Pepperdine's Organizational Leadership Program Recognized as #1 Doctoral Program at 2017 Leadership Excellence Awards

Reflecting their successful commitment to values-based leadership and real-world training, the Organizational Leadership doctoral program at Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) was designated the top doctoral program at the 2017 Leadership Excellence Awards and within the Leadership Excellence Essentials e-publication. Recognized among numerous programs worldwide by HR.com's expert leadership panel and feedback from program participants, the #1 ranking highlights GSEP's achievements in leadership and organizational development.

The award ceremony was held on February 7 and 8 in Nashville, Tennessee. Sponsored by the Dale Carnegie Institute, IBM, and other international companies and nonprofits, the LEAD awards have been an annual celebration of the best applications and internally designed leadership programs from organizations around the world for the past 34 years.

The GSEP Organizational Leadership program was created to support and develop leadership skills in a wide range of settings. Doctoral students are equipped with both knowledge and the ability to recognize and harness the resources around them in order to transform their own organizations into dynamic agents for change. With two academic formats to accommodate the scheduling needs of their students, many of whom are already working professionals, the school offers a blend of both traditional and online classes. GSEP also integrates national and worldwide travel into the curriculum in order to provide a well-rounded perspective on leadership and policy.

As Dr. Helen Easterling Williams, Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology explains regarding the school's mission, "Careers in education and psychology are geared toward helping individuals and communities, both locally and globally, to transform into the best possible expression of themselves. GSEP strives to keep this thought in the forefront of all its initiatives."

This marks the second year in a row that Pepperdine's EdD program in Organizational Leadership (EDOL) has won the #1 ranking designation. Program director Dr. June Schmieder-Ramirez attributes their success to "our excellent EDOL staff and faculty, and the ability to utilize creativity and innovation, as well as attention to the needs of our students and the mission of the University." At the LEAD conclave in Tennessee, Dr. Schmieder-Ramirez participated in multiple leadership forums, with an interview also appearing both in the Leadership Excellence Essentials e-publication and on their website.