“If you reflect on where the recurring problems in your organization are, on the intractable issues and their sources, the answer will generally be People. It is the human dynamics that inspire us and make us love what we do, or, unfortunately, the opposite,” says the Dean of the College of Business at the American University of Iraq-Baghdad (AUIB), Dr. Kate O’Neill, explaining that in Strategic Leadership theory, “people are the center of all organizations and businesses. So, if you want to be successful as a manager, an executive, or a business owner, or if you simply aspire to better understand the dynamics between people in your organization and want to learn strategies and tactics to deal with those relationships and make them better and more productive, the Master’s in Strategic Leadership Program is for you!”

AUIB’s new Master’s in Strategic Leadership (MSL) Program will launch in the fall semester of the coming academic year. Students will take general courses “about people and strategy,” before choosing one of four tracks of specialization, where the College of Business collaborates with other AUIB colleges in delivering interdisciplinary curricula:

The first track is in Education, delivered in collaboration with the College of Education and Human Development; the second is in Public Administration, delivered in collaboration with the College of International Studies and the College of Law; the third is in Public Health, delivered in collaboration with the College of Healthcare Technologies, the College of Pharmacy, and the College of Dentistry; and the fourth track is in Business and Organizations, featuring courses of the Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) program.

The MSL program is fashioned primarily, but not exclusively, to boost the knowledge and skills of people in mid-to-senior level management, building on their experience in administration and leadership. It uses the Peer Consultation model, “one of the hallmarks of U.S. business education at the Master’s level,” where “learners are equal participants in creating the learning process, as they share stories and experiences, discuss current problems they’re having, give input, and share advice, all while building professional networks,” explains Dean O’Neill, stressing the “incredible value” of this informal peer-to-peer consultation and the opportunities it opens up before participants in this very special business leadership program.