Program Director

David Schmitz
Office: R-105
Phone: (414) 277-2487
Email: schmitz@msoe.edu

The MBA in STEM Leadership focuses on the professional development of STEM teacher-leaders, and targets those STEM teachers in K-12 education who aspire to enhance the role of STEM education in their schools, districts or organizations, and communities.  In addition, the program enhances the curriculum and leadership education gained by Project Lead the Way (PLTW) and MSOE Center for BioMolecular Modeling (CBM) teacher program participants, and brings graduate credit-granting work under the direct supervision of MSOE graduate program faculty.  The primary target audience for the program is thus teachers who participate in the PLTW or MSOE CBM programs and hope to assume STEM-related leadership roles in PK-12 education.

Program Faculty

Dr. (Hon.) G. Woodrow Adkins, Dr. Ruth Barratt, Dr. Rachel Boechler, Melinda Davies, Dr. Kathy Faggiani, Dr. Paul A. Hudec, Patricia Kramer, Katie McCarthy, Dr. Jenne Meyer, Dr. Kathleen Miezio, Dr. Katrina Moskalik, Paul Nistler, Dr. C. Kelly Lawrence Ottman, David Schmitz, Gary Shimek, Beth Slayman

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the general graduate program admission requirements , students must also meet the program-specific admission requirements listed in the Graduate Admission Requirements   section of this catalog.

Program Educational Objectives

At MSOE, program educational objectives refer to what graduates of the MBA in Education Leadership program are expected to achieve within several years of program completion:

• Integrate understanding of all business functional areas to lead organizations to achieve their stated mission.
• Direct innovative initiatives and formulate policies using sound analytical skills and evidence-based practice.
• Demonstrate the on-going integration of effective leadership traits and ethical principles into personal and professional personas.
• Build and sustain relationships among diverse constituents, stakeholders, and policy makers that foster a culture conducive to strong organizational performance.
• Build strong organizations by identifying and motivating talented people, and helping guide their development.
• Leverage existing and emerging technologies to enhance organizational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Rise to significant leadership positions within their respective field.
• Lead change efforts within courses and curriculum designed to enhance and support STEM education.
• Lead efforts within school districts and regional communities to facilitate growth in STEM initiatives.
• Ensure STEM curriculum decisions lead to high levels of student engagement and learning in the classroom.

Student Outcomes

The student outcomes refer to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions that program graduates will possess at the time of program completion. These are organized into the broad categories shown below that align with the Wisconsin Administrator Standards (1-7) and enact two key themes within the program: elimination of the global achievement gap (8) and character formation (9). All program graduates will be able to:

1. Apply knowledge in new and unfamiliar circumstances through innovation and a conceptual understanding of the business functional areas: accounting, finance, marketing, operations, and technology.
2. Create and implement a personal leadership plan to support on-going development of a specified range of leadership skills and abilities.
3. Employ strategic thinking and creative problem-solving to create and manage rapidly changing conditions.
4. Critically analyze and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to support decision-making.
5. Identify, evaluate, and address complex ethical issues facing the organization.
6. Design and propose policies and strategies that recognize the needs of multiple stakeholders and incorporate important economic, global, and cultural perspectives.
7. Analyze and evaluate complex issues in the global, political, economic, legal, and regulatory contexts of the organization.
8. Communicate ideas and proposed solutions to complex issues to multiple audiences using both oral and written formats.
9. Analyze and interpret financial data and determine the value of an organization using various techniques.
10. Evaluate, select and lead the implementation of technologies that support organizational priorities.
11. Collaborate with and facilitate communication among peers and stakeholders.
12. Identify and motivate talented people, and help guide their development.
13. Advocate for the integration of marketing, financial, technology, and organizational strategy to guide the organization.
14. Apply core business knowledge within the learner’s classroom and school to lead and promote the growth of STEM curriculum.
15. Lead collaborative efforts within the school district and local community to advance STEM initiatives.
16. Evaluate the impact on student learning and retention of K-12 STEM education changes.