Gonzaga Introduces New Graduate Programs

With many professions becoming increasingly data driven, and the challenges of finding strong, service-oriented leaders common across industries, Gonzaga University is stepping up its efforts to offer new opportunities for students in the Inland Northwest and those studying online.

In the coming year, Gonzaga will offer three new master’s programs that will give students new tools to succeed in the future, while remaining rooted in the Jesuit values shared across all programs at GU. Two of the new programs begin this fall — the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) and Online Master of Business Administration — and are housed in the School of Business Administration, while the third, an online Master of Education in Educational Leadership with Principal Certification, is offered through the School of Education and will start in spring 2024. Gonzaga is currently accepting applications for all three programs.

The business school’s new offerings are a recognition, Dean Ken Anderson says, “that the world outside our business school continues to change, and we have an obligation to change with it.” Whether that means making the school’s well-established and nationally ranked MBA program available online or adding new in-person programs like the MSBA to provide students with future-looking tools in data systems and management, Gonzaga must keep evolving while delivering great value for students.

“These new additions complement what we are already doing in our business school,” Anderson says. “The Master of Science in Business Analytics builds on our recent efforts in analytics at the undergraduate level. It will have two tracks — business administration and accounting — to allow students to choose their focus. The Online MBA takes the essence of our very successful traditional MBA program and makes it available to students anywhere in a convenient, asynchronous format.

The new Master of Education in Education Leadership (MEEL) with Principal Certification is primarily an online offering designed for practicing educators in the state of Washington who aspire to be more effective leaders and principals in K-12 schools. The six-semester program offers students the opportunity to develop as a reflective leader committed to the spirit of inquiry and social justice while learning critical systems and theories to serve students into the future. It is scheduled for students to complete at the optimal time for applying for principal positions around the state, and working with an online cohort will provide a rich learning environment and peers with diverse backgrounds also working in the field, all guided by Gonzaga’s expert faculty.

Yolanda Gallardo, dean of GU’s School of Education, says the addition of the MEEL-Principal Certification is yet another way the school continually works to provide programs that are relevant and responsive to the needs of the community.

“By combining the Master of Education in Educational Leadership program with a principal internship experience, educators can build their capacity to lead and learn practical ways of improving schools while working to obtain the credential necessary to serve Washington schools as a formal principal,” Gallardo says. “Through inquiry-based practices, master's degree candidates learn to align school structures, evidence, and actions to enhance the values of the community using humanistic principles.”

For more information on the Master of Science in Business Analytics, visit gonzaga.edu/school-of-business-administration/graduate/msba.

For more information on the Online Master of Business Administration, visit gonzaga.edu/mba.

For more information on the Master of Educational Leadership with Principal Certification, visit gonzaga.edu/school-of-education/graduate/m-ed-in-educational-leadership-principal-cert.