Ph.D. in Leadership Program Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership, which is 100% online, is designed to equip individuals for the highest level of scholarship and performance across a wide range of professions including business, ministry, government, education, and civil society. 

This program is designed to prepare working professionals to understand the complexities and challenges of leading change within organizations with the purpose of leading and creating transformative organizations and communities. This interdisciplinary program provides students with opportunities to engage in scholarship, to conduct research, and to develop professional competencies related to:

• Organizational design and behavior
• Leadership philosophy and practice 
• Analyzing organizational culture
• Team performance and workplace culture 
• Leading organizational change
• Responding to workplace and cultural dynamics in an increasingly technological and global society
• Conducting field/social research

The PhD in Leadership provides two distinct concentrations that enable you to align the program to your own professional goals and research interests.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate how to lead change in organizations.
2. Apply leadership principles and practices to improve personal and organizational performance.
3. Analyze the cause(s) of an organizational issue to develop leadership recommendations.
4. Synthesize and evaluate current theory and apply appropriate methodologies to conduct meaningful research in the field of leadership development.

Concentration Outcomes

Each concentration offers five courses (15ch) across five concentration outcomes to augment the LEAD core courses and to focus the degree for particular fields and industries. Concentration courses are offered on a rotating basis, and students can expect to be able to complete the concentration sequence over two academic years. 

Admission requirements 

Applicants are required to provide the pertinent admission information in order to be considered for admission into the PhD Leadership program. The Director of the program with the Deans/Associate Deans of the concentrations in the respective colleges make final decisions regarding the acceptance of applicants. In some cases, the Director/Deans/Associate Deans may ask for further information or a personal interview prior to a decision regarding admission into the program.

Applicants for admission into the PhD Leadership program at Anderson University must meet the following academic prerequisites: 

Prerequisites for admission to the Business Concentration

• Master’s Degree (30 or more hours) from accredited institution 
• 3.0 minimum graduate cumulative GPA 
• Graduate Writing Sample
• Application  (https://link.andersonuniversity.edu/apply) 
• $40 application fee
• Minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper), 220 (computer) or 75 (internet) will be required if English is not the student’s first language, and proof of current Visa for International students. International candidates will need to have an interview via Skype with the Program Director before being accepted. International students receiving their graduate degrees from institutions abroad must submit their transcripts to be evaluated by WES, who will then transmit the results to Anderson University.

Deadline: 1 month before each semester

Prerequisites for admission to the Christian Ministry Concentration

• A Master’s degree (36 or more hours) in a field of theological/ministry studies from a regionally or nationally accredited university or seminary.
• 3.0 minimum graduate cumulative GPA 
• Graduate writing sample
• Application  (https://link.andersonuniversity.edu/apply) 
• $40 application fee
• Current role in some area of ministry service within a church, denomination, educational institution, parachurch organization, mission agency or similar organization
• Minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper), 220 (computer) or 75 (internet) will be required if English is not the student’s first language, and proof of current Visa for International students. International candidates will need to have an interview via Skype with the Program Director before being accepted. International students receiving their graduate degrees from institutions abroad must submit their transcripts to be evaluated by WES, who will then transmit the results to Anderson University.

Deadline: 1 month before each semester

Transfer credits: 

A student may transfer up to 12 credit hrs. Transferability of hours will be determined by the director  of the program and the dean or associate dean of the concentration  in consultation with the University Registrar.  Students may not transfer research courses into the program due to the nature of the embedded dissertation process.

Program Requirements

Ph.D. in Leadership Minimum GPA: 3.0 Cumulative GPA

Dissertation 

Students must develop new knowledge and add to existing knowledge through the dissertation. Students will form a dissertation committee, submit a dissertation proposal, and receive IRB approval before initiating dissertation research. The dissertation handbook outlining the expectations for the quality of the dissertation, and the requirements for each chapter and formatting. There will be an oral defense of the dissertation.

The Business Leadership dissertation format must be in compliance with the most recent version of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), The Christian Ministry Leadership dissertation format must be in compliance with the latest version of Turabian. All dissertations must be formatted for publication with ProQuest Dissertation Publishing.

Dissertation Topics

• Dissertation proposals will be approved by the Center for Leadership and Organizations and the respective college offering the concentration.
• Dissertation Supervisors are assigned after the completion of two LEAD core courses and LEAD 733.  At the completion of LEAD 836 the Nomination of Dissertation Committee form should be signed by all prospective committee members and submitted to the Director of the PhD in Leadership Program for final approval in either the College of Business or the Clamp Divinity School.

Dissertation Continuous Enrollment (LEAD 839 dissertation course)

It is recommended that students review the fee structures for continuous enrollment.  If you are unable to complete your dissertation in two semesters, you may enroll in LEAD 839 to complete your dissertation.