Courses - Doctorate of Philosophy in Global Leadership and Change

This course examines classical and contemporary theories and styles of leadership and their application to a variety of professional and global settings. Students will examine principal underpinnings of leadership, such as one's values, philosophy of life, and beliefs about the nature of humankind.

This course addresses organizations; their structures; intended outcomes; and how they deal with culture, employee behavior, and values. Students will examine strategies designed to create and evaluate knowledge, including the psychological basis for human action, individual and organizational learning, communicating across cultures, and intellectual capital. This course also examines such topics as communication, motivation, work teams, organizational change, stress, power, influence, and trust.

This course introduces the student to the study of ethical leadership and provides the foundation for value clarification, ethical decision making, and responsible leadership in diverse organizations and communities. In addition, the course introduces students to the concepts, skills, and strategies of personal and professional transformation that are the foundation of leading organizations in diverse communities. Topics include personal vision, establishing a proactive stance, service, self-esteem, emotional intelligence, creating a context for innovation, and maintaining happiness and personal well-being.

Students will learn the basic distributions, such as binomial and normal, and are introduced to hypothesis methodology. They will learn to apply such inferential techniques as chi-square, the analysis of variance and covariance, and multivariate analysis to a variety of organizational issues and scholarly pursuits. Students will be expected to utilize appropriate statistical software.

This course introduces major theories and approaches to leading the effort and developing policy in local, national, and global settings. While considering the influence of technology and systems thinking, students explore complex issues in management and leadership. Students will have an opportunity to understand and practice policy development at local and national levels. Students are required to participate in a trip to Washington, DC, or a similar location. Students will incur travel costs (which vary in relation to airline, hotel, food, venue, and materials).

Students learn to apply theories and principles of micro- and macroeconomics to analyze, design, and evaluate policies which address business, political, and educational challenges at the national level. Additional topics examined include alternative economic distribution systems and how they address pollution, poverty, unemployment, international trade, and geopolitical issues.

To gain an international perspective on policy development, students will visit an international location, meet local and national leaders, and observe and examine industries and organizations such as health care, schools, universities, and manufacturing and contrast them with those of the United States. Students are required to participate in a trip to an international location. Students will incur travel costs (which vary in relation to airline, hotel, food, venue, and materials).

This course focuses on the fundamentals of leading the design and implementation of learning technology within the organization. Students are exposed to an integrated approach to educational program design and evaluation at the organizational level. Topics may include computer-supported collaborative learning, synchronous and asynchronous technology, technically mediated communities, knowledge management, learning organizations, and designing computer-supported programs that support organizational infrastructure.

This course examines environmental forces that impact the organization with an emphasis on applicable legal issues. The course emphasizes developing an understanding of law as a basis for critical examination of legal, political, and regulatory processes and issues confronting organizations. Topics in the course include intellectual property law, torts, criminal and contract liability, the laws regarding electronic communication, encryption, internet security, and ethics in cyberspace. Dispute resolution and negotiation techniques are also included.

The course will help students analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate instruction for a variety of content areas and audiences, using various media or delivery systems. Students will have the opportunity to learn and practice basic principles and techniques of instructional design. In the process, they will design and develop a module of instruction. During the course, various instructional design procedures and models will be considered, and the significance of instruction within the larger realm of human performance will be discussed.

This course focuses on current change theory, futurist literature, and major world trends in education and related disciplines. Topics include models of collaboration, innovation, design, implementation, and organizational change.

In this course, students will learn in theory and practice how to design, conduct, analyze, and interpret experimental, quasi-experimental, and survey procedures for organizational research and evaluation. Methods of assessing credibility of published research will also be discussed. Students will focus on measurement and statistical description of variables. Students will be expected to utilize appropriate statistical software.

This course introduces students to qualitative research designs and such topics as the collection and interpretation of qualitative data and the methods of minimizing threats to the trustworthiness and authenticity of qualitative studies. Students learn specific techniques for the analysis and interpretation of qualitative data. Students will be expected to utilize appropriate content analysis software.

This course, conceptual and theoretical in nature, is designed to guide doctoral students in an in-depth inquiry into traditions, interpretations, methodologies, and the development of central research questions in leadership and their application. Students will learn tools of research and analysis commonly used in leadership research and develop mastery in their area of specialization. While a broad engagement of research literature in leadership will be undertaken, focal themes such as service, faith, purpose, diversity, inclusiveness, and justice will be emphasized.

In this course, in addition to a review of scales and measures and topics in inferential statistics, advanced multivariate techniques will be covered with an emphasis on application of statistics in conducting research. Topics covered in the course include properties of random vectors, multidimensional scaling, multiple regression, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVAs), discriminant analysis, principal component analysis, confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, structural equations modeling, and path analysis. Computer software will be used extensively to assist in mathematical calculation while comprehension and interpreting statistical analysis will be stressed.

This course, theoretical and conceptual in nature, is designed to guide doctoral students in an in-depth inquiry into traditions, interpretations, methodologies, and the development of central research questions in policy analysis and their application. Students will learn tools of research and analysis commonly used in policy research and develop mastery in their area of specialization. While a broad engagement of research literature in policy will be undertaken, major themes such as exploring national policy issues and mastering competing policy initiatives will be emphasized.

This theoretical course is designed to guide doctoral students in an in-depth inquiry into traditions, interpretations, methodologies, and the development of central research questions in the global policy arena and their application. Students will learn tools of research analyses commonly used in global leadership research and develop mastery in their area of specialization. While a broad and deep review of research literature in the global literature will be undertaken, major themes such as exploring global policy issues and mastering competing global policy initiatives will be emphasized.

In this course, students examine and contribute to research and practice in intercultural competence - a range of cognitive and behavioral skills that enables individuals from various backgrounds to connect, form relationships, and work in a cohesive and respectful manner. Students will focus on specific skills, attitudes, and behaviors one must understand, acknowledge, and be able to communicate and to recognize appropriate cultural interactions. Additionally, the course will also focus on understanding the multi-dimensional facets of Eastern and Western cultures of the world. Understanding such philosophies are critical as they enter a more interconnected global workforce and gain perspective on the international differences in work-related matters, as well as effective leadership that creates cultural context and increases social, human, relationship, and intercultural capital.

The purpose of the Comprehensive Examination Seminar is to assess the doctoral student's ability to integrate the doctoral coursework by preparing a paper which will address a real-world problem, dilemma, or issue synthesizing the coursework. The paper will be evaluated and defended orally before a committee of faculty members. Prerequisites: EGLC 700, 724, 734, 754A, 754B, 755, 759, 763, 765, 766, and 767.

This course will help students to develop and practice their doctoral voice, vocation, and areas of expertise. In this course, students will examine the process of academic publishing, assessing the credibility of mediums in which to publish and peer review processes. In addition, students will learn the process of grant writing and competing for various sources of funding to support their research.

Students examine a broad range of scholarly topics related to their various areas of research in global leadership and change. These topics include faith and leadership, Global Digital Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Global Leadership and Spiritual Development, Global Governance, Human Rights, and Global Cybersecurity. Students will engage in a scholarly review of thought leaders in the field and prepare conference-ready literature reviews of developments in research in their area of interest. Students may not complete the same area of study for credit more than once.

Under the direction of a dissertation chairperson, dissertation research is individualized and tailored to aid the student in completing the dissertation requirement. In dissertation study, students engage in preparing their research proposal and hold a preliminary oral with their chair and committee. In order to formally conduct dissertation research under the supervision of a faculty member, or to hold a preliminary or final dissertation defense, students must be enrolled in a Dissertation Research course, ED 791, EDOL 791, EDLP 791, and PGLC 791. To enroll in a Dissertation Research Course, ED 791, EDOL 791, EDLP 791, EdD students must have completed EDD 734, EDD 766, and EDD 767. To enroll in PGLC 791, PhD students must have completed EGLC 734, EGLC 766, EGLC 767, and PGLC 734

Dissertation students who have successfully completed the final oral defense of their dissertation and the manuscript modifications required by the dissertation committee may enroll in this course for a fee of $100. A completed Form F4 must be submitted to the associate program director to enroll in this course. Students are eligible to enroll in this course for up to two consecutive semesters. If the dissertation has not been APA-cleared and submitted after two semesters, students will need to re-enroll in the appropriate doctoral dissertation research course.

* This course is not a requirement for degree completion. Students can enroll in ED 792 for a fee of $100 per term for up to two terms to clear APA.

Higher Education & Research Opportunities (HERO) course is intended to introduce doctoral students to various professions in higher education and research organizations.  Doctoral students will learn about the various roles and general expectations for teaching, research, service, and leadership responsibilities in higher education, and adjacent administrative and research careers. Prospective topics include varied types of higher education and research institutions, wide-ranging potential occupations e.g.: administration; tenure track faculty versus non-tenure track faculty; researcher; academic editor; the academic portfolio including the curriculum vitae (CV); peer-reviewed versus non-peer-reviewed research and publishing; and grants. Deliverables include: Students will begin preparing an academic portfolio with various written products including a Plan for the Future and a Curriculum Vitae. This course is not intended for those who were formerly or are currently employed in higher education or research organizations.

This course is designed to provide student researchers with the skills necessary to clearly express their research to doctoral-level audiences. In this course, the student will develop an abstract and a poster based on a current/prior research topic that is intended for a professional presentation at a peer-reviewed, doctoral-level academic conference. The poster should be designed to articulate a summary of the findings from your research topic. Consider and include the following elements from the research: The purpose statement, research questions, a brief description of the theoretical basis, the methods, and a summary of the findings, conclusions, and implications. Be sure to attend to the visual representation of the concepts and findings. The objective is to produce and disseminate a viable stream of scholarly research to a larger audience that the student intends to forward beyond graduation.

In this course, candidates reflect upon the nature of reality and researcher worldviews as key areas of philosophy. Discussions will focus on issues in axiology, ontology, and epistemology. Candidates will study the philosophy of mind which is concerned with the relationship between the human mind and the physical world. In metaphysics, candidates will explore being, identity, and change. Candidates will be introduced to global philosophical traditions in their contemporary contexts.

In this course, candidates reflect upon the roots and common misperceptions of prejudice. Discussions will focus on influences that drive antisemitism and genocide. Candidates will study belief systems underpinning social theories in global contexts. Using discourse and document analysis, candidates will examine phenomena in Holocaust memoirs, novels, poetry, and film. Candidates will engage critically in identifying the causes and challenges of contemporary issues.

This course is designed for PhD students who want to explore methods and techniques in developing, validating, and measuring various constructs. In particular, in this course, students will begin examining the process of identifying and defining various qualitative constructs. Next, levels measures are revisited in the context of the pros and cons of the application of various levels of measurement in instrument design. An in-depth review of the construction of various quantitative scales will follow. Various methods of assessing the validity and reliability of instruments are discussed. Advanced methods such as Principal Component Analysis, Factor Analysis, and the Delphi Method will be examined. While the assignments in this course, as in any other, will contribute to the student’s dissertation, it is not the intent of this class to be a forum for developing one’s actual dissertation.

Leadership is a multi-disciplinary subject, as it deals with the complexity of human behavior. This course will examine several tenets and principles of psychology as they relate to leadership theory and practice. The course will begin with examining relevant social psychology theories such as Obedience and influence, Naïve Realism, Objectivity Illusion, Biased Perceptions of Consensus, and other similar tenets discussed in contemporary social psychology writing. Attention will be given to how these tenets contribute to social manipulation and flaws in logical reasoning. To explore identifying, managing, and interpreting behaviors of self and others, classical tenets such as self-esteem, self-efficacy, and locus of control will also be discussed. Personality theory and development, type, and preferences will be examined. Psychometric tools and approaches used to measure personality preferences (MMF, and DiSC) and their application to leadership coaching will be studied. A broader examination of the Dark Triangle as it relates to leading others will be examined. Finally, the course will focus on the relationship between these topics and exemplary practices in local and global leadership and the present research in this area.

This course builds on the theory of spiritual leadership (Fry, 2003) that is initially grounded in an intrinsic motivation model that incorporates vision, hope/faith, altruistic love, theories of workplace spirituality, and spiritual well-being. Operationally, spiritual leadership draws from an inner life or spiritual practice to develop the values, attitudes, and behaviors that are necessary to influence and motivate others in ways that contribute to their well-being and encourage ongoing spiritual / faith development of self and others. There is increasing interest in, and awareness of, the importance of acknowledging people as spiritual beings who do not disassociate that part of themselves when engaging in work or in organizations outside of their chosen faith practices, including research around the importance of workplace spirituality defined by Giacalone and Jurkiewicz (2020) as a framework of organizational values evidenced in the culture that promotes employees’ experience of transcendence through the work process, facilitating their sense of being connected in a way that provides feelings of compassion and joy.

The purpose of this class is to explore and identify competencies (skills, attitudes, and behavior) that are integral to being successful as a global leader. Scholars and practitioners will explore models and frameworks for developing global executives, scholars, practitioners, and diplomats. Additionally, doctoral students will further analyze global knowledge, attitudes, cognitive complexities, interpersonal skills (communication, global mindset, multicultural teaming), and how to make ethical decisions, influence stakeholders, and work across boundaries (boundary spanning). Furthermore, pragmatic approaches to empowering others, developing cultural metacognition, and enhancing cross-cultural communication skills will be researched and discovered. Finally, the class will provide an opportunity for a discussion centered around the main functions of diplomacy, more specifically, public, economic, and cultural diplomacy.

Democracy has been under assault worldwide for more than the last 15 years. The growing threat of ruthless, unchecked authoritarian leaders might be ushering in a Cold War 2.0 (or even worst: the apocalyptic use of nuclear weapons). How can we build peace in the aftermath of extensive violence? Is that even possible? Wars often destroy existing governance structures. They create deep resentment over past injustices and human rights violations. They divide couples, families, communities, and societies, pitting members against each other. They produce refugees and stateless individuals. These challenges are so significant that many countries that emerge from war lapse back into violence within a few years. However, certain communities manage to maintain some stability and eventually escape the cycle of war and violence. How do they do that? Why should this be a focus for students studying global leadership and change? What does the recent war in the Ukraine tell us about the future of the global order, global power, international law, and the sanctity of human rights?

Students will analyze and evaluate the current state and near-future possibilities of their practice or area of interest. All students dive deep into applicable technology and theories, follow thought leaders, and mine available social media data to become forward-leaning experts.  Mastery understanding of disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, virtual worlds (xR), participative social media, and cloud and mobile technologies is now a prerequisite for innovation and success. Example explorations might include the application of connectionist learning theory, using AI in leadership, similarities of learning and leadership theories, the impact of computational models, and/or neurobiological discoveries on organizations.  Students will collaboratively discuss, develop, present and defend their work.