PSYC 648 is Liberty's graduate course in leadership and motivation in the MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Its written work is a weekly summary with takeaways posted to a group forum, three leadership case studies from Northouse, a 3 to 5-page leadership assessment project with a real leader, and a 4 to 5-page motivational theory intervention paper with 5 to 8 research articles.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as PSYC 648 Leadership and Motivation, 3 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as PSYC648.
What PSYC 648 covers
The catalog description: Review of psychological theories of and research on motivation and their application to work. Highlights how leadership relates to motivation, workplace climate and attitudes, and group performance. (Crosslisted with MSPS 658 )
The course reviews psychological theories and research on motivation and their application to work, and how leadership relates to motivation, workplace climate, attitudes and group performance. The texts are Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, and Latham, Work Motivation: History, Theory, Research, and Practice. Cross-listed with MSPS 658.
The final exam (100 points, six essay questions) has no guide here. Each week runs Monday to Sunday, and the final week ends Friday.
Textbook named in the published guide: Latham, Work Motivation: History, Theory, Research & Practice (2012). Northouse, Leadership: Theory & Practice (2015). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
PSYC 648 assignments, week by week
Every graded written assignment in the published guide has its own how-to guide below. Quizzes, exams, checklists and class introductions are left out because there is nothing to write.
| Week | Assignment | Points | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weekly Summary and Group Forum 1 | 50 | Summary at least 250 words with 5 to 10 takeaways; replies at least 100 words |
| 2 | Weekly Summary and Group Forum 2 | 50 | Summary at least 250 words with 5 to 10 takeaways; replies at least 100 words |
| 2 | Case Study 1 | 60 | Not set in the guide; answer each of the 3 to 4 questions |
| 3 | Weekly Summary and Group Forum 3 | 50 | Summary at least 250 words with 5 to 10 takeaways; replies at least 100 words |
| 3 | Case Study 2 | 60 | Not set in the guide; answer each of the 3 to 4 questions |
| 4 | Weekly Summary and Group Forum 4 | 50 | Summary at least 250 words with 5 to 10 takeaways; replies at least 100 words |
| 4 | Case Study 3 | 60 | Not set in the guide; answer each of the 3 to 4 questions |
| 5 | Weekly Summary and Group Forum 5 | 50 | Summary at least 250 words with 5 to 10 takeaways; replies at least 100 words |
| 5 | Leadership Assessment Project | 120 | 3 to 5 pages |
| 6 | Weekly Summary and Group Forum 6 | 50 | Summary at least 250 words with 5 to 10 takeaways; replies at least 100 words |
| 7 | Weekly Summary and Group Forum 7 | 50 | Summary at least 250 words with 5 to 10 takeaways; replies at least 100 words |
| 7 | Motivational Theory Intervention | 200 | 4 to 5 pages |
| 8 | Weekly Summary and Group Forum 8 | 50 | Summary at least 250 words with 5 to 10 takeaways; replies at least 100 words |
Week 1: Weekly Summary and Group Forum 1
A 250-word summary of the week's reading with 5 to 10 takeaways, posted as your group thread, then 2 replies to the week's research question. How to write PSYC 648 Week 1 Weekly Summary and Group Forum 1.
Week 2: Weekly Summary and Group Forum 2
A 250-word summary of the week's reading with 5 to 10 takeaways, posted as your group thread, then 2 replies to the week's research question. How to write PSYC 648 Week 2 Weekly Summary and Group Forum 2.
Week 2: Case Study 1
Answer 3 to 4 questions on a Northouse case study that matches the week's reading. How to write PSYC 648 Week 2 Case Study 1.
Week 3: Weekly Summary and Group Forum 3
A 250-word summary of the week's reading with 5 to 10 takeaways, posted as your group thread, then 2 replies to the week's research question. How to write PSYC 648 Week 3 Weekly Summary and Group Forum 3.
Week 3: Case Study 2
Answer 3 to 4 questions on a Northouse case study that matches the week's reading. How to write PSYC 648 Week 3 Case Study 2.
Week 4: Weekly Summary and Group Forum 4
A 250-word summary of the week's reading with 5 to 10 takeaways, posted as your group thread, then 2 replies to the week's research question. How to write PSYC 648 Week 4 Weekly Summary and Group Forum 4.
Week 4: Case Study 3
Answer 3 to 4 questions on a Northouse case study that matches the week's reading. How to write PSYC 648 Week 4 Case Study 3.
Week 5: Weekly Summary and Group Forum 5
A 250-word summary of the week's reading with 5 to 10 takeaways, posted as your group thread, then 2 replies to the week's research question. How to write PSYC 648 Week 5 Weekly Summary and Group Forum 5.
Week 5: Leadership Assessment Project
A 3 to 5-page project assessing a real leader with Northouse's assessments: case summary, proposed assessment, results and recommendations. How to write PSYC 648 Week 5 Leadership Assessment Project.
Week 6: Weekly Summary and Group Forum 6
A 250-word summary of the week's reading with 5 to 10 takeaways, posted as your group thread, then 2 replies to the week's research question. How to write PSYC 648 Week 6 Weekly Summary and Group Forum 6.
Week 7: Weekly Summary and Group Forum 7
A 250-word summary of the week's reading with 5 to 10 takeaways, posted as your group thread, then 2 replies to the week's research question. How to write PSYC 648 Week 7 Weekly Summary and Group Forum 7.
Week 7: Motivational Theory Intervention
A 4 to 5-page paper creating a workplace scenario and applying motivational theory from Latham to motivate employees, with 5 to 8 research articles. How to write PSYC 648 Week 7 Motivational Theory Intervention.
Week 8: Weekly Summary and Group Forum 8
A 250-word summary of the week's reading with 5 to 10 takeaways, posted as your group thread, then 2 replies to the week's research question. How to write PSYC 648 Week 8 Weekly Summary and Group Forum 8.
How PSYC 648 is graded
The published guide totals 1,010 points. The eight group forums are 25 each (200), the eight weekly summaries 25 each (200), the three case studies 60 each (180), the leadership assessment project 120, the motivational theory intervention 200, the final exam 100 and the checklist 10.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Group Discussion Board Forums (8) | 200 |
| Weekly Summaries (8) | 200 |
| Case Studies (3) | 180 |
| Leadership Assessment Project | 120 |
| Motivational Theory Intervention | 200 |
| Final Exam | 100 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
The published scale puts an A at 940 to 1010 points.
Week timing in the published guide: Each course module/week begins on Monday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.
How to approach PSYC 648
Arrange early to assess a person in a leadership role for the Week 5 project, using the questionnaires in Northouse.
The motivational theory intervention in Week 7 needs 5 to 8 research articles, so begin collecting work motivation studies while reading Latham.
Questions students ask
What is the PSYC 648 leadership assessment project?
A 3 to 5-page project in which you assess a person in a leadership role with Northouse's assessments, including a summary of the case, a proposed assessment, the assessment and its results, and recommendations to increase leadership effectiveness.
What is the PSYC 648 motivational theory intervention?
A 4 to 5-page paper in which you create a scenario where a leader must motivate employees and apply motivational theory from Latham, using 5 to 8 research articles.
Working through PSYC 648 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.