The Department of Leadership and Policy provides students with the skills necessary to become engaged citizens and to have a positive impact in their communities. Through graduate and undergraduate programs, students learn to become leaders in the nonprofit social sector, higher education and in social change. 

The graduate Organizational Leadership program offers a 30-credit Masters of Science degree with specializations in Nonprofit or Higher Education, and a 12-credit Certificate in Organizational Leadership. The Masters and Certificate programs prepare students to take on administrative, executive, and leadership positions gaining the knowledge, skills and values necessary to be effective in these roles. Students learn to build effective multi-cultural organizations where the talents and contributions of individuals from diverse backgrounds are recognized, respected, and valued.

The Wheelock Student Policy Fellows Program offers a unique cross-disciplinary opportunity for students who are inspired to stimulate political change on behalf of children and families. Students are placed in legislative offices in the Massachusetts State Housie for one semester, where they have the opportunity to become involved in a variety of legislative and policy issues. This valuable experience fortifies Wheelock students with the leadership, advocacy and policy skills necessary to work toward improving the lives of children and families at the legislative policy level. The approach of the Fellows Program is to expand students' cultural insight into the political and legislative processes that directly affect the lives of children and families. The goal of the program is to prepare young people to become leaders and advocates who will enact positive, systemic change.

The Department also sponsors the Winter Policy Talks, a series of talks that focus on issues impacting the lives of children and families. 

Organizational Leadership and Policy Faculty Members

Hope Haslam Straughan, Associate Dean of Social Work
Irwin Nesoff
Michele Gibbons-Carr