Specific Admission Requirements:

Those applying for a program should note the following requirements and admissions procedures.

• A completed bachelor’s or master’s degree (an MA degree is recommended for the doctoral programs).
• A sample of your best writing (could be a research paper).
• A successful interview with one or more members of the Leadership faculty.
• A minimum of five years of professional work experience in aleadership setting for the doctorate and three years for the MA.
• Must be currently employed in a leadership position in which competencies can be demonstrated. This environment, which is the participant’s place of employment, provides the “laboratory” for developing and demonstrating expertise in the competency areas and for preparing the portfolio.
• Applicants must commit to participate in:
1) The initial Leadership orientation.
2) Regularly scheduled regional group/learning community meetings, preferably on a monthly basis but at least seven times a year.
3) The annual Leadership conference.
4) Online discussions and have access to the Internet. The participant is responsible for keeping abreast of announcements and program updates presented by faculty and staff via e-mail and the Leadership website.

Basic Degree Requirements for MA, EdS, EdD, and PhD

1. Participate in the on-campus program orientation: LEAD630 (4 credits) and in annual leadership conferences.
2. Complete LEAD635 Individual Development Plan (IDP) designed by the participant and approved by the Leadership faculty team.
3. Complete the following web-based learning experiences:
   LEAD636 Issues in Leadership Foundations - 2
   LEAD637 Issues in Research - 2 (EdD/PhD) and
   EDRM505 Research Meth in Educ. & Psych. - 3 (MA)
   LEAD638 Issues in Leadership Theory - 2
4. Participate regularly and actively in one or more study groups: at least seven times a year, including the annual conference.
5. Maintain employment throughout the program.
6. Complete the development, presentation, and defense of a portfolio based on the participant's IDP. The portfolio must document the satisfactory completion of the required competencies.
7. Complete the specific number of credits:
   36 credits for the MA degree
   64 credits for the EdS degree
   90 credits for the EdD, PhD degree
8. Doctoral Research: Complete dissertation for EdD/PhD.
   Required: EDRM880 Proposal Development - 2 and LEAD899 Dissertation - 1-14.
9. Specialist Research: COmplete an action research project.
   Required: LEAD796 Program Evaluation and Intervantion Research - 3
10. MA Research:
    Required: EDRM505 Research Meth. in Educ. & Psych. - 3
    LEAD698 MA Research Project - 3

Basic Competency Requirements

Graduate Certificate:

Masters

EdS

Doctoral

Basic Competency Requirements for the MA degree:

Completion of the MA in Education is achieved only after competence is demonstrated in each of 10 competencies, which represent a subset of the competencies listed for the doctorate. For the MA degree there is a core set of eight competencies plus a selection by the participant of an additional set of two competencies which add up to the minimum of ten competencies that must be demonstrated by portfolio. The core competencies are listed below. Since they are drawn from the list shown for the doctorate in Leadership, the description of the competencies can be read in the list presented below.

1b Skills in various learning strategies, including group processes.
3a Skills in organizational development, management, and allocating resources.
4a Skills in effective communication.
5a Reading and evaluating research.
5b Skills in conducting research.
5c Skills in reporting research.
6b Working knowledge of philosophical foundations.
6f Working knowledge of technology and its application to leadership.

The participant then chooses two competencies from the remaining 12 competencies that are appropriate for the focus desired. Of the 10 competencies required and selected, the participant will achieve at least two “star” competencies.

The participants prepare an Individual Development Plan (IDP), which becomes his/her course of study. The course of study translates into at least 36 semester credits. Completion of the program is by submission of an approved research project and by the oral presentation of a portfolio which includes a written synthesis paper.

Basic Competency Requirements for the EdS, EdD, and PhD degrees

The participants prepare an Individual Development Plan (IDP), which becomes his/her course of study. The course of study translates into at least 64 (EdS)/90 (EdD and PhD) semester credits. Completion of the specialist degree or doctorate in Leadership is achieved only after competence is demonstrated in each of the
20 competencies listed below. The competencies are arranged in six groups. Each group is followed by a general description of the knowledge base as well as the personal/professional development covered by the competency. Of the 20 competencies required, the participant will achieve at least three “star” competencies. (See the Leadership Handbook for a description of competency-level indicators.)

1. An effective teacher/mentor with
• Skills in using, evaluating, and adapting learning materials to accommodate individual variability.
• Skills in various learning strategies, including group process.
• Skills in mentoring
  Every leader is a teacher/mento on some level, and, as such, is expected to understand and demonstrate the principles of effective learning.
2. A dynamic change agent with
• Skills in planning and implementing change
• Skills in developing human resources
• Skills in public relations.
  Every leader is a change agent, and, as such, is expected to understand and demonstrate the principles of change in soceity and organizations.
3. An effective organizer with
• Skills in organizational development, management, and allocation resources
• Skills in interpreting laws, regulations, and policies.
  Every leader is expected to understand and demonstrate the principles of effective organizational learning.
4. A colloborative consultant in diverse cultures with
• Skills in effective communication
• Skills in evaluation and assessment
• Skills in problem solving and decision making.
  Every leader is a consultant, and, as such, is expected to understand and demonstrate, in written, verbal, and non-verbal formats, the principles of effective communication, evaluation, and conflict management within and between various cultural, racial, and special interest groups.
5. A reflective researcher with
• Skills in reading and evaluating research
• Skills in conducting research
• Skills in reporting research
  Every leader is a researcher on some level, and, as such, is expected to understand and demonstrate the following:
1. Appreciate the value of research for decision making.
2. Know the logic and process aof scientific inquiry
3. Explain major research methodologies
4. Critique the adequency of research reports
5. Formulate empirically driven research problems
6. Conduct literature reviews using electronic sources
7. Relate research to the body of knowledge in leadership or professional field
8. Select appropriate research designs
9. Explain standards for data collection
10. Conduct basic data collection and analysis
11. Adequatly communicate research findings.
6. A scholar with a
• Working knowledge of ethics and personal/professional development
• Working knowledge of philosophical foundations
• Working knowledge of theories of learning and human development
• Working knowledge of theories of leadership and management
• Working knowledge of social systems, including family dynamics, community structures, and global development
• Working knowledge of technology and its application.
  Every leader is a scholar on some level, and, as such, is expected to understand and demonstrate the following:
1. Self-reflection and practice of harmonious integration of spiritual, mental, physical, and social aspects of life.
2. Foundational principles of philosophy including a critical understanding, from a Christian perspective, of the assumptions of different worldviews wherever they are expressed as well as the historical development of leadership.
3. Fundamental concepts of learning theory and human development.
4. Practical aspects of leadership theory, with special reference to the theory of servant leadership.
5. Conceptual framework within which social systems operate.
6. Effective use of technology for professional communicatio, training and research.
   

Application Process