The 63-semester-hour doctoral program has five elements:
- Moral leadership - the 36-semester-hour core curriculum emphasizes leaders as those who seek just, effective, and reasoned solutions to problems. This curriculum provides a comprehensive framework from ethical, legal, social, political and historical perspectives applied to teaching, leading and learning within a Christian worldview. Students will be well-prepared in using qualitative and quantitative research tools to solve organizational problems.
- Specialized interest - students may complete a specialization by taking additional elective courses, transferring semester hours into their programs, and/or completing practica from teaching endorsements, teaching licenses, and administrative licenses.
- Depth of knowledge - students take a comprehensive exam to demonstrate their breadth and depth of knowledge.
- Professional development - projects are designed to qualify students for competencies that are tied to the ability to communicate ideas to diverse stakeholders and to use research effectively when making organizational decisions.
- Problem solving - students are equipped to write a doctoral dissertation that reveals the ability to use research tools to shed light on important problems.
Integrated into the courses are five competency strands:
- effective use of writing to communicate ideas
- the ability to use technology to enhance organizational efficiency
- the ability to communicate orally to large and small audiences
- the ability to use research tools to investigate questions and to solve problems
- the ability to integrate faith and learning into professional practice
The program comprises 55 semester units of course work and a minimum of 8 semester units of dissertation. Students will fulfill these requirements by:
- Taking 36 core semester hours in the following perspectives area: ethics; legal, social, and cultural; teaching and learning; managing and leading; and research
- Taking 18 elective hours (through transfer and course work) in their chosen specialties
- Transferring up to 17 semester units appropriate to the curriculum past the master's degree
Full standing in the doctoral program is achieved by earning 18 semester credits within four consecutive terms (i.e., summer, fall, spring, and summer) while enrolled continuously. Students must complete the program within seven calendar years from the time they are formally admitted, and must continuously enroll in at least two hours per semester until they complete the program (a leave of absence is possible).