YEAR TWO COURSES

EDL-904: Organizational Planning, Assessment & Quality Improvement

Develop strategic planning approaches that enhance decision-making, leadership, and organizational value. Learn to apply key concepts and current systems for program quality, assessment, and accountability. Explore models that support both intentional planning and adaptive strategies.

EDL-905: Organization Governance Strategy

Examine the structures and functions of organizational governance, with a focus on how internal and external stakeholders shape decision-making. Use systems thinking to understand the dynamics between boards, leadership, culture, and performance. Explore strategic governance models, including board development, communication, recruitment, and evaluation.

EDL-906: Organizational Finance & Resource Management

Explore ethical, legal, and financial principles that guide organizational decision-making. Study key legal issues and finance competencies such as financial analysis, strategy, budgeting, policy development, and resource planning in both public and private settings.

RES-906: Fundamentals of Statistical Analysis

Learn how to organize, interpret, and communicate statistical data for doctoral-level research. Explore how a Christian worldview and ethical considerations guide the use of statistics in uncovering and presenting truth.

EDL-907: Organizational Marketing & Communication

Understand marketing and public relations as tools for creating value and building stakeholder trust. Examine branding, competitive advantage, and market orientation, along with the impact of social media. Study how judgment, emotion, and behavioral economics influence decision-making, and apply practical strategies to strengthen organizational presence and effectiveness in the marketplace.

RES-910: Qualitative Inquiry, Evaluation, and Action Research

Learn classic qualitative research methods to address organizational challenges. Explore narrative, phenomenology, case study, ethnography, and grounded theory approaches, along with program evaluation and action research. Understand how to choose and apply the right qualitative methods to support decision-making and problem-solving in your capstone project. Second required residency.

YEAR THREE COURSES

EDL-908: Organizational Culture & Change Management

Apply change theories and models to understand how climate and culture — both organizational and international — shape structure, behavior, and performance. Learn how proactive and reactive strategies drive change, and how to manage that change for lasting impact. Gain practical tools and strategies to lead effective transformation across diverse organizational settings.

RES-915: Quantitative Research Design & Data Analysis

Utilize practical research designs and statistical methods used in organizational studies, including correlational, quasi-experimental, and experimental approaches. Focus on selecting the right design and analysis techniques for specific research problems, with additional insight into Big Data and analytics.

RES-917: Comprehensive Examination

Demonstrate your ability to analyze organizational and leadership issues by applying key program concepts and skills. Complete a case study and an organizational issue analysis, each presented in a written paper, evaluated by program faculty.

RES-921: Project Proposal I

Develop a clear, relevant, and actionable plan for your organizational leadership and development capstone project. Building on work from earlier research courses, you will expand your initial prospectus into a full proposal to guide your final year of study.

RES-922: Project Proposal II

Refine and complete a full proposal for your organizational leadership and development project, building on the foundation from RES-921. This finalized proposal will be prepared for your formal proposal defense and serve as the roadmap for your capstone work. (15-week course)

YEAR FOUR+ COURSES

RES-925: Organizational Leadership & Development Project

Complete a theory-informed, real-world capstone project that addresses a practical organizational or leadership challenge. In consultation with a faculty mentor and workplace sponsor, you’ll apply research and synthesize knowledge to benefit a professional setting. The project includes both a proposal and final defense before a capstone committee and must be completed within seven years of starting the program. (15-week course)

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Academic Catalog

Residencies

Three annual on-campus residencies are required to deepen your community experience. These three-day intensive residencies provide an opportunity for peer connection, faculty interaction, enhanced learning and professional growth.

Comprehensive Exam

After passing EDL-908 and at the beginning of the third residency, you’ll take the doctoral comprehensive exam. The exam incorporates two written practical application and synthesis components and demonstrates your critical thinking toward important issues in your industry as they relate to organizational leadership and development. It also allows you the opportunity to apply the curriculum you’ve encountered as you navigate and analyze your capstone project topic by using the language and evidence to present your project.
Passing this exam allows you to be considered officially “advanced to candidacy” as a doctoral candidate. The exam is evaluated in a two-person blind committee and marked as pass without reservation, pass with reservation, or fail.