Doctor of Education In Organizational Leadership (Ed.D.)

Program Chairperson: Rich Whitney  
Regular Faculty: Eric Bishop, Candace Singh, MD Haque, Sunny Liu, Ron Hallet, Yvette Latunde, Rich Whitney

Program Length: 3 Years of coursework

The Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership Program (Ed.D.) is designed for the professional who wishes to pursue a doctoral degree while continuing his or her career. The program mission is to develop scholarly practitioners as leaders and architects of change who make significant contributions to the organizations and communities they serve. The focus of the program is to apply leadership theory to practice through relevant and experiential learning.

University of La Verne Employees
Annually the EdD enrollment cohort may include qualified employees of the University of La Verne. The number of University employees that will be admitted to the Year 1 cohort will be limited to no more than 5% of the overall cohort, or 3 people, whichever is greater. The university employees who are qualified and admitted applicants will be admitted AFTER all other applicants on the qualified list are admitted, as space allows. University employee applicants will not have any special placement in the program applicant, admissions, or matriculation queues over any non-employee. Qualified employees will be assigned a place in the queue in the same manner as ALL applicants.

All new students are only admitted to the EdD program once per academic year, this is during the Fall Semester

Admission Requirements

Applicants will be evaluated by the department admissions committee using the following measures:

1. A completed application with application fee.
2. Official transcripts from all institutions attended.
   1. An earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university with a minimum of a 2.75 GPA.
   2. An earned graduate degree (post undergraduate) from a regionally accredited university with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA in all work leading to the degree. 
3. Personal Statement addressing the following:
   1. Why you are interested in pursuing a doctorate in Organizational Leadership?
   2. How do you see your own leadership potential with regard to being a scholar/practitioner?
   3.  Explain where you have the opportunity to apply theory to leadership practice in an organization?
      (Please limit your statement to 1,500 words max)
4. Two letters of recommendation addressing the candidate’s academic capability to complete a doctoral program.
5. A curriculum vitae or resume.
6. Applicants must have five years of work experience post-baccalaureate; one year of management/leadership experience is preferred.

Probational Admissions

Applicants who are probationally accepted admits to the EdD program will be able to matriculate into the current Fall Year 1 cohort.
Applicants who are probationally admitted for writing improvement will need to show improvement in their writing quality throughout the first semester in order to continue in the EdD program. At the end of the semester, the program faculty will evaluate the student's progress. If the student's writing meets the program’s standards, the department will recommend that the applicant move forward with the program. However, if the student's writing does not meet those requirements, applicants may not be able to continue in the program.

Enrollment Deadline and Waitlist

A cap in the number of doctoral students admitted to the EdD program helps to maintain a quality student centered experience, and maintain a reasonable student : teacher ratio. Admissions decisions  on a rolling basis as completed applications are submitted. Once admitted, students must submit their intent to enroll. A waitlist will be implemented once the program has reached its cohort capacity.

Degree Requirements

Total Program: 54 semester hours

The Ed.D. program is delivered through a blended delivery of on-site in person practicums and virtual coursework. Students attend, in person, on-site practicums twice per semester. The annual calendar of practicums is available from the program office. The balance of the credit hours and assignments are delivered virtually (e.g., webinars, asynchronous work, etc). In addition, students participate in a learning group in their geographical area. The program requires a time commitment of three years with 3 courses each semester (9 units), two organizational leadership courses and one research course per semester.

The organizational leadership sequence is 12 courses over three years that may be taken for credit/no credit or for a grade. Each course integrates leadership theory, skill development, and practice in the field. Examples of content include leadership theory,  change, coaching, communication, diversity, innovation, systems thinking, and teamwork. The research sequence is 6 courses over three years. Four courses provide students with a foundation in qualitative and quantitative research. Students complete these four research courses sequentially during the first two years. The remaining 2 research courses are completed during the dissertation process in the third year. There is an eight-year time limit to complete all aspects of the dissertation from proposal to final reviews.

Students who do not complete the dissertation within the three years of coursework, must continuously enroll in the Dissertation in Organizational Leadership course (continuous enrollment) each semester up to the eight-year time limit for the completion of the degree.

Plan of Study Grid

Year 1 coursework
Fall		Semester Hours
ORGL 611	Personal Leadership	3
ORGL 615	Social Theory, Equity, and Justice	3
ORGL 684A	Research Literacy	3
	Semester Hours	9
Spring
ORGL 613	Classic and Contemporary Leadership Theories and Approaches	3
ORGL 617	Ethical Leadership	3
ORGL 684B	Introduction to Dissertation Research	3
	Semester Hours	9
Year 2 coursework
Fall
ORGL 623	Leadership and Decision Making	3
ORGL 634	Organizational Development and Change	3
ORGL 686A	Approach to Research Design and Analysis	3
	Semester Hours	9
Spring
ORGL 633	Leader as Change Agent	3
ORGL 625	Culturally Proficient and Equitable Leadership	3
ORGL 686B	Developing a Research Proposal	3
	Semester Hours	9
Year 3 coursework
Fall
ORGL 622	Team Dynamics	3
ORGL 641	Writing for Research	3
ORGL 698A	Dissertation Research I	3
	Semester Hours	9
Spring
ORGL 635	Leading Program Development for Creativity and Innovation	3
ORGL 642	Advancing Research to Publication	3
ORGL 698B	Dissertation Research II	3
	Semester Hours	9
	Total Semester Hours	54

1. Please sign the agreement to acknowledge receipt. Submit the Organizational Leadership Writing Improvement Plan form available at https://laverne.edu/registrar/forms/  
2. Students will need to maintain the participation and assignments outlined in the Incomplete policy for the EdD program. There are two check in dates (mid semester and end of semester) that must be adhered to for all students.
3. Submit a 1-2 page plan indicating how you plan to improve your writing. This plan should be submitted within a week after the Fall Semester begins; it should include specific action steps to ensure your writing improves.
   1. Your plan should outline your process. It will be helpful if you list your steps and provide tangible check points to measure your progress.
   2. It is your responsibility to write the plan AND submit it by the deadline.
   3. It is your responsibility to provide proof that you have fulfilled your self-authored Writing Improvement Plan and the timely submission of your fall semester assignments.
   4. Failure to comply with these deadlines may void your admission.

Find a writing tutor or coach to assist you and document the details of this support in your plan. A writing coach or tutor will assist you in improving your writing skills, whereas an editor will only correct your writing. Generally there are writing tutors at the Academic Success Center at the University of La Verne, which is a free service for La Verne students. In the event there are no tutors it is the student’s responsibility to find a writing tutor that will meet your learning style and needs. You may be required to submit proof that you received assistance from a writing coach or tutor prior to submitting your papers.