Organizational Leadership, Doctor of Education

(63 Hours)

Purpose

The Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership is designed to develop individuals who have the knowledge and capability to take on leadership roles in a variety of settings. It was created to provide an environment where professionals can advance their leadership skills while sharing ideas and experiences with business and academic professionals. The program targets professionals in community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and comprehensive universities, as well as for-profit and not-for-profit businesses/organizations engaged in training and development, life-span learning, healthcare, law enforcement/criminal justice, and adult education.

Program Overview

The program consists of nine semesters (a total of 63 credit hours including the consultancy/practicum project). The consecutive semesters include any summer sessions that fall in the sequence. The cohort concept is employed such that students move together through their classes providing the maximum benefit from individual experiences and communities of collaboration. The consultancy/practicum project is an integral part of each semester’s coursework. The intent is to provide the student an opportunity to apply the theory and best practices to actual challenges with which they are confronted. It is based on the scholar-practitioner model.

The program is comprised of two tiers. The first tier is the core-course modules. This consists of the first six semesters. These modules address concepts such as cultural development in organizations, leading in a learning organization, change management, ethics, conflict resolution, strategic planning, program evaluation, qualitative research, and e-learning. Semesters seven through nine include, but are not limited to, the following specialized course modules: policy development, business law, innovation and transformation, cultural development, and self and collective efficacy. Classes are held on Saturday and Sunday (three weekends per Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters). There is an online component. An on-campus residency Organizational Leadership Lab component is required for each Summer term.

Admission Requirements

Program-specific admission requirements for full acceptance into the Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership are the following:

Applicants must have a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a 3.0 or better grade point average in all master’s-level work;
Applicants must submit three letters of reference including one from the candidate’s immediate supervisor;
Applicants must possess excellent interpersonal skills as reflected in the letters of reference;
Applicants must submit official transcripts for all master’s-level work from a regionally accredited institution;
Applicants must have a minimum of three years of experience in their profession; and
Applicants must submit either a MAT or GRE score that is current within the previous five years.

Program Outcomes

Candidates will make significant contributions to the organization in which they are employed while in the program and beyond;

Candidates will contribute to the overall learning environment in which they are working;

Candidates will use the knowledge, skills, and dispositions acquired to support lifelong learning in their profession;

Candidates will demonstrate theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in everyday work activities;

Candidates will share their experiences with their cohort colleagues enriching the learning process; and

Candidates will apply their learning and their experiences in the execution of the consultancy project.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will understand organizations through knowledge of leadership theory, organizational cultures, decision-making processes, and practice;
Students will apply organizational theory to the needs of their own organizations to increase understanding of institutions and their stakeholders;
Students will participate in appropriate field experiences focusing on authentic leadership development;
Students will acquire skills to address challenges facing institutions today and apply them in a simulated environment;
Students will understand the characteristics of a learning organization;
Students will examine organizational culture and the role it plays in the overall effectiveness of the organization;
Students will be able to develop a plan of action to address the needs of a learning organization;
Students will develop the skills to create a learning culture within their organization;
Students will examine the key attributes of a re-invention initiative;
Students will be able to execute a re-invention plan in a simulated environment;
Students will acquire decision-making skills within an ethical and moral framework;
Students will review and analyze current legal and ethical issues as they relate to institutions;
Students will participate in the review and analysis of case studies pertaining to ethical issues and challenges;
Students will role play various scenarios in resolving conflict within an organization;
Students will apply their knowledge of organizational behavior in addressing the relationship between a leader and a follower;
Students will examine various strategic planning models;
Students will learn how to manage growth and change and drive organizational innovation;
Students will design, in a simulated environment, a strategic plan applying the principles learned in the course;
Students will reflect on and discuss the challenges and responsibilities encountered in shaping and creating successful leaders in the 21st century;
Students will be exposed to a multitude of strategic planning tools;
Students will review and analyze case studies of strategic planning initiatives;
Students will learn the scientific method as it relates to social-science research;
Students will be able to demonstrate the use of the scientific method in performing research;
Students will examine key concepts, methods, and approaches in the area of evaluation research;
Students will understand the principles of research methods;
Students will learn how to integrate qualitative methods in the assessment of opportunities and/or program initiatives;
Students will be able to identify key attributes of a quality research initiative;
Students will become familiar with state-of-the-art electronic applications and tools;
Students will explore the tenets of collaboration and will apply the practice of collaboration to online learning;
Students will be able to create online collaboration sessions;
Students will explore best practices, quality assurance measures, and assessment capabilities relative to online learning;
Students will explore the value of social media and how to use it to increase their value proposition;
Students will understand the process for policy design and development, revising existing policy, and assessing policy;
Students will be able to evaluate policy using best practices;
Students will be exposed to contemporary policy issues and the impact on the organization;
Students will understand the legal requirements of an organization and the role of ensuring compliance with the law;
Students will acquire skills to ignite and channel creativity in addressing organizational challenges and opportunities;
Students will participate in assessing transformation plans with respect to their meeting the needs of the organization;
Students will use their research skills to develop best practices as it relates to the use of innovation in planning and executing on the organization’s mission;
Students will apply their learning in developing a transformation plan for an organization;
Students will examine cultural development theory as it relates to decision-making;
Students will examine value-added models with respect to individual and collective efficacy;
Students will understand how cultural leadership influences organizational effectiveness; and
Students will be able to develop a value-added model for measuring individual and collective efficacy.

Program Requirements

Curriculum

DEOL 730	Organizational Behavior and Theory	6
DEOL 731	Consultancy Project/Practicum	1 (companion to the six-hour coursework)
DEOL 732	Leadership Theory and Practice	6
DEOL 733	Consultancy Project/Practicum	1 (companion to the six-hour coursework)
DEOL 734	Ethics, Ideology, and Personal Leadership	6
DEOL 735	Consultancy Project/Practicum	1 (companion to the six-hour coursework)
DEOL 736	Strategic Leadership and Management of Global Change	6
DEOL 737	Consultancy Project/Practicum	1 (companion to the six-hour coursework)
DEOL 738	Action Research, Program Evaluation, Data Analysis and Interpretation, and Qualitative Methods	6
DEOL 739	Consultancy Project/Practicum	1 (companion to the six-hour coursework)
DEOL 740	E-Learning	6
DEOL 741	Consultancy Project/Practicum	1 (companion to the six-hour coursework)
DEOL 750	Policy Development and Business Law	6
DEOL 751	Consultancy Project/Practicum	1 (companion to the six-hour coursework)
DEOL 752	Innovation and Transformation	6
DEOL 753	Consultancy Project/Practicum	1 (companion to the six-hour coursework)
DEOL 754	Contemporary Topics	6
DEOL 755	Consultancy Project/Practicum	1 (companion to the six-hour coursework)

At the consultancy project stage, doctoral candidates must maintain continuous enrollment through the semester of their successful defense or until the candidate withdraws from the program. In rare and extenuating circumstances, a candidate may request a leave of absence which must be approved by the candidate’s consultancy project chair, program coordinator, the Dean of the School of Education, and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. Candidates who are approved for a leave of absence may return to the program with the approval of the program coordinator, the Dean of the School of Education, and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. Candidates who break continuous enrollment without a leave of absence will be suspended from the program. If a suspended candidate requests readmission, the program graduate faculty makes the decision on whether to readmit and, if readmitted, the stipulations that will apply. A Consultancy Project Enrollment Fee equal to the tuition of the missed semesters of continuous enrollment will be applied to the suspended candidate’s account upon return to the program. Candidates approved for a leave of absence will not be subject to the Continuous Enrollment Fee. The time limit of seven calendar years to complete the program from the beginning of the term in which candidates complete their first graduate course toward the degree continues to apply to candidates who are granted a leave of absence or who are suspended.