Master of Business Administration in Strategic Leadership
Innovation That Executes. Leadership that Delivers.
Success isn’t one-size-fits-all—and neither is leadership. Barton’s MBA in Strategic Leadership empowers you to refine your unique leadership style while mastering the practical skills today’s organizations demand. This program combines strategic thinking with project execution, helping you grow into the kind of leader who doesn’t just respond to change but initiates it. With faculty who bring lived experience into every lesson, your learning stays grounded in what matters most: real results.
Advance Your Experience. Elevate Your Leadership.
Barton’s MBA in Strategic Leadership is designed for ambitious professionals who are ready to take their careers to the next level. Whether you aspire to lead cross-functional teams, drive strategic initiatives, or spearhead critical projects, this program will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and network to achieve your goals.
A Curriculum Designed for Impact
Our flexible and industry aligned curriculum integrates core business principles with specialized knowledge in strategic leadership and project management. Through a blend of theoretical frameworks, practical application, and real-world case studies with faculty who are both academics and real world industry experts, you’ll gain the skills and insights to lead with impact across industries.
Here’s a glimpse into the courses that will shape your journey:
Leading Competitive Organizations and Teams
- Benefit: Learn to create and foster a culture of excellence and empower your teams to consistently achieve a competitive advantage.
- You’ll Gain: Expertise in optimizing resources, understanding team dynamics, and implementing strategies that motivate individuals toward success in a rapidly changing global landscape.
Project Management:
- Benefit: Bring complex projects to successful completion, from initial concept to final delivery. This course bridges strategic foresight with hands-on execution, ensuring your projects are not just managed, but truly lead.
- You’ll Gain: Practical proficiency with essential project management tools and methodologies, alongside a deep understanding of how to lead non-routine, team-based initiatives effectively and strategically.
Strategic Leadership and Decision Making
- Benefit: Develop the ability to make informed, high-stakes decisions even in turbulent and uncertain environments. This course hones your strategic thinking, enabling you to confidently guide your organization’s direction.
- You’ll Gain: A toolkit of frameworks and models to analyze challenges, assess risks, and avoid common pitfalls, positioning you as a decisive and strategic leader who can identify and leverage opportunities.
The High-Performance Leader
- Benefit: Refine your individual leadership style and build the interpersonal skills crucial for influencing, motivating, and inspiring others. This course focuses on developing your personal capacity for ethical and effective leadership.
- You’ll Gain: An understanding of ethical responsibilities and the application of moral principles to leadership behavior, fostering positive relationships that drive development and organizational success.
Innovation and Change
- Benefit: Become the driver for innovation within your organization, building a culture that embraces change and consistently generates competitive advantage. This course is essential for leaders who want to ensure long-term sustainability.
- You’ll Gain: The critical insights and strategies to encourage creative thinking and promote innovative mindsets, ensuring your organization remains nimble, adaptable, and responsive to the evolving business landscape.
Why These Courses Matter for Your MBA Journey:
These interconnected and interdisciplinary courses build a comprehensive leadership foundation, ensuring you graduate not just with a degree, but with the practical skills, strategic mindset, and moral compass to:
- Lead High-Performing Teams: Go beyond management to inspire and empower.
- Execute Complex Projects: Deliver results with confidence and efficiency.
- Make Strategic Decisions: Navigate uncertainty and drive organizational direction.
- Develop a Culture of Innovation: Ensure adaptability and long-term competitive advantage.
Become an Ethical and Influential Leader: Build trust and inspire positive change.
Take the First Steps toward an MBA
Request Information
Program Details
Admission Requirements
Barton College offers a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Strategic Leadership for individuals who hold or will hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution by the time of MBA program entry. We operate on a rolling admissions calendar and offer multiple entry points, including the Fall, Spring, Summer, and Mid Semester. The recommended requirements include:
- Recommended GPA: A cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 or higher in your undergraduate studies. For current semester graduates, this will be based on your academic record at the time of application. Final admission may be contingent upon the successful completion of your bachelor’s degree and the maintenance of the required GPA.
- Resume: A current professional resume detailing your work experience and educational background. For current semester graduates, this can include relevant internships, projects, and extracurricular activities.
- Cover Letter: A cover letter outlining your interest in the Barton College MBA program, your career goals, and how the program aligns with your aspirations. Please indicate your desired entry semester in your cover letter.
- Interview: Participation in an interview to determine your final acceptance into the program. This interview assesses your attitude towards learning and sharing, and your potential to prosper in the program.
Important Note: Standardized tests like the GMAT or GRE are not required for admission, the admissions committee considers your overall college performance, work experience (if any), and references.
General Requirements for All Applicants:
- Application: Completion of the Barton College graduate application form, indicating your desired entry semester.
- Transcripts: Official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities. Current semester graduates should submit their most recent transcripts and arrange for a final official transcript to be sent upon graduation.
- English Language Proficiency (for International Students): If English is not your native language, you must provide proof of English proficiency through one of the following:
- TOEFL: Minimum score of 71 (Internet-based test). Barton’s TOEFL code is 5016.
- IELTS: Minimum score of 6.0.
- Duolingo English Test: Minimum score of 95.
- Submitting evaluated transcripts from a country whose primary language of instruction is English.
- A U.S. high school diploma and an official transcript showing at least two years of attendance at a U.S. school.
- Transfer from a U.S. college with a minimum of 12 credit hours and a grade of C or better in the first college-level English course (equivalent to WRT 101 at Barton College).
- Resume and Cover Letter: As specified above.
In the MBA program, you’ll learn to effectively leverage AI. However, when it comes to your cover letter, we ask that you refrain from using AI to write it. This letter is your opportunity to introduce us to who you are, in your own words, and demonstrate your unique insights, tell your story, and why you are applying to the Barton MBA program.
- References: While not explicitly listed as a recommended requirement for all degree-holding applicants, providing academic or professional references can strengthen your application.
- Interview: As specified above.
Application Deadlines:
- Fall Semester Entry: August 1 (though applications are reviewed on a rolling basis).
- Spring Semester Entry: December 1 (though applications are reviewed on a rolling basis).
- Summer Semester Entry: May 1 (though applications are reviewed on a rolling basis).
- Mid Semester Entry: Please contact the School of Business for specific deadlines for the mid-semester entry point, as these may vary.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition as of the 2025-2026 academic year is $595 per credit hour. Please note: This tuition rate applies to students beginning the program in the Fall 2025 semester. Tuition for current students may vary.