13 Masters in Leadership and Management Online

A Masters in Leadership and Management is a postgraduate course for managers and professionals. Students learn how to direct work activities.

Masters in Leadership and Management

Gain tools to communicate, direct and lead. Specialities in education, health, nursing, and more.

A leadership and management masters is an advanced postgraduate program for managers and professionals. Participants learn how to direct work activities, with an increased emphasis on influencing and a reduced focus on the doing side of things.

Leadership courses prepare you for senior roles by developing your management strategies, vocabulary and confidence. You gain new perspectives on the art of managing and leading, along with tools to make an immediate impact. Various specialisations are available, including in leadership, management, healthcare, education, and nursing.

Best Masters of Leadership Online

Master of Leadership at Deakin University

Deakin University has the ideal leadership and management degree to advance your career efficiently. The program centres on professional practice. You demonstrate competencies by exploring activities you do in the workplace.

Show More

The Master of Leadership is ultra affordable, can be completed in 12 months, doesn't interrupt your career, and supports interaction with instructors and classmates.

Topics include: communication, digital literacy, teamwork, adaptive mindsets, leading and developing people, driving strategic results.

Details

Master of Management at UNSW Online

The Master of Management from UNSW Online develops business management skills. The program is delivered by the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the UNSW Business School. Improve your leadership skills with experiential learning.

Show More

Participants complete business projects and case studies, and get opportunities to apply contemporary management practices.

Electives include Analytics and Business, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Managing with Digital Technology.

Details

MBA at UTS Online

The Master of Business Administration from UTS Online is for busy professionals who want to study part-time on their terms. The flexible online format means you can choose a direction that fits your career goals. Specialisations are available in Digital Marketing, Health, Organisational Learning, Business Analytics, and Technology Management.

Show More

You can customise your studies using the Flex Stream, which allows you to combine electives to match your interests.

Asynchronous online study means you can apply what you learn straight away in your current role.

Details

MBA at SCU Online

The Master of Business Administration from SCU Online provides opportunities to explore leadership styles, and gain specialist knowledge on a range of business disciplines. Majors are available in Accounting, Health Services Management, Information and Knowledge Management, and Managing and Leading People.

Show More

Participants benefit from the ability to specialise in high-demand areas such as accounting, information management, and health services management.

The study paths build valued skills, enhancing your attractiveness to employers. The SCU Online MBA is rated among the best-value business degrees in Australia.

Details

MBA (Leadership) at CQUniversity

The CQUniversity MBA (Leadership) is a self-paced online degree with no fixed schedules, classes, or submission deadlines. The program develops leadership, communication, strategic thinking, and decision-making skills for professionals seeking management and executive roles.

Show More

Subjects include Strategic Marketing, Global Economics, Business Analytics, International Business Law, and People, Leadership and Culture. A leadership capstone project allows students to apply management concepts to professional scenarios.

CQUniversity has more than 25 years of experience in online education. Unlike most Australian online MBAs, this program is fully self-paced, making it suitable for independent learners balancing study with work and family commitments.

MBA (Health)

The Health specialisation for the MBA at UTS Online has 12 subjects. For the four electives, students choose from health-related options.

About this guide

Lerna Courses reviews and compares postgraduate programs using verified information from university handbooks, admissions pages, and official course outlines. Content is written and maintained by an experienced education publisher, and updated periodically to reflect the current online study landscape. Our goal is to ensure readers receive reliable, unbiased guidance.

Why This Degree Is Worth It

Leadership and management programs are about learning how to wield influence on others. Your communication style, problem-solving approaches, consultation methods and planning skills are examples of qualities you should develop and refine. Leaders and managers require a different toolkit to bring out the best in others.

Studying leadership and management at university may bring surprising benefits, as you move beyond an education that may have been confined to what you observed in the workplace. Students achieve breakthrough gains in their leadership understanding and add practical strategies to achieve real results. Graduates also come away with a qualification that demonstrates a commitment to self-improvement and a desire to capitalise on their innate leadership potential.

Related: Is a Masters in Leadership Worth It?

Specialisations

  1. Leadership
  2. Management
  3. Educational Leadership
  4. Health Management
  5. Nursing Management
  6. Project Management
  7. Technology Management

Leadership

An online Master of Leadership degree is for professionals with significant experience. The idea of the program is to get you thinking about leadership styles and methods. Self-reflection is usually a big part. By contemplating theory and your own practice, you develop strategies to be a better leader.

Management

A Master of Management is a general managerial program that delivers transferrable executive skills. Salary benefits to graduates come from improved on-the-job performance and enhanced communication skills. As well, holding a management qualification gives employers more confidence to appoint you to senior roles.

Educational Leadership

A Masters in Educational Leadership is for teacher trainers and other learning managers. Program participants explore how to better support professional development and learning innovation.

Education leaders are needed in schools, universities, corporate settings, healthcare, the public sector and in community settings. A master's education provides authority and skills to help you take on new challenges. The degree covers topics such as leading staff, measuring and improving learning outcomes, and digital learning.

Health Management

If you're in health care, an online Master of Health Management may be the ideal leadership program. These courses are aimed at people who know the health industry and are looking for greater job responsibility.

Different specialisations are available, allowing you to choose the best course to meet your career goals. Masters degrees are, for example, available in health administration, health information management, health services leadership, digital health, and nursing management.

Nursing Management

As an experienced nurse, you can specialise in leadership and management with a Masters of Nursing. The postgraduate degree prepares you for senior roles such as manager of a nursing team, nursing coordinator, or a health services or facilities manager.

Students explore topics such as how to lead teams, financial management, collaboration in health care, and conflict and dispute resolution. Online courses are designed for working professionals, and you can continue your nursing duties while studying for your degree.

Project Management

Gain the credentials and operational framework to excel as a project manager with a Masters in Project Management. The program covers all the essential skills to effectively direct a project.

Participants learn to plan projects, manage finances and risks, and communicate effectively. This comprehensive education prepares them for PM roles across industries. Graduates gain a university qualification and a versatile skill set, positioned for roles such as project manager, project coordinator, project engineer, and business analyst.

Technology Management

Prepare to to lead in tech fields with a Masters in Technology Management. The degree explores enterprise technology, AI, and cybersecurity from a manager's perspective. You gain knowledge and insights with which to lead projects and organisational change.

The program prepares you for high-level management roles, enhancing skills in digital systems management, data analytics, and strategic planning. Graduates perform roles such as IT Manager, CIO, CTO, and more, with excellent job and salary prospects.

What You'll Study (Course Structure)

Master's degrees in leadership and management explore different aspects of the job of being a manager in charge of people and operations. Using theory and principles, case studies, personal reflection and projects, you'll engage your mind on leadership issues and strategies.

The degrees are, in some respects, like stripped down versions of a Master of Business Administration. Programs may be shorter than an MBA, consisting of 8 subjects instead of 12. And the 'missing subjects' tend to be business units. There is a firm focus on developing your management and leadership skills.

By studying online as a part-time student, you can earn your degree while working full-time. These programs are designed for working professionals.

Topics you'll likely cover include the following.

Career Opportunities

Man and woman meeting across table in professional work setting

Earning a Master of Leadership and Management (or similar) creates career opportunities across all sectors of the Australian economy. Effective managers and leaders are needed everywhere to administer operations, manage teams, and drive productivity improvements. A general program of study will enhance your career prospects no matter which sector you're in.

Gaining an education in managing and leading is valuable because you probably did little exploration of this field in previous university studies. The programs fill knowledge gaps, introducing new concepts that you may not encounter in your daily professional experiences. Graduates benefit from a proven commitment to being a good manager plus the knowledge and skills to maintain an upward career trajectory.

Specialised programs are obviously designed to give students an edge in certain fields. For example, a leadership in education course prepares you to be a school principal, program director or education administrator among other occupations. A health management qualification is ideal for jobs such as practice manager or nursing unit manager.

Entry Requirements

As a postgraduate course, a bachelor degree is normally required to be admitted. But, if you have sufficient management experience, an alternative pathway may be to do an embedded graduate certificate course. Completed subjects count as credit towards your master degree.

Experience requirements generally apply for these kinds of programs. To contextualise course content, students need the experiences of being managed and doing the managing.