Master of Science in Digital Leadership
of the workforce does not have the skills needed to compete in the digital future*
A degree at the intersection of leadership and Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies
of companies believe their industry will be digitally disrupted, but only 43% are prepared for it*
Master’s in Digital Leadership Program Snapshot
Academic Term
Entry Points
Spring quarter (March)
Program Length
FORMAT
Fully online
Topics covered include
blockchain
cloud computing
digital ethics and privacy
business model innovation
leading digital teams
digital transformation
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Aaron Duncan, PhD
Program Director, Master's in Digital Leadership
Schedule a 30-minute online one-on-one with the program director, Aaron Duncan, to learn how you can customize the MSDL to fit your specific needs and meet your professional goals.
Shane Portfolio
Senior Vice President of Field Operations Engineering, Comcast Cable
"We're at an incredibly important time in our industry where we need to make sure we have people that have both technical depth and the ability to lead people. DU has put together an incredible digital transformation and digital leadership curriculum that goes about making sure that those two things are emphasized in an integrated way."
Mark Fitzgerald
Principal, Denver, Captech Consulting
"To succeed as a leader today, digital literacy is not enough. You have to move from awareness of the role technology plays in your business, to active engagement with the strategies and technical capabilities that create meaningful, differentiated value for your organization."
Frannie Matthews
President and CEO, Colorado Technology Association
"The leaders of today and the future must be able to navigate a world that is continuously being disrupted by technological advances. These individuals must predict the impact of emerging technologies and ensure their organizations are capturing the efficiencies, mitigating risk and leveraging the innovation. This program enables employees to gain the critical skills required to lead successfully."
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What You’ll Learn
The MSDL curriculum integrates the principles of leadership through digital transformation with courses to develop your technical knowledge. While completing the degree, you’ll also earn a Specialized Graduate Certificate in Digital Transformation.
Sprint Courses
Sprints are 5-week courses that blend online learning with one night a week of online in-class engagement with your instructor and peers. In this program you’ll take several 1- to 2-credit Sprints, which immerse you in a single topic.
Capstone Project
In your capstone project, you’ll apply what you’re learning to your organization or another business or nonprofit in real time, developing solutions to an existing problem.
You’ll graduate having completed a real-world project that you’ll want to share with your organization and prospective employers.
Why the Daniels College of Business
- Gain the skills to digitally transform your organization and position it for future success.
- Become a future focused leader by gaining experience in digital transformation, business model innovation, leading digital teams, and intrapreneurship and leading change.
- Learn the business case for technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity and virtual reality that drive the growth of industries.
- Develop a data-driven mindset that emphasizes analytics, agile, and digital ethics and privacy in the business decision-making process.
- With fully online courses, study from anywhere in the world.
- Apply what you learn rather than just writing about it, with our live capstone based on a real-world problem.
Master’s in Digital Leadership Program Tuition
Base tuition (2022–2023): $69,075 | Typical scholarship range (% of tuition): 10-60%*
*Scholarships are based on academic records, testing and employment credentials, and are not guaranteed. Contact daniels@du.edu or 303-871-3416 for more information.
Professional Opportunities for Digital Leaders
Whether you choose to advance in your current company, or you want to explore other opportunities, a degree in digital leadership will provide you with skills that are in high demand in the job market.
Recent job openings for digital leaders:
“85% of jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t been invented yet.”
— Institute for The Future
Digital Strategy Lead
$150,000-$195,000
Director, Transformation and Digital Demand
$150,000-$195,000
Innovations and Digital Transformation Consultant
$81,000-$103,000
Digital Strategy Director
$135,000-$203,000
Manager, Digital Product Management
$80,000-$155,000
Digital Design Consultant
$60,000-$102,000
Principle Digital Strategist, Travel and Hospitality Lead
$99,000-$125,000
Organizational Change Manager
$121,000-$166,000
Digital Assets Consultant
$63,000-$233,000
How to Apply to the Master of Science in Digital Leadership
We welcome applicants from all professional backgrounds and academic disciplines. No prior work experience—or background in business—is required. To apply, you must submit:
- Official college transcript(s)
- Professional resume
- Essays
- $100 application fee
GMAT or GRE scores are optional. If you determine that your application will be stronger with GMAT or GRE scores, please submit them when you apply.
All accepted students are automatically considered for scholarships. No additional application is needed.
Visit our graduate admissions page for more information about application requirements.
FAQs for the MS in Digital Leadership
What industries/backgrounds do students come from?
Students come to the digital leadership program from a variety of business backgrounds and with bachelor’s degrees in a variety of subjects. Leading change through digital transformation isn’t unique to one industry or type of business; it’s a necessity for all organizations to be competitive in the future. Some of the more prevalent industries we see interested students coming from include:
| consumer | aviation and travel | consulting |
| energy | advanced materials | oil and gas |
| health care | professional services | telecommunications |
| logistics | IT | mining and materials |
How technical is the MSDL curriculum? Do I need technical skills to join the program?
The MSDL curriculum is designed for both non-technical and technical students to explore new technologies from a business leadership perspective. The technical courses won’t cover any coding, programming or electrical engineering. Instead, you’ll learn how ideate, integrate and innovate using technology to create new value for your organization.
How much technical expertise will I develop?
The program will help you develop a business-level fluency of Fourth Industrial technologies and the technologies that support them. By the end of the program, you should be able to understand what they are, how they are currently used in business and how you might be able to leverage them in your own organization.
Have other questions? Contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at daniels@du.edu or 303-871-3416.