Doctorate in Executive Leadership Online

The course examines the four critical aspects of a successful manager-leader: personal identity as a manager-leader, ability to embrace ambiguity, problem identification, and problem solving. The course will utilize classic and contemporary readings and research in Organizational Behavior and Management Theory.

Students will look at moral dilemmas and choices in organizational life and professional careers. Students will review research and literature on socio-technical systems from the global perspectives.

This is an active course in leadership, building on critical and creative thinking. Students will be expected to build and develop their leadership with new doctoral students via cooperative research projects and programs of research.

MGMT822 is the first of two practice courses which provides the student(s) with the opportunity to engage in field practice in an actual organization. This Course provides an opportunity to plan for the intervention in an actual client system using the theories, models, practices of Organization Development, Action Research, Process Consultation, and Appreciative Approaches to change. At the close of the course, the student(s) shall have produced a proposal which includes an overview of the project and organization, the methods to be employed, and how data will be collected and analyzed (and other components TBD by professor).

MGMT828 is the second of two practice courses which provides the student(s) with the opportunity to engage in field practice in an actual organization. This course supports the execution of plans made in MGMT822 to intervene in an actual client system using the theories, models, practices of Organization Development, Action Research, Process Consultation, and Appreciative Approaches to change. At the close of the course, the student(s) shall have produced a document/paper outlining the project, methods employed, analysis and learnings related to the theory, methods, the specific project, and self-as-instrument.

This course develops skills in futuring via Delphi, Future Search, scenario building and other techniques. Students will talk with futurists and futures organizations, becoming involved in the World Futures Society and tech trending with leading electronics and aerospace companies. They will develop a socio-technology plan for the future of the organization and will also look at formal models of innovation and diffusion of innovation.

This course provides a general understanding of both quantitative and qualitative methods within the context of research designs. Research design is the plan for the selection and application of accepted research practices. Research methods provide models for the appropriate collection, organization and analysis of data for decision-making, replication, and contribution to a knowledge base. Additionally, this course supports doctoral students’ abilities to demonstrate an understanding of the research purpose, nature and forms of research design and their relationship to research questions, methods for data collection and data analyses.

This course examines the fundamental principles of qualitative inquiry differentiating among various qualitative research designs.  Includes active engagement and practice with capturing qualitative data including being a participant observer and an interviewer. Students will learn how to minimize threats to the internal validity of qualitative studies, focusing on specific techniques for interpretation of data that contributes to the authenticity of qualitative studies.

Students will learn fundamental concepts of designing, collecting and assessing quantitative data. The course covers descriptive measures as well as various forms of probability and inferential analysis. Exploration of multivariate statistics will be practiced via large datasets using statistical analysis software.

RES861 is the second course of eight research and writing courses that result in a dissertation. Each term, the student progresses toward the completion of the dissertation by completing required elements of the dissertation process. This course: clarifies the research focus, defines the research question(s)/objective/hypotheses, and produces a written document that shows adequate progress toward completion of dissertation research.

This course presents doctoral students to the dissertation research process and applies relevant integrative understanding of complementary disciplines.  It examines in depth the research process and introduces doctoral candidates to the various aspects of conducting valid research.  Topics in this course include: hypothesis formulization, designing a literature review, conniving data collection techniques, ethical issues in research, and dissertation research design.

RES863 is the third course of eight research and writing courses that result in a dissertation. Each term, the student progresses toward the completion of the dissertation by completing required elements of the dissertation process. This course: clarifies the research focus, defines the research question(s)/objective/hypotheses, produces a review of the literature.

RES864 is the fourth course of eight research and writing courses that result in a dissertation. Each term, the student progresses toward the completion of the dissertation by completing required elements of the dissertation process. This course requires: fine tuning the research question(s)/objective/hypotheses, strengthening the review of the literature, drafting a methods chapter (min), and drafting a chapter one. Students may surpass this description as they are able.

RES865 is the fifth course of eight research and writing courses that result in a dissertation. Each term, the student progresses toward the completion of the dissertation by completing required elements of the dissertation process. This course requires the student to focus on: producing a defense-ready draft of Chapters 1, 2 & 3 (the research proposal), undertaking the Proposal Defense, undertaking modifications required by the dissertation committee, achieving an approved IRB application.

RES866 is the sixth course of eight research and writing courses that result in a dissertation. Each term, the student progresses toward the completion of the dissertation by completing required elements of the dissertation process. This course requires the student to focus on: undertaking the Proposal Defense, undertaking modifications required by the dissertation committee, achieving an approved IRB application, proceeding with Data Collection and Analysis.

RES867 is the seventh course of eight research and writing courses that result in a dissertation. Each term, the student progresses toward the completion of the dissertation by completing required elements of the dissertation process. This course requires the student to focus on: proceeding with Data Collection and Analysis, working on initial drafting of chapters 4 & 5, and preparing for Final Defense.  Course is pass/fail.

RES868 is the eighth course of eight research and writing courses that result in a dissertation. Each term, the student progresses toward the completion of the dissertation by completing required elements of the dissertation process. This course requires the student to focus on: completing Data Collection and Analysis as needed, completing work on chapters 4 &5, undertaking the Final Defense, modifying document as required by the committee, editing of final document for publishing, and University sign off.  Course is pass/fail.

This course teaches students how to assess, adapt to and develop intervention strategy in organizations experiencing discontinuous and crisis situations. Students practice leadership tasks in the theory of organizational change. Students will complete activities, exercises and discussions that examine various crisis situations and analyze strategic change processes. Upon completing this course, students will understand different types of organizational change and how to create change visions and lead the strategic change in organizations experiencing discontinuous and crisis situations.

This course covers advanced topics in leadership. Course topics will vary as determined by student’s interest and evolution of the discipline.

This course will give students the opportunity to evaluate technologies and study their application in organizational leadership. Students will evaluate the current trends and issues in technology and social media and assess how these can be used to leverage strategy improvements. Students will explain how to leverage technology for driving large scale change, influencing stakeholders and improving organizational effectiveness.

In this course students will examine career options by exploring a variety of careers that are consistent with their management concentration areas. Students will study how to define career aspirations, map professional goals, and create strategies for performance enhancement. This course places emphasis on professional development by evaluating personal strengths and identifying opportunities that may become apparent as a result of the doctoral journey.