Capella University

Step up and lead. Earn your degree at Capella University.

Capella University offers online degrees in the fields of business management, health care, higher education, human resources, information technology, mental health, K-12 education, public safety and public administration, social work, and public service leadership. An accredited university, Capella delivers a challenging education to more than 30,000 students in all 50 states and 45 other countries.

Capella combines outstanding academics with a supportive faculty and staff in a program designed for working adults. And with federal loan programs and scholarships available, 3 out of 4 Capella students receive financial aid.

An education that blends theory and practice to fuel your career

Capella University admissions requirements

Admissions requirements vary by program and specialization. International applicants residing outside the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands are not eligible for acceptance into programs requiring supervised clinical internships or practica within the Schools of Education, Human Services, and Psychology.

Financial aid at Capella University

Three in four Capella students receive financial aid to cover their expenses. Capella participates in several federal financial aid programs including the Federal Pell Grant Program and Federal Stafford Loan Program. Capella is also eligible to certify Veterans Educational Benefits and can provide information on other non-federal loan programs.

Capella-funded scholarships are also available in select disciplines, such as the Robert C. Ford Human Services Scholarship and the Helene Krivosha Scholarship for education students. There are also external scholarships offered specifically to Capella students, such as the Go the Distance Scholarship.

Capella University accreditation

Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), www.ncahlc.org.

Learn more about our 34 PhD, PsyD, DPA, DBA, DSW, EdD, EdS, MS, MSN, MPA, MBA, MPH, BS, BPA, and BSN degree programs and 122 specializations by filling out the form today.

Gain the expertise to lead and manage in today's global environment

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Capella University's business and management specializations are relevant to key professions, enabling students to take practical solutions directly from courses into the workplace. Bachelor's, master's MS, MBA, PhD and DBA degrees are offered.

Specializations include:

• Accounting (BS/MBA/PhD)
• Business Administration (BS/MBA)
• Finance (BS/MBA)
• Global Operations and Supply Chain Management (MBA/DBA)
• Human Capital Management (MS)
• Information Technology Management (MBA)
• Leadership (MS)
• Management and leadership (BS)
• Marketing (MBA)
• Strategy and Innovation (DBA)

MBA students at Capella have access to Professional Effectiveness CoachingSM, allowing them to work with a professional coach to develop more effective leadership skills. And in Capella's Combined BS/MBA option, you could start earning master's level credit during your bachelor's program, saving you time and money. Several of Capella's key business and management specializations are designed to meet specific standards set by leading professional organizations such as SHRM™ and PMI®.

Further your career in human resources with a degree online

Capella University's degree specializations give students the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the complex, rewarding field of human resource management and training.

Capella was named one of the top 5 online SHRM™ Learning System providers in 2006 and 2008 by the Society for Human Resource Management. A broad variety of specializations are available, including:

• Human Capital Management (MS)
• Industrial and Labor Relations (MS)
• General Human Resource Management (BS/MBA/MS/PhD)

Take your project management career to the next level—earn a degree online

Capella is a leader in project management education, and is a Project Management Institute (PMI®) Registered Education Provider. Choose a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree specializations in project management with either a business foundation or an IT foundation. As a Registered Education Provider, Capella has been approved by PMI to issue Professional Development Units (PDUs) for approximately 20 project management courses. This means learners may pursue their degree program and fulfill PDU requirements at the same time, or use Capella's PDU courses to meet eligibility requirements to take the Project Management Professional (PMP®) exam.

Step up and lead—earn a degree in public administration

Capella University's School of Public Service Leadership and School of Undergraduate Studies offer degree programs that can help you begin or advance your career in public administration and serve the public effectively. Capella is one of the few universities to offer all 3 public administration degree levels—BPA, MPA, and DPA—online.

Students will learn from faculty experts who have academic and professional experience in the public administration field. They bring insights from their backgrounds in regional, national, and international organizations, including the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Armed Forces, and the World Health Organization.

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business

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Capella University's BS in Business program delivers business fundamentals alongside practical applications in an interactive learning environment. The curriculum takes an integrated approach to complex organizational systems, preparing you to collaborate with diverse work groups.

Choose from specializations in

• Accounting
• Business Administration
• Finance
• Health Care Management
• Human Resource Management
• Management and Leadership
• Project Management
• Retail Management

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Emergency Management

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Advance your career in the fast-growing field of emergency management. This undergraduate specialization provides an overview of public safety research, theory, and principles within an emergency management framework. The curriculum focuses on such topics as emergency planning and decision-making, homeland security, disaster response and recovery, and hazard identification and mitigation. A capstone project provides the opportunity to apply and demonstrate emergency management skills gained during the course of the program. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing career advancement or deeper expertise in emergency management, or are planning to transition from the military into a civilian public safety career.

Concentration: As part of this specialization, you can use your electives to earn a concentration in Security Management for no additional time or money.

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Security Management

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Prepare yourself to assume a leadership role in the growing field of private security. Private security professionals are responsible for protecting the vast majority of the nation's infrastructure, 85 percent of which is privately owned. They are also increasingly recognized as being integral to the central business functions of corporations that must protect their operations against fraud, information and property theft, workplace violence, terrorism, and other security concerns. Capella's Security Management curriculum includes courses covering such topics as leadership; information, operational, commercial, and retail security; executive protection; laws and legal procedures; and security management in a global business environment. A capstone project provides an opportunity to apply and demonstrate your security management skills. People who choose this specialization may include military, public safety, or private security personnel who wish to pursue management positions focused on private security risk management and asset protection.

The National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have designated Capella University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

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Capella University's online MBA is designed to help you develop the business acumen and skills that matter most to organizations. In addition to gaining a thorough understanding of core business principles, you will build critical professional effectiveness skills in areas such as managing change, negotiation, and ethical leadership.

Specializations include:

• Accounting
• Finance
• General Business Administration
• Global Operations & Supply Chain Management
• Health Care Management
• Human Resource Management
• Information Technology Management
• Marketing
• Project Management

Master of Science (MS) in Business Analysis

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Strengthen your credentials in the fast-growing field of business analysis, which demands a combination of strong business and IT skills. The curriculum covers such topics as eliciting and analyzing business needs; determining, developing, and communicating IT project requirements; and implementing and monitoring IT solutions that meet business goals. Capella's Business Analysis specialization provides a unique opportunity to develop these skills online. People who choose this specialization are often interested in pursuing staff or consulting positions as business or computer system analysts.

Master of Science (MS) in Emergency Management

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Major disasters around the world have brought heightened appreciation for emergency professionals with the leadership skills to field manage complex, crisis situations, and coordinate the many agencies that often join forces to address emergency situations. This Emergency Management specialization is designed to deepen your understanding of the dynamics of all phases of natural and man-made disasters, including dealing with various human reactions, critical incident stress management, risk assessment, evaluation, and analysis, and managing critical incidents via the National Incident Management System (NIMS). People who choose this specialization often work in law enforcement, fire service, or other security or emergency management fields who want to expertly manage critical incidents.

Concentrations: As part of this specialization, you can use your electives to earn a concentration in Public Health or Homeland Security for no additional time or money.

Master of Science (MS) in Enrollment Management

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This unique enrollment management specialization is the only specialization program that leads to both a master's degree and a professional certificate in Enrollment Management from Noel-Levitz, a nationally recognized consulting firm specializing in higher education recruitment and retention. The curriculum focuses on effective enrollment management, student retention, marketing strategies, technology applications, and strategic enrollment planning. You will have an opportunity to immediately apply your new skills to real-world higher education demands by creating and implementing an enrollment management strategic plan. People who choose this specialization are often professional student services staff interested in advancing to higher education management or leadership positions in enrollment, financial aid, admissions, student affairs, and registrar departments.

Master of Science (MS) in General Organization and Management

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Design a master's specialization in Organization and Management that reflects your career interests and goals. Required courses provide an overview of important business functions and skills, including marketing, finance, data analysis, and strategic planning, emphasizing the critical thinking and analytical skills you need to manage real-world business situations. Elective course allow you to focus your study in such areas as leadership or human resources to develop deep subject matter expertise. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing management positions in a variety of business, government, and military settings.

Master of Science (MS) in Health Care Administration

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In the fast-growing field of health care management, a master's degree is the standard credential for most positions. This online health care administration master's program can make it more possible to earn this credential while continuing to work in the field. The specialization covers a wide range of health care management topics, including managed care, policy, law, finance, quality improvement and other course work designed to enhance your ability to successfully guide and strengthen the delivery of health services to consumers. People who choose this specialization are often health care professionals who wish to pursue management or director positions in a variety of health care settings.

Concentrations: As part of this specialization, you can choose to earn a concentration in Public Health.

Master of Science (MS) in Health Information Management

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Electronic recordkeeping and patient privacy mandates have created an increased demand for IT professionals in health care settings. This Health Information Management master's specialization offers health care-focused course work on information systems, databases, system security, data analysis, decision support, and strategic management, along with overviews of important IT and business topics. The curriculum follows the model curriculum of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and was developed to align with the criteria of the Commission on Accreditation for Health Information and Information Management (CAHIIM). It is designed to help you use information management and security to support efficient, accurate health care delivery and management. People who choose this specialization are often IT professionals pursuing health information management or consulting positions in hospitals, clinics, and health care systems.

Master of Science (MS) in Management of Nonprofit Agencies

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As careers evolve, seasoned human services professionals often wish to move from direct service delivery into higher positions where they can guide an organization's strategy or establish new programs to address emerging needs. This Management of Nonprofit Agencies specialization offers practical course work focused on contemporary issues faced by nonprofit agencies, including financial management, nonprofit entrepreneurship, ethnic and cultural awareness, strategic planning, and human resources and volunteer management. People who choose this specialization often wish to advance to nonprofit management positions or are considering starting their own nonprofit organization.

Concentrations: As part of this specialization, you can use your electives to earn a concentration in Public Health or Homeland Security for no additional time or money.

Master of Science (MS) in Organizational Leader Development

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Position yourself to fill the leadership shortage projected by many of today's businesses. This specialization focuses on the psychological principles of effective leadership, including course work in group psychology, psychological principles of strategic planning, psychology of leadership, and performance enhancement and motivation. It is designed to enhance your understanding of essential leadership characteristics and prepare you to effectively guide individuals, teams, and organizations. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing leadership or consulting positions within business, government, and other settings.

Master of Science (MS) in Public Safety Leadership

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With the field of public safety becoming broader and more complex, there is increased demand for public safety leaders who are knowledgeable on a range of public safety, criminal justice, and emergency preparedness issues, and have the business and human resources skills to effectively manage a complex organization. The master's-level specialization is designed to prepare you to handle the many facets of public safety leadership through course work that includes human development and behavior, organizational leadership, accounting and finance, and training and performance improvement. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing career advancement or consulting careers in law enforcement, fire services, emergency response, and other public safety professions.

Concentrations: As part of this specialization, you can use your electives to earn a concentration in Public Health or Homeland Security for no additional time or money.

Master of Science (MS) in Social & Community Services

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Strengthen your ability to advocate for and facilitate positive change in your community with this Social and Community Services master's specialization. The curriculum is designed to increase your understanding of such critical issues as cultural awareness, utilization of community resources, social change, and public policy. People who choose this specialization are often interested in pursuing management or community outreach positions in public or private organizations focused on serving community needs.

Concentrations: As part of this specialization, you can use your electives to earn a concentration in Public Health or Homeland Security for no additional time or money.

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Business Intelligence

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Prepare yourself to become a leader in business intelligence and complete an applied dissertation project that allows you to make an immediate, practical contribution to your organization. The curriculum incorporates information technology management, information science, quantitative analysis, decision science, and management science into a single specialization focused on strategic and tactical decision making in such areas as data warehousing, modeling, and analysis. You will also explore global perspectives of business leadership, including an opportunity to participate in an international field experience. Online courseroom discussions, specially designed networking sites, and face-to-face weekend residencies provide ongoing opportunities to build professional relationships and share knowledge with other business leaders around the country. This professional doctorate offers a defined program and built-in checkpoints designed to facilitate completion of both your course work and dissertation in three years. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing leadership, consulting, or teaching positions in the field of business intelligence.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Emergency Management

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With natural and man-made disasters stretching the capacity of responding agencies throughout the nation and around the world, the need for leaders in the field of emergency management has never been greater. This Emergency Management PhD specialization is designed to create scholar-practitioners with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to oversee emergency organizations, teach tomorrow's leaders, and consult on the effective management of complex emergency situations, including proactively eliminating or mitigating crises before they happen. Courses include case studies from Chemical, Biological, Radiological/Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) incidents and the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and opportunities for your own doctoral research to advance the field of emergency management.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in General Business

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Gain a deep understanding of business theory, research, and practice with this doctoral specialization in General Business. The curriculum is based on recognized industry standards, and reflects key learning competencies from academic and professional associations. Courses are designed to help you become a strategic thinker and leader in today's complex global business environment, able to address contemporary business issues from both a scholarly and practical perspective. You will also develop advanced knowledge and skills in research design and application to enable you to contribute to your field through doctoral research. This specialization prepares you to meet the critical need for business faculty, or to pursue business leadership, research, or consulting positions.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in General Human Services

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The General Human Services PhD specialization is designed for professionals in a wide range of human services and health care fields who wish to advance their knowledge and careers, and contribute to the field through doctoral research. The core courses provide an overview of the human services field's most relevant content, including adult development, diversity, ethics, strategic planning, and the impact of today's changing health care industry on human services. A wide range of elective courses provides you the flexibility to focus on a specific area of human services, such as counseling, family therapy, public safety, or social services. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing higher education faculty or human service leadership positions in social service, education, government, public safety, health care, and military organizations.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in General Organization and Management

Delve deeply into the business areas that match your professional interests and goals with this flexible organization and management PhD program. Required courses offer advanced study in such areas as organizational theory and practice, marketing and business strategy and practice, research, and statistics, preparing you to contribute to the field through your doctoral research. Focus your study by choosing from a broad range of electives in such areas as finance, marketing, operations, human resource management, IT management, and leadership. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing higher education faculty positions or business leadership or consulting positions in a broad range of military, government, business, and nonprofit fields.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Care Administration

Strengthen your scholarly knowledge and practitioner skills to advance your career in the fast-growing field of health care administration. This online Health Care Administration specialization includes advanced research and course work in analysis, strategic planning, organizational change, ethics, law, and quality improvement, focused on the health care field. People who choose this specialization are often experienced health care professionals or managers who seek higher education faculty positions or high-level leadership or consulting positions in a variety of private and public health care settings.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Information Technology Management

Break new ground within the growing field of IT management through your own doctoral research and advanced academic study into the interdependence of business and IT strategy. This PhD specialization offers a curriculum that balances study of advanced management theory and practice with key IT planning and delivery strategies, offering the knowledge and leadership skills you need to pioneer innovative solutions to complex IT issues within today's fast-moving business environment. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing chief information or technology officer, higher education faculty, or consulting positions in the field of IT management.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Information Technology - Project Management

Project managers play an increasingly strategic role within their companies and are being recognized as ―leadership track‖ employees. This IT-focused Project Management doctoral specialization offers the opportunity to develop the advanced IT, project management, and business knowledge of a leader. The specialization is also designed to help you develop solid research skills, culminating in a dissertation that advances the body of knowledge in this field. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing leadership, consulting, or faculty positions in IT project management.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Leadership

Enhance your ability to manage and lead in today's fast-paced, global business environment with this online Leadership PhD specialization. The curriculum offers a strong foundation in key business functions, along with focused leadership courses that allow you to carve your niche as a leadership expert in such areas as global leadership, leadership development, entrepreneurial leadership, and upper-echelon leadership. You will also conduct and apply advanced doctoral research to develop real-world answers to the challenges facing complex, 21st century organizations. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing higher education faculty positions or leadership or consulting positions in a variety of military, government, business, and nonprofit settings.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Management of Nonprofit Agencies

Increased demand for services, heightened government oversight, and competition for scarce resources have made nonprofit management skills more critical than ever. This Management of Nonprofit Agencies PhD specialization allows you to explore your own nonprofit research interests while deepening your knowledge of contemporary business and social issues faced by nonprofit leaders. The specialization includes nonprofit-focused course work in workplace diversity, board management, advocacy, fundraising, ethics, program management, and resource management. People who choose this specialization often wish to pursue higher education faculty or leadership positions in nonprofit organizations or are considering starting their own nonprofit organization.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Safety Leadership

Hone your expertise and advance your career in the growing field of public safety leadership. This PhD in Public Safety specialization combines doctoral research and a deep exploration of leadership and organizational theories, with courses that emphasize management skills, such as needs assessment, human resources, training, diversity, and labor relations. This doctoral specialization takes public safety leadership to the executive level for those who plan to lead, teach, or consult in the field of public safety, including law enforcement, fire services, emergency management, criminal justice, corrections and other public and private security and protective professions.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social & Community Services

Prepare yourself for community leadership by deepening your knowledge of contemporary societal issues and contributing to field through your own doctoral research. The curriculum for this Social and Community Services specialization offers in-depth study of major community and social work issues and social science research, along with elective courses that allow you to focus on areas that reflect your professional interests and career goals. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing higher education faculty positions, or advanced research, consulting or leadership positions in public or private organizations focused on serving community needs.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Training & Performance Improvement

Gain increased credibility as a leader in training and performance improvement through this PhD specialization that also includes valuable certification in ROI Methodology™ from the ROI Institute™. Based on the American Society for Training & Development's (ASTD) Human Performance Improvement model, the specialization is designed to deepen your understanding of strategic and tactical issues that are critical to the success of performance improvement interventions, and provide you opportunity to advance the field through your own doctoral research. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing chief learning officer, director-level, consulting, or higher education faculty positions in training, performance improvement, instructional design, or career counseling.

Doctor of Social Work (DSW)

Prepare yourself to lead social service programs, advocate for social justice and public policy changes, and share your advanced knowledge with future social workers. This professional doctorate, designed around national social work education guidelines, is one of very few online DSW degree programs. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, action research, and the incorporation of theoretical knowledge with practical experience. There is also a strong focus on the growing use of technology to expand the reach or effectiveness of social service programs, build awareness of important social issues, and enhance professional development. This DSW is designed to be completed in three years, with all courses taken in sequence, allowing you to learn and build professional relationships with the same cohort of students. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing leadership, faculty, or research positions in government, higher education, and social service organizations.

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If you are interested in this school and would like to find out more, please Request Information from Capella University.