This program is in Phase-Out Status, approved by the Connecticut Office of Higher Education for a period of two years, during which the program can be reactivated.
Core Philosophy
Leadership is an Art, a unique, non-repeatable expression of an individual human life.
If you do not explore and express your Leadership, it will die with you.
Foundational Principles
The Master of Arts in Leadership (MAOL) is founded on 3 core principles
MAOL Overview
TGI offers the first and only Master of Arts in Leadership in Connecticut. Our unique program approaches leadership as both an art and a science.
The faculty for the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (MAOL) was assembled to provide the most diverse and stimulating developmental experience possible and includes advisors to some of the world’s largest companies - as well as some of the most famous start-ups. The faculty also includes academicians, researchers, artists, and thought leaders in disciplines of Design and Sustainability. Together, they work with TGI students to help each student identify, define, and achieve their vision of leadership—in the community, on the job, or even at home.
Students design and execute individualized “breakthrough” projects, often to astounding results. Past projects have included establishing a network of healthcare clinics in Haiti, founding a not-for-profit insurance company with a charitable aim, creating partnerships and alliances among local educational districts and state agencies, and a number of other initiatives that have generated revenues and cost savings in the millions of dollars.
But the real value of this program can’t be measured in dollars and cents. It’s in the personal and professional development of each of our students and alumni, who are committed to making leadership part of their capacity and whose leadership is actively making a difference in the world we live in.
Learning in the MAOL occurs through 3 types of experience: Inquiry, Practice, and Application. Together, these three approaches provide an integrative approach to exploring, embodying, and expressing your unique expression of Leadership. Note that Learning Experiences are not discreet courses but rather a way for you to get a preliminary sense of what you will experience in the program. 
Course Descriptions
Click here to view a description of all courses in The Graduate Institute's Catalog.
Program Structure & Experience
The MAOL is a cohort experience: you will engage in all coursework with the same group of 8-12 individuals over the course of two years. This format facilitates the forming and nurturing of a powerful community of practitioners. In our experience over the past 25 years, the value that emerges from the community of learners over time is as important to your development as the value provided by the instructors we bring in to work with you. The holding of intentional space for this community to form is one of the primary accountabilities of the program's core faculty.
Course Dates
Click here to view or download the schedule for in-person and interactive webinar classes.
Academic Director
Biography
For 25 years, Al has been an Advisor to executives, entrepreneurs, and activists in North America &
Europe and has worked with dozens of the world's most influential and innovative organizations. He created the current design of the MAOL program with an emphasis on the creation of Futures that are informed by an Integrative approach to our economic and social lives. Al is accountable for each cohort's overall development as Leaders and Change Agents and is present at all cohort sessions to facilitate weaving courses into the broader fabric of the learning experience. He also leads courses on the personal & interpersonal aspects of Leading, the nature of language and communication, and Systems Thinking & Design Thinking.
BiographyFaculty
Biography
Edgar Cardenas received his PhD in Sustainability from Arizona State University. As a social scientist, Dr. Cardenas focuses on social creativity and small group dynamics, exploring which processes and mechanisms foster creative collaborations. As an interdisciplinary artist, he investigates the ecological, cultural, and technological subtleties of human/environment relationships. In addition to his research and art practice, Dr. Cardenas has also developed, organized, facilitated, and led several artists-scientists collaborative projects, as well as moderated panels on this topic. Dr. Cardenas also holds an MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of New Haven with a focus on organizational development and conflict management.
Biography
Eric Marcus icoordinates the Master’s program in Industrial & Organizational Psychology (MAIOP) at the University of New Haven. He has been working as a consulting social psychologist for almost three decades, specializing in building the capacity of individuals, groups and organizations for a wide variety of public and private sector client systems. Primary practice areas include: leadership and team development, intra and inter group mediation and conflict resolution, diversity, feedback, change and resistance, and related areas. Dr. Marcus also conducts workshops on group dynamics, conflict resolution, feedback, team development and variations of these focused on particular client needs. Here at the University of New Haven he has been teaching courses in conflict resolution, negotiation and mediation, and organization development and change.
Biography
Sandra is a Senior Sustainability Scientist and Lecturer at Arizona State University where she created and facilitated an international fellowship program for science museum professionals and has also led workshops and trainings around the world. She has a Ph.D. in Sustainability from Arizona State University and an M.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from University of New Haven. Prior to starting her doctoral program, she assisted in forming Yale University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. In the MALC program, she provides oversight for student's overall progress towards graduation requirements, and lectures on the intersection of sustainability, systems thinking, and organizational leadership.
Biography
Jamie is an Associate Professor of Interior Design and Past Chair of the Department of Art & Design at the University of New Haven. She is committed to design as a tool for social change. Her fundamental values are rooted in experiential learning, multi-disciplinary collaboration, research-based innovation and environmental conservancy.
Biography
Mel is the founder of the Center for Leadership Studies. Mel was the creator of the original M.A. in Organizational Leadership design and is a pioneer in the field of Leadership Development. He serves as a deep institutional resource and leads courses on the intersection of language, reality, and organization.
