Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Leadership Studies
Program Overview The University of San Diego’s (USD) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Leadership Studies seeks to educate “practitioner-scholars” to make significant contributions to a variety of organizational settings in education, nonprofit organizations, public administration, the military and religious organizations, to name a few. The program also educates a number of students preparing to be interdisciplinary scholars of leadership; after graduation, these students may seek professions as university professors or work as policy analysts, evaluators or consultants. This degree offers flexibility for students to develop a unique area of specialization. Students will design an 18-unit course sequence in consultation with their adviser to meet their individual professional goals and educational interests. Students may choose from courses in the leadership studies programs in Higher Education Leadership, Public/Private School Leadership, Nonprofit Leadership and Management, Organizational Leadership/Consulting or from any other graduate program in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) or other graduate level courses from the other colleges and schools at USD.
Distinguishing Features • Rigorous 15-unit research component • Paid assistantships for students interested in: assessment, nonprofit leadership and management, teaching leadership, community college leadership and global education • Small class size and personalized attention from dedicated faculty • Applied learning opportunities from our institutes and centers:
• Leadership Institute
• The Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research
• Educational Leadership Development Academy (ELDA)
• Community College Leadership Development Initiatives (CCLDI)
• Center for Education Policy and Law (CEPAL)
• The SOLES Global Center
Program Curriculum
Admission Requirements
The SOLES faculty enrich all programs and course offerings with the values,
While applicants are evaluated based on a holistic
concepts and themes that will help students become ethical, civic-minded and
method, the successful candidate for the program
committed leaders in their chosen fields.
will demonstrate his or her candidacy in the following
Leadership Component (18 units )
manner:
EDLD 600
Leadership Theory and Practice
3 units
EDLD 601
Organizational Theory and Change
3 units
EDLD 602
Leadership, Inquiry and Research I
3 units
EDLD 603
Ethics and Leadership
3 units
EDLD 604
The Policy-Making Process
3 units
EDLD 605
Adult Development
3 units
Research and Evaluation Component (15 units ) Required Courses:
• Complete a master’s degree prior to admission. • Submit an application and Statement of Purpose online at www.sandiego.edu/admissions/graduate /application.php. • Submit all college/university transcripts. Applicants must submit one official sealed transcript from every college or university attended. A minimum grade point average of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) is required in all undergraduate/graduate coursework.
EDLD 606
Leadership, Inquiry and Research II
3 units
• Submit three professional letters of recommendations
EDLD 607
Applied Statistics and Quantitative Research Methods
3 units
from supervisors, employers, or professors. Please do
EDLD 608
Qualitative Research Methods
3 units
not submit personal recommendations. • Submit a resume.
Electives (select two): EDLD 609
Evaluation: Theory and Practice
3 units
EDLD 582
Survey Research Methods
3 units
EDLD 612
Advanced Qualitative Research Methods
3 units
EDLD 613
Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
3 units
• Complete the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test. Test scores that are over five years old will not be accepted. Please note: Applications will not be considered complete unless all materials have been received by
Area of Specialization (18 units ) With the assistance and approval of their advisers, students select electives to acquire an area of specialization. Students are encouraged to take an internship (EDLD 591/592) as part of this component. An international leadership experience is also strongly encouraged and may be fulfilled in various ways, with the assistance of the SOLES Global Center. Specializations: • Higher Education Leadership • Public/Private School Leadership • Nonprofit Leadership and Management • Organizational Leadership /Consulting • Individualized Program
Contact Information For admissions and general program information:
For more information about the Ph.D. in Leadership Studies:
Office of Outreach and Recruitment Phone: ( 619 ) 260-7988 E-mail: solesgrads@sandiego.edu
Beth Yemma Assistant Director Leadership Programming Phone: ( 619 ) 260-7790 E-mail: byemma@sandiego.edu
For more information, go to www.sandiego.edu/soles/prospective.
Feb. 1. You should plan to take the GRE well in advance (4-5 weeks) of the application deadline.