Nathan Snyder, Mold Designer with B. Braun Medical, posing at work.

Technical Leadership

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  3. Technical Leadership

Earn a bachelor’s with the leadership and supervisory skills employers seek when hiring and promoting!

Degrees & Offerings
  • B.A.S.
Location
  • Online
Department
College
Program Contact
Professor, Technical Leadership Coordinator
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Lead Innovation

Employers are constantly searching for professionals with expertise and supervisory skills needed to take charge of technical workgroups, project teams and service departments. Our Bachelor of Applied Science in Technical Leadership (BASTL) program builds on the expertise you’ve gained from your associate degree program. These courses add skills in business communication and collaboration, online team leadership, project management, staff training development, workplace diversity, accounting and budgets, intercultural communication, and conflict resolution.  

This Technical Leadership program offers a unique opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree from CU, building upon your existing Associate's degree. The program streamlines the path to a bachelor's degree by waiving general education requirements and leveraging online courses for completion. Articulation agreements are in place with several Pennsylvania community colleges, including Bucks County Community College, Harrisburg Area Community College, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Northampton Community College, and Delaware County Community College. However, the program is open to students with Associate degrees from all community colleges in Pennsylvania. Learn more at our Articulation Agreements page.

A Flexible Program to Complete Your Bachelor's

Graduates of all associate degree programs and working professionals with an associate degree enter the Technical Leadership program as juniors. Courses are offered online using asynchronous and synchronous delivery methods to accommodate the needs of working professionals.  

Students near the end of their associate degree program may dual-enroll and start Technical Leadership degree courses while completing their associate degree. Working professionals without an associate degree may complete their associate degree part-time at one of our partner community colleges and then transfer seamlessly into the BASTL degree program.  

Or ... Get a Jump-Start!

High school and CTC school students may often dual-enroll during their junior and senior years, enter a technical or service-related associate degree program (sometimes with up to a full semester of college completed), and then transfer seamlessly into the Technical Leadership program. 

The Message from Employers is Clear

There is a need for people who are skilled in their fields and have the ability to work effectively with their supervisors, colleagues and clients. The Technical Leadership program is an excellent degree pathway for those with an Associate’s degree seeking to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. In this rapidly-changing, globalized economy, companies seek technical professionals who are ready to assume leadership roles in project teams, workgroups and service departments. The Technical Leadership program provides the skills you need to advance in your field.  

Core Topics

  • Essential Skills for Technical Leaders
  • Leading Virtual Teams
  • Project Management
  • Intercultural Communication
  • Valuing Diversity
  • Business Communication & Report Writing
  • Conflict Management Resolution
  • Corporate Training
  • Instructional Design
  • Website Development
  • Information & Technology Applications
  • Data Analytics
  • Accounting for Supervisors
  • Capstone Experience
  • Internship

Course Delivery Format

  Bloomsburg

  Face-to-Face
  Online
  Hybrid

  Lock Haven

  Face-to-Face
  Online
  Hybrid

  Mansfield

  Face-to-Face
  Online
  Hybrid

This program maintains articulation agreements with community colleges and other academic institutions to create clear, defined pathways for transfer students continuing their education at Commonwealth University.

Courses and Curriculum

  Degree Progress: Enrolled students can review program requirements and track progress toward degree completion using the university’s degree audit and advising tool, Degree Works.

Technical Leadership courses are tightly chosen or designed around the competencies that will enhance the careers of the graduates of the degree completion program. The Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for the Commonwealth University core courses of the program are listed below. The program assumes that the students have a solid foundation in a subject area from the associate degree and/or their specialization courses.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  1. Build trust and group identity among team members to create a team environment that encourages accountability, creativity and innovation while motivating others toward goal accomplishment.
  2. Communicate effectively in professional situations using a variety of methods.
  3. Identify situations where training is required to meet individual, team, department, and organization goals. Design training and determine the best method to deliver necessary training.
  4. Use communication and project management skills to work effectively as part of a team to create limited-term projects.
  5. Analyze how leadership , management, and organizational principles shape the functioning of a technology area or department.
Department of Business, Innovation, and Technology
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Discover the Zeigler Institute for Professional Development (ZIPD) — a comprehensive educational experience that helps you build the personal and professional capacities you need for career success.

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Onward and Upward

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Complete Your Degree Online
Courses add skills in business communication and collaboration, leadership, project management and so much more.
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Graduates of all associate degree programs and working professionals with an associate degree enter the Technical Leadership program as juniors.

Continue to Explore

Amanda Williams, Project Manager for Crayola sitting at desk with giant crayon.

Technical Leadership is a driver for my success in my professional career. The program is a thoughtful blend of classes that have propelled me to grow and become the leader I am today.

Amanda Williams '23
Project Manager, Crayola
Nathan Snyder using microscope at his job with B. Braun medical.

After completing my Associate’s Degree, Commonwealth University’s Technical Leadership program was a natural step for me especially with the program’s flexibility and remote work option. The program’s course work included invaluable skills such as project management, virtual leadership, conflict resolution and eLearning. Through the technical leadership program I built on my already existing experiences and learned how to lead.

Nathan Snyder '24
Mold Designer, B. Braun Medical
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Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania’s Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Technical Leadership provided me with the road map and essential skills to tackle complex team challenges in-person and virtually, communicate solutions, and lead crossfunctional teams. The program’s focus on practical leadership, organizational strategy, and technical problem-solving directly translated to my role as a retirement planning consultant, helping me establish strong client relationships and drive impactful retirement solutions. More importantly, it also enhanced my ability to collaborate with internal and external partners, ensuring seamless implementation of retirement plans for businesses.

Ahmet H. Letif '23
District Manager, ADP
Tommy Kane at work standing next to a HVAC system.

Twenty-five years ago, I earned my associate’s degree and worked my way into engineering and management roles at prestigious organizations. However, I eventually hit a ceiling that my associate’s degree couldn’t break. When seeking new opportunities, I realized that despite my experience, I lacked a bachelor’s degree. In one memorable interview, the General Manager praised my qualifications but said HR wouldn’t approve hiring me without that degree. At 46, while working as a Production Manager, I enrolled in the BASTL program, which allowed me to build on my associate’s degree while continuing my career. The program’s coursework was directly applicable to my management role, and completing it helped me break through the barrier I couldn’t overcome with just an associate’s degree, opening up new career opportunities.

Tommy Kane '24
Nathan Snyder using microscope at his job with B. Braun medical.
Commonwealth University Placeholder Image
Tommy Kane at work standing next to a HVAC system.
Amanda Williams, Project Manager for Crayola sitting at desk with giant crayon.

Program Contacts

Regina Bobak

Regina Bobak

  • Professor, Technical Leadership Coordinator
  • Bloomsburg
Lunn Hummel

R. Lynn Hummel

  • Professor of Instructional Design and Technology
  • Bloomsburg
M.S. Instructional Design and Technology Professor

Jessica Briskin

  • MSIDT Program Coordinator, Associate Professor
  • Bloomsburg

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