Master in Leadership and Organisation: Societal Challenges and Organisational Challenges
Malmö, Sweden
Master degree
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
15 Jan 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
31 Aug 2026
TUITION FEES
SEK 195,000 **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* first admission round; we recommend international students apply in this round
** full tuition fee
Key Summary
This two-year master’s programme provides you with in-depth knowledge and understanding of the challenges today’s organisations and businesses are facing. It focuses on the relationship between societal challenges and leadership and organisation at the intersection of the private, public, and non-profit sectors. The education engages with critical issues of leadership and organisational change such as power, ethics, resistance, gender, diversity, sustainability, and digitalisation. The education combines perspectives from organisation theory, sociology, learning, business administration, political science, and philosophy.
The programme will equip you with advanced knowledge of leadership and organisation theory. You will be looking at the relations between people, organisations, and societal challenges, and how to enable collaboration within organisations and across sectors about, for example, globalisation, digitalisation, inclusion, and sustainability.
During the first year, you will be taking courses within the main field of leadership and organisation. During the third semester, you will choose between several independent courses to deepen your knowledge in subjects such as leadership for sustainability, leadership within human service organisations, research within leadership and organisation, and entrepreneurship and international strategy. The programme concludes with the writing of a 30-credit master's thesis.
The programme has a strong, multidisciplinary connection to research. Several of the programme lecturers are active scholars with a focus on socially relevant challenges such as psychosocial work environment, gender equality, governance, and management in organisations. During the programme, you will be working in close collaboration with the ongoing research projects at the University.
Organisation
The aim of the Master’s programme is for the students to acquire advanced knowledge and a critical understanding of the mutual relationship between societal challenges, leadership, and organisation in private, public, and non-profit sectors, as well as knowledge of critical perspectives. After finishing the programme, the students will be able to move on to Ph.D. studies or qualified work within, e.g. national and international agencies and organisations.
The programme is multi-disciplinary and is grounded in the disciplines of Sociology, Pedagogy, Psychology, Business Administration, and Political Science. The programme is aimed at students and professionals who are interested in developing their knowledge and understanding of the challenges that organisations and businesses face.
The courses within the main area of Leadership and Organisation are taught in the first and second semesters. Several elective courses are offered in the third semester. The fourth semester consists of the mandatory Master’s thesis of 30 credits.
Contents
Autumn 2025 - Semester 1
- Leadership and Organisation: Societal Challenges - Perspectives on Leading and Organising (OL671E), 15 credits
- Leadership and Organisation: Societal Changes - Power and Resistance (OL672E), 15 credits
Spring 2026 - Semester 2
- Leadership and Organisation: Critical Perspectives on Leadership and Organisation (OL673E), 15 credits, compulsory
- Leadership and Organisation: Research Methods in Leadership and Organisation (OL674E), 15 credits, compulsory
Spring 2027 - Semester 4
- Leadership and Organisation: Master Thesis (OL675E), 30 credits, compulsory
Comment
- Semester 3: Students may choose to take courses at Malmö University or another university in Sweden or abroad (i.e. exchange studies). The Department of Urban Studies will offer a few elective courses. These will be made available during semester 2 in time for application. There will be a possibility for a research internship.
Knowledge and understanding
To obtain a Master’s degree in Leadership and Organisation, the student shall:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the main field of study, including both broad knowledge of the field and a considerable degree of specialized knowledge in certain areas of the field, as well as insight into current research and development work
- Demonstrate specialized methodological knowledge in the main field of study
Competencies and skills
To obtain a Master’s degree in Leadership and Organisation, the student shall:
- Demonstrate the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and analyze, assess, and deal with complex phenomena, issues, and situations even with limited information
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues critically, autonomously, and creatively as well as to plan and, use appropriate methods, undertake advanced tasks within predetermined time frames and so contribute to the formation of knowledge as well as the ability to evaluate this work
- Demonstrate the ability in speech and writing both nationally and internationally to report and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different audiences
- Demonstrate the skills required for participation in research and development work or autonomous employment in some other qualified capacity
Judgment and approach
To obtain a Master’s degree in Leadership and Organisation, the student shall:
- Demonstrate the ability to make assessments in the main field of study informed by relevant disciplinary, social, and ethical issues and also to demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
- Demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society, and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used
- Demonstrate the ability to identify the personal need for further knowledge and take responsibility for his or her ongoing learning
The perceived pressure for organisations to adapt to societal changes means that it is important that managers, leaders, and employees have solid knowledge and a critical understanding of governance, management, and organisation within and across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. In addition, there is an increasing demand for people who can integrate knowledge and understanding of power, gender, diversity, work, technology, and sustainability into leadership, organisation, and change.
Graduates will be qualified to work in various fields, such as management and organisational development within organisations, agencies, and companies, both nationally and internationally. The programme also prepares you for continued studies at the PhD level.