analysis & Design
      · MISY 3390 Data Mining
      · MISY 3341 Data Visualization
      · BUAL 2305 Business Statistics
      · BUAL 3330 Data Analytics & Business
      · MATH 1324 Math for Bus & Soc Science
      · ACCT 2301 Intro to Financial Accounting

  • Human Resources Manager
    • What You’d Do: Oversee recruitment, training, employee relations, and policy development in organizations. 
    • Why It Fits: Leadership Studies emphasizes people management, motivation, and conflict resolution—core to HR. Courses in HR or organizational behavior boost this. 
    • Salary: ~$130K median (BLS 2023) with steady demand. 
    • Path: Begin as an HR coordinator, earn certifications (e.g., SHRM-CP). 
    • Suggested Elective Course Areas: Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior 

      · PSYC 2301 General Psychology
      · PSYC 3340 Industrial Psychology
      · BULW 3310 Business Law
      · BULW 3320 Employment Law
      · MGMT 3300 Critical Thinking & Bus Dec Making
      · MGMT 3330 Human Resource Management
      · MGMT 3310 Principles of Organ Behavior & Mgmt
      · MGMT 4320 Advanced Organ Behavior
      · MGMT 4330 Compensation Mgmt
      · MGMT 4350 Issues in Human Resource Mgmt

  • Supply Chain Manager
    • What You’d Do: Coordinate logistics, procurement, and distribution to keep goods moving efficiently (e.g., at Amazon or manufacturing firms). 
    • Why It Fits: Your ability to lead teams and optimize processes aligns with supply chain demands. Add logistics and analytics coursework. 
    • Salary: ~$95K median (BLS 2023), growing with e-commerce. 
    • Path: Start in logistics coordination, consider a CSCP certification. 
    • Suggested Elective Course Areas: Supply Chain and Industrial Management

      · INEN 3300 Industrial Engineering Intro
      · INEN 3322 Engineering Materials & Manufacturing Processes
      · INEN 4315 Industrial Management
      · INEN 4331 Technology Entrepreneurship
      · INEN 4357 Supply Chain Management
      · INEN 4369 Engineering Management
      · INEN 4380 Project Management

  • Health Services Manager
    • What You’d Do: Run healthcare facilities (hospitals, clinics), managing staff, budgets, and patient care systems. 
    • Why It Fits: Leadership in high-stakes, people-focused settings is your strength. Healthcare courses or experience make it viable. 
    • Salary: ~$104K median (BLS 2023), with 28% growth projected. 
    • Path: Begin as an admin assistant, pursue an MHA for advancement. 
    • Suggested Elective Course Areas: Public Health and Healthcare Administration

      · HLTH 1370 Health & Wellness
      · HLTH 1373 Foundations of Public Health
      · HLTH 3370 Contemporary Public Health Issues
      · HLTH 3380 Healthcare Administration
      · HLTH 4340 Public Health Program Planning
      · HLTH 4370 Community Health
      · HLTH 4315 Health Economics
      · ECON 1301 Principles & Policies

  • Sports Agent
    • What You’d Do: Represent athletes, negotiate contracts, and secure endorsements (e.g., NFL, NBA players). 
    • Why It Fits: Your leadership skills shine in client advocacy and relationship-building. Business, law, or sports management electives prep you. 
    • Salary: Varies widely—$50K-$200K+ based on commissions. 
    • Path: Intern with agencies, pass union exams (e.g., NFLPA certification). 
    • Suggested Elective Course Areas: Sport and Recreation Management

      · KINT 1301 Introduction to Kinesiology
      · KINT 1305 Intro to Sport & Rec Mgmt
      · KINT 2372 Sport & Recreational Admin
      · KINT 2374 Psychology of Sport
      · KINT 3352 Legal Issues in Sport & Recreation
      · KINT 3354 Cultural Diff & Diversity in Sport
      · KINT 3365 Sport Media & Public Relations
      · KINT 4332 Finance & Budgeting
      · KINT 4334 Ethics in Sport
      · KINT 4335 Marketing for Sport & Recreation



  • Teacher
    • What You’d Do: Lead classroom instruction, plan lessons, and manage student engagement in subjects like social studies, English, special education, or business.
    • Why It Fits: A Leadership Studies degree equips you with communication, problem-solving, and mentorship skills, perfect for leading a classroom and inspiring students.
    • Salary: $50,000–$68,000 annually in Texas, depending on district, experience, and subject (e.g., special education often includes stipends for high demand). Source: Texas Education Agency and district data, 2023. 
    • Path:
      · Earn a bachelor's degree in Leadership Studies.
      · Enroll in a Texas-approved alternative certification program (ACP) for training and exam prep.
      · Pass TExES exams (e.g., content area like Special Education EC-12, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities).
      · Secure a teaching position, often with pay during an intern year, and complete ACP requirements for a standard certificate.
    • :
      · Early Childhood-Grade 6 (EC-6): Generalist for elementary teaching.
      · Grades 4-8: Generalist or specific content area (e.g., Social Studies, English)
      · Grades 7-12: Subjects like Social Studies, English, or Business.
      · Special Education (EC-12): High demand, uses mentorship skills.
      · Career and Technical Education (CET) (e.g., Business and Marketing, leverages leadership  expertise)
      · Check tea.texas.gov for approved ACPs offering these certifications.
    • Suggested Elective Course Areas: Professional Pedagogy and Human Development
      · PEDG 2310 Intro to Teacher Education
      · PEDG 2342 Diversity of Learners
      · PEDG 3332 Technology in Education
      · PSYC 2301 General Psychology
      · PSYC 3370 Child & Adolescent Psychology
      · SOCI 4320 Sociology of Education
      · SOWK 4320 Child & Adolescent Mental Health
      · FMST 3340 Human Development I
      · FMST 3341 Human Development II
  • Nonprofit Manager/Program Director
    • What You’d Do: Lead mission-driven organizations (e.g., charities, NGOs), managing teams, fundraising, and programs. 
    • Why It Fits: Your focus on ethics and motivation suits nonprofit organizations. Grant writing or budgeting skills enhance this. 
    • Salary: ~$70K median, varies by org size (Nonprofit Quarterly, 2023). 
    • Path: Volunteer or intern, move into program coordination.
    • Suggested Elective Course Areas: Non-Profit Management and Financial Stewardship

      · ECON 1301 Principles & Policies
      · ACCT 2301 Intro to Financial Accounting
      · ACCT 2302 Intro to Managerial Accounting
      · MGMT 3300 Critical Thinking & Business Decision Making
      · MGMT 3320 Production Management
      · MGMT 3310 Principles of Organ Beh & Mgmt
      · MGMT 4320 Advanced Organ Beh
      · MGMT 4340 Quality & Productivity Mgmt
      · BUAL 2305 Business Statistics
      · MATH 1324 Math for Bus & Social Science

  • Corporate Trainer/Leadership Development Specialist
    • What You’d Do: Design and deliver training to improve employee skills and leadership (e.g., at Fortune 500 companies). 
    • Why It Fits: Your degree is literally about leadership—perfect for teaching it. Add communication or education courses. 
    • Salary: ~$62K median (BLS 2023 as “Training Specialist”), higher in big firms. 
    • Path: Start in HR or training roles, consider a certification (e.g., ATD). 
    • Suggested Elective Course Areas: Organizational Development and Communication

      · COMM 1318 Interpersonal Comm
      · COMM 3390 Conflict Mgmt & Small Group Com
      · PSYC 2301 General Psychology
      · PSYC 3330 Psych of Social Interaction
      · PSYC 3340 Industrial Psychology
      · MGMT 3300 Critical Thinking Business Decision Making
      · MGMT 3330 Human Resource Management
      · MGMT 3310 Principles Mgmt/Org Beh
      · MGMT 4320 Advanced Org Beh
      · MGMT 4350 Issues in Human Resource Mgmt


       
  • Project Manager
    • What You’d Do: Plan and execute projects (e.g., tech rollouts, construction), ensuring timelines and budgets are met. 
    • Why It Fits: Leadership Studies preps you to guide teams and solve problems. Project management or operations courses help. 
    • Salary: ~$95K median (BLS 2023), strong demand. 
    • Path: Begin as a project coordinator, earn a PMP certification. 
    • Suggested Elective Course Areas: Project and Operations Management

      · MGMT 3310 Principles of Organ Beh
      · MGMT 3320 Production Management
      · MGMT 3340 Project Management
      · BUAL 2305 Business Statistics
      · MATH 1324 Math for Bus & Soc Science
      · INEN 4315 Industrial Management
      · INEN 4369 Engineering Management
      · INEN 4380 Project Management
      · MISY 3310 Principles of MIS
      · MISY 4350 Project Mgmt & Practice

     

  • Entrepreneur/Small Business Owner
    • What You’d Do: Start your own venture, leveraging leadership to build a team and strategy. 
    • Why It Fits: Your skills in vision-setting and decision-making are entrepreneurial gold. Business or marketing electives support this. 
    • Salary: Varies wildly—depends on success. 
    • Path: Gain industry experience, develop a business plan. 
    • Suggested Elective Course Areas: Entrepreneurship and Business Strategy

      · ECON 1301 Principles & Policies
      · ECON 2301 or ECON 2302 Principles of Econ I or II
      · ECON 3310 Economics of Entrepreneurship
      · MKTG 3310 Principles of Marketing
      · MKTG 4350 Entrepreneurship Market Opportunities
      · MGMT 3300 Critical Thinking Bus Decision Making
      · MGMT 3310 Principles Mgmt/Org Beh
      · MGMT 4380 Seminar on Entrepreneurship
      · BUAL 2305 Business Statistics
      · MATH 1324 Math for Bus & Social Science
      · FINC 3310 Principles of Finance

  • Public Relations Manager
    • What You’d Do: Shape an organization’s image, manage media, and handle crises. 
    • Why It Fits: Your communication and persuasion skills are key. PR or media courses round it out. 
    • Salary: ~$125K median (BLS 2023), growing with digital media. 
    • Path: Start in PR coordination, build a portfolio. 
    • Suggested Elective Course Areas: Public Relations and Strategic Communication
      · COMM 1318 Interpersonal Communication
      · COMM 2362 Principles of Public Relations
      · COMM 2371 Advertising Principles & Practices
      · COMM 3362 Public Relations Writing
      · COMM 3371 Advanced Advertising
      · COMM 4310 Communication Law
      · COMM 4340 Organizational Communication
      · COMM 4362 Public Relations Cases/Campaigns
      · COMM 4370 Issues Management Seminar
      · COMM 4383 Persuasion

  • Educational Leadership
    • What You’d Do: Guide and improve educational systems as an instructional coach or administrator (e.g., principal).
    • Why It Fits: While not a direct teaching content area, your abilities in strategic thinking, team management, and vision-setting prepare you to transition to impactful leadership positions, amplifying your influence on education.
    • Salary: ~$70,000-$100,000 annually for advanced roles.
    • Path:
      · Start by obtaining a teaching certificate through an (ACP).
      · Gain classroom experience as a teacher.
      · Pursue a Master's in Educational Leadership.
      · Pass the TExES Principal as Instructional Leader (268) exam and the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL).

Quickstart to the MBA program

For students who are earning a Leadership Studies degree, after completing MGMT 3311 Leadership Essentials, students will formally be accepted into the Leadership studies major. If the GPA is 2.5 or above, students will be invited to participate in the early start five-year BS Leadership Studies/MBA Program. Students may be eligible to receive scholarship funds, if their GPA is 3.25 or higher, and they elect the on-campus Lamar MBA program. 

After completing the two required prerequisite courses (ACCT 5315 and FINC 5300) and potentially one additional MBA course, students will have nine graduate courses (27 credit hours) remaining which could be taken in one year (3 courses each fall/spring semester and three courses in the summer).

Graduate Programs

The Bachelor of Science in Leadership Studies is a solid base for a variety of graduate programs.

  • Law School: Become a lawyer (e.g., sports law, corporate law) with LSAT prep and electives like  logic or writing.
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA): Elevate to executive roles in any field - supply chain, health, or consulting
  • Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA): Specialize in healthcare management.
  • Master of Public Administration (MPA): Focuses on public-sector management, policy analysis, and ethical governance. 
  • Master of Management Information System (MIS): Great for managing tech teams, overseeing IT infrastructure, or consulting tech solutions. 
  • Master of Engineering Management (MEM): Ideal for managing engineering teams projects or operational systems in industries like software or manufacturing. Prerequisites courses are needed for entrance. 
  • Master of Education (MEd): School administrator, corporate training, public education context, digital learning specialist. 
  • Master of Kinesiology/Sports Management (MSK): Coaching and fitness with degree in sports management overlap more with roles sports marketing managers and athletic director 
  • Master of Public Health (MPH): Focuses on global health issues. It is designed to prepare students for health administration positions 
  • Master of Strategic Communication (MASC): Career opportunities in a wide variety of sectors, including corporate, government, nonprofit and entrepreneurial.