PHD in Leadership Studies Course Descriptions

Core Leadership Seminars

PHDL 7300 (3-3-0) Dallas Institute: Leadership Experiences and Development (LEAD)

LEAD is the Dallas Institute orientation course to the PHD program. One of the foundational tenets of the PHD program is that the most effective leaders are servant-leaders who integrate lifelong learning with personal growth, professional competencies, and global awareness. In this seminar, cohort members will build upon self-knowledge related to their understanding and practice of leadership. Students will complete personality and leadership inventories to assess their baseline leadership traits, styles, and skills in order to develop their personal and professional goals towards effective growth.

Requisites: Cohort only – Approval of Program director.

Offered: Summer.

PHDL 7301 (3-3-0) Leadership Through the Ages: Part One: Foundations – Theory Model

This seminar is designed to give students an understanding in the concepts of leadership historically, philosophically, psychologically, and morally, and to test these understandings against the students’ own values and experiences.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

PHDL 7302 (3-3-0) Leadership Through the Ages: Part Two: Biblical – Servant Leadership Model

This seminar introduces the nature and purpose of spirituality from the biblical perspective as it relates to leadership, assisting students in constructing and refining those spiritual principles that are philosophically, theologically, and pastorally relevant to the human condition within the Christian community and other religious traditions.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

PHDL 7303 (3-3-0) Leadership Through the Ages: Part Three: Classical Leadership – Educational Model

This seminar addresses the educational models of leadership within institutions of learning. It also addresses the “ways of knowing” as leaders teach learning in the classrooms, seminars, and virtual discussions in the present global climate. Founded on the belief that all persons are both teachers and learners, this seminar explores learning styles, issues concerning adult learners, and strategies for teaching and working with adults in organizational settings. The seminar also explores multiple intelligences, spiritual intelligence, women’s ways of knowing, mentoring, and social constructionism.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDL 7304 (3-3-0) Leadership Through the Ages: Part Four: Political Leadership – Power and Influence

This seminar includes a trip to Washington, D.C. Students address the themes of justice, diversity, and human relationships within the context of power in civic and government structures and organizations. It also challenges students to develop a compelling personal vision that will engage others by offering meaning, dignity, and purpose. Leaders possess qualities that support a hardy persistence in the face of adversity. This seminar will emphasize the resilience necessary for successful adaptation and transformation despite risk and adversity.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Summer.

PHDL 7305 (3-3-0) Leadership Through the Ages: Part Five: Cultural and Global Leadership

With a Christ-centered perspective, this seminar explores the phenomenon of globalization and the study of leadership from a global perspective, with an emphasis on historical leadership within English history, examining the role of the United Kingdom as a former global empire. In addition, the course will not only take into account the impact of Western leadership on the non- Western world, but it will also examine non-Western leadership in its own particular contexts. Attention will also be paid to modern challenges posed by globalization, both on leaders and on various cultures.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Summer.

PHDL 7306 (3-3-0) Organizational Leadership

In this seminar students will examine organizations from a sociological perspective and gain a comprehensive understanding of both the classical and contemporary theoretical and practical workings of organizations. Chaos, complexity theory, and appreciative theory will also be addressed, along with the common and diverse elements of structures, rational, natural, and open systems perspectives, and applications to business, public bureaucracies, hospitals, and schools.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Summer.

PHDL 7307 (3-3-0) Leadership for the Future (Capstone Seminar)

This seminar will synthesize the interdisciplinary content of the leadership core with an emphasis upon understanding the changing landscape in which leaders will practice. Students and faculty will explore issues associated with the utilization of power, as well as the various types of power in a twenty-first century context. In order to better grasp the context, students will study the nuances of particular cultures, as well as the commonalities that exist between them. This will be done in an effort to prepare the student to be effective across the various cultural contexts, albeit national, ethnic, organizational, generational, or ideological. With the assumption that the world is changing, the student will be able to comprehend interplay between technological and demographic trends and how geopolitical dynamics will shape the twenty-first century. This seminar is part of the Oxford Institute. Class sessions will take place on DBU’s main campus and in Oxford, England.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Summer.

Leadership Studies Seminars

PHDL 7308 (3-3-0) Readings Course: Great Books/Biographies

This seminar is based on the reading, writing, study, and discussion of the primary texts related to the academic fields pertaining to leadership studies. Interdisciplinary in its approach, the course will cover an extensive bibliography, compiled by the faculty of the PHD program, with the intent to deepen and broaden the student’s comprehension of the literature of the major field. The approach used in this seminar will be text-centered, student-focused, and writing-intensive, with dialogue sessions employed to develop competencies in critical thinking skills and effective communication.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

PHDL 7310 (3-3-0) Mentored Leadership Internship (S-L)

The student will complete a 120-hour mentored internship. The successful completion of the required internship with a designated mentor, in an area determined by the student and his or her supervisor, will result in 3 hours credit. The internship is designed to enhance the student’s areas of personal strength and to define and evoke deep change in areas where transformation is needed for greater leadership competency. This course contains a field-based service-learning component.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Summer.

Research and Statistics Seminars

PHDB 7315 (3-3-0) Qualitative Research in Business

This course will allow the student to apply advanced, qualitative research principles, data collection and analysis methods as well as writing for publication in the area of Business.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

PHDG 7315 (3-3-0) Qualitative Research in General Leadership

This course will allow the student to apply advanced, qualitative research principles, data collection and analysis methods as well as writing for publication in the area of General Leadership.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

PHDH 7315 (3-3-0) Qualitative Research in Higher Education

This course will allow the student to apply advanced, qualitative research principles, data collection and analysis methods as well as writing for publication in the area of Higher Education.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

PHDL 7320 (3-3-0) Statistics I – Requisite Course

(LEAD 7320)

If students did not have a course in statistics in their graduate degree, then they must choose to take this statistics foundational course. Statistics is the science of conducting studies to collect, organize, summarize, present, analyze, and draw conclusions from data. Descriptive statistics consists of the collection, organization, summarization, and presentation of data. Inferential statistics consists of the analysis of data in order to draw conclusions when generalizing from a sample to a population. Students in this course will study both descriptive and inferential statistics, elements of probability which support statistical theory, and theoretical distributions. Tests of hypotheses will include z-tests, t-tests, chi-square tests, one-way and two-way analysis of variance, and nonparametric tests. Other topics are confidence intervals, correlation, linear regression, and multiple regression. Students will apply statistics to the decision-making process for leadership position holders and will design, conduct, and report a study that demonstrates their statistical skills.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

PHDL 7330 (3-3-0) Statistics II – Advanced Graduate-Level Statistics

In this course the student will build upon his previous knowledge. With structured opportunities to analyze, interpret, and report quantitative research, using their own or sample data, students will be able to demonstrate coding, use quantitative software for analysis, and demonstrate skills in interpreting and writing the results of quantitative data.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDL 7340 (3-3-0) Research I – Research Principles and Critical Thinking

This course will teach research principles and critical thinking skills that apply toward advanced research methods, quantitative and qualitative study, data collection, research analysis, and writing for publication.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Summer.

PHDL 7350 (3-3-0) Research II – Advanced Research and Prospectus Design

In this class students identify their research question and begin to chart their research methodology toward the completion of their prospectus. The students and their faculty advisors will also decide upon and finalize the students’ supervisor and Dissertation Committee.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDM 7315 (3-3-0) Qualitative Research in Ministry

This course will allow the student to apply advanced, qualitative research principles, data collection and analysis methods as well as writing for publication in the area of Ministry.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

Concentration Courses

Business Concentration

PHDB 7309 (3-3-0) Special Topics in Business

(PHDG; PHDH; PHDM 7309)

The student will read widely and deeply from selective readings comprising bibliographies from the student’s Business concentration area. The approach used in this seminar will be text-centered, student-focused, and writing-intensive, with dialogue sessions employed to develop competencies in critical thinking skills and effective communication. May be repeated for credit when content changes. Grade replacement for special topics courses may only be accomplished under special topics courses with the same topic and content.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDB 7310 (3-3-0) Leadership and Technology

Leadership responsibilities in organizations will increasingly influence and be influenced by technology. This course is designed to provide an enhanced understanding of the global environment of information technology and its impact in today's societies. The course will provide students with a framework for understanding ways in which human societies and organizations transform themselves through technological innovation and for assessing the social and ethical issues associated with technological change. Recognizing the ubiquitous nature of technology this course will provide foundational vocabulary, an examination of current and emerging concepts, and critical evaluation of the implications of technology for leaders and their role as agents of change.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDB 7311 (3-3-0) Organizational Theory and Design

This seminar will examine the key issues and perspectives in organization theory. The objective of the course is to provide increased knowledge, including classic and contemporary theories, ongoing controversies, and groundbreaking empirical studies in the area of organizational theory and design. In a single semester it is impossible to complete an exhaustive tour of the field, thus students will explore select research domains that will provide a sufficient balance overall.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDB 7312 (3-3-0) Emerging Trends in Business Leadership

This seminar will examine specific topic(s) chosen in response to critical issues that are currently under discussion and perceived to be of broad interest to a large number of seminar participants. Topics may include but not limited to Financial and Economic issues in Leadership, Marketing Thought, Outsourcing, Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Business Formation, Women in Leadership, Multi-Generational Leadership, Social Networking, and Research in International Business and change year to year with each offering of the course. The course content will concentrate on recent academic research in the chosen area.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDB 7314 (3-3-0) Leadership, Ethics, and Social Responsibility

(PHDG 7314)

An in-depth investigation of the characteristics and relationships between ethical and moral practices and effective leadership. This course will explore the nature of ethical leadership through a consideration of the ethical foundation of leadership principles. The curriculum will consider a variety of moral dilemmas that exist in societies and organizations. Attention will be given to how the leader’s values and beliefs affect decision making along with the key factors involved in ethical decision- making. Students will develop an understanding of the complexity of the moral dilemmas through a crucial analysis and application of ethical principles.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDB 7315 (3-3-0) Qualitative Research in Business

This course will allow the student to apply advanced, qualitative research principles, data collection and analysis methods as well as writing for publication in the student’s area of Business concentration.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

PHDB 7316 (3-3-0) Jerusalem, Israel, and the World: Identity, Faith, and Leadership

(PHDG; PHDH; PHDM; EDDH; EDDM 7316)

This seminar includes a trip to Israel in order to explore the issues associated with the impact of globalization, faith, and identity in leadership development. Readings and assignments before the trip will have prepared the students to engage in the application of knowledge regarding spiritual leadership and global influences on the identity of the leader as it relates to the student’s specific concentration area.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

General Leadership Concentration

PHDG 7309 (3-3-0) Special Topics in General Leadership

(PHDB; PHDH; PHDM 7309)

The student will read widely and deeply from selective readings comprising bibliographies from the student’s General Leadership concentration area. The approach used in this seminar will be text-centered, student-focused, and writing-intensive, with dialogue sessions employed to develop competencies in critical thinking skills and effective communication. May be repeated for credit when content changes. Grade replacement for special topics courses may only be accomplished under special topics courses with the same topic and content.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

PHDG 7310 (3-3-0) Leadership in Practice: People, Conflict, and Problem Solving

Interpersonal relationships within an organization are critical to success. Although leaders must often focus on articulating the mission and vision of an organization to external constituents, this emphasis may lead to underdeveloped structures and undernourished personnel within the organization. Leading in community will provide students with multiple frameworks within which to analyze their own leadership styles, characteristics, and effectiveness for the purpose of cultivating community within an organization. In addition, this course will focus on the role of Human Relations within an organization. By the completion of the course, students will develop an ethical framework to identify organizational systems and processes for increasing communication, solving problems, and reducing conflict.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Periodically.

PHDG 7311 (3-3-0) Leadership Development and Succession

This course focuses on how organizations and leaders strategically provide for leadership succession at all organizational levels through intentional leadership development. There will be an examination of the alignment of the goals of succession planning with the mission and strategic plan of the organization. Attention will be given to the internal and external processes required to ensure effective talent selection among a generationally diverse workforce, while increasing employee competence and enhancing organizational effectiveness.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDG 7312 (3-3-0) Followership

While the leadership literature is saturated with books on becoming better leaders, there is a dearth of awareness concerning finding and supporting those who follow leadership effectively. This course will examine both personal and professional behaviors that constitute effective followership as well as provide an intellectual understanding of the follower phenomenon –its origins and functions, its evolution over time, its distinctions, and its relation to the leader phenomenon.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Periodically.

PHDG 7314 (3-3-0) Leadership, Ethics, and Social Responsibility

(PHDB 7314)

An in-depth investigation of the characteristics and relationships between ethical and moral practices and effective leadership. This course will explore the nature of ethical leadership through a consideration of the ethical foundation of leadership principles. The curriculum will consider a variety of moral dilemmas that exist in societies and organizations. Attention will be given to how the leader’s values and beliefs affect decision making along with the key factors involved in ethical decision-making. Students will develop an understanding of the complexity of the moral dilemmas through a crucial analysis and application of ethical principles.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDG 7315 (3-3-0) Qualitative Research in General Leadership

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

PHDG 7316 (3-3-0) Jerusalem, Israel, and the World: Identity, Faith, and Leadership

(PHDB; PHDH; PHDM; EDDH; EDDM 7316)

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

Higher Education Concentration

PHDH 7309 (3-3-0) Special Topics in Higher Education

(PHDB; PHDG; PHDM 7309)

The student will read widely and deeply from selective readings comprising bibliographies from the student’s Higher Education concentration area. The approach used in this seminar will be text-centered, student-focused, and writing-intensive, with dialogue sessions employed to develop competencies in critical thinking skills and effective communication. May be repeated for credit when content changes. Grade replacement for special topics courses may only be accomplished under special topics courses with the same topic and content.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDH 7310 (3-3-0) College and University Leadership

This seminar allows students to participate in an in-depth analysis of the various institutional models of higher education as well as their organizational roles on a national perspective. The principal administrative and leadership functions, including faculty personnel, business management, public relations, and the liaison of student personnel with other administrative and leadership functions will be analyzed and evaluated.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDH 7311 (3-3-0) Budget/Finance in Higher Education

This course is designed to provide the graduate student with a practical knowledge of the business and financial aspects of higher education administration. Students will gain an understanding of terminology, concepts, issues, and standard practices related to higher education budgeting and finance. Students will participate in a variety of applicable and research-based activities designed to provide the budgeting and finance knowledge and skills necessary to lead a college or university. The content of the course will be discussed and applied from a Christ-centered servant leadership perspective.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDH 7312 (3-3-0) Higher Education Law

This course surveys federal and state law governing colleges and universities in the United States of America with a focus on the application of education law to specific facts and patterns commonly presented to various academic administrators.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDH 7313 (3-3-0) Academic Affairs Leadership

This seminar explores the current theories and strategies for academic leadership in higher education that include philosophy, curriculum development, instructional management, and forces that influence academic decision-making. Emphasis will be placed on developing leadership skills for improving academic performance based on effective assessment of student performance and identified learner outcomes.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Periodically.

PHDH 7314 (3-3-0) Student Services Leadership

This seminar provides an in-depth study of the functions and professional issues of Student Affairs leadership. Pertinent concepts of administration and student development will be explored and analyzed. The functions of and relationships between various student services departments will be discussed and applied through problem-based learning.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDH 7315 (3-3-0) Qualitative Research in Higher Education

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

PHDH 7316 (3-3-0) Jerusalem, Israel, and the World: Identity, Faith, and Leadership

(PHDB; PHDG; PHDM; EDDH; EDDM 7316)

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

Ministry Concentration

PHDM 7309 (3-3-0) Special Topics in Ministry

(PHDB; PHDG; PHDH 7309)

The student will read widely and deeply from selective readings comprising bibliographies from the student’s Ministry concentration area. The approach used in this seminar will be text-centered, student-focused, and writing-intensive, with dialogue sessions employed to develop competencies in critical thinking skills and effective communication. May be repeated for credit when content changes. Grade replacement for special topics courses may only be accomplished under special topics courses with the same topic and content.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDM 7310 (3-3-0) Ministry Leadership for the 21st Century

This seminar examines leadership in development and implementation of current ministry models. These models may reflect ministry in broad church-wide, inter-church, and parachurch contexts; or ministry in narrow age-group, cross-cultural, community, or pastoral contexts. A biblical-theological framework is used to assess strategic leadership of ministry models from vision to implementation to evaluation. Students will discover and evaluate a wide range of current models, develop criteria for models, and project possible models for the future within the student’s ministry setting.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDM 7311 (3-3-0) Theological Foundations for Contemporary Ministry

In this seminar the study of ecclesiology serves as a starting point for understanding and evaluating patterns and methods of ministry. The seminar uses the classical historical theological disciplines as a framework for exploring contemporary trends in applied practical theology. Emphasis is placed upon developing reflective theological analysis of contemporary ministry praxis as well as the development of tools to evaluate contemporary models for ministry effectiveness.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDM 7312 (3-3-0) Leadership for the Emerging Global Church

This seminar explores historic and emerging mission models to discover methods and paradigms that can be applied by Christian leaders today in global and inter-church contexts. Students examine and evaluate strategies recommended by missionaries, evangelists, and church planting leaders for their effectiveness in diverse cultural contexts. Emphasis is placed upon discovering current global mission trends and developing effective models to advance gospel causes around the world today.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

PHDM 7313 (3-3-0) Faith Formation and Christian Education Process

Students will research systems of faith formation and Christian education processes with a view toward developing Christian education models for spiritual formation and leader development for preschoolers, children, youth, and adults.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Periodically.

PHDM 7314 (3-3-0) Leadership, Christian History, and Baptist Identity

Students will research leadership theory and practice within the context of Christian history from the New Testament to the present. Special attention is given to Baptist heritage/identity and resulting theologies of leadership.

Requisites: None.

Offered: Summer.

PHDM 7315 (3-3-0) Qualitative Research in Ministry

Requisites: None.

Offered:

PHDM 7316 (3-3-0) Jerusalem, Israel, and the World: Identity, Faith, and Leadership

(PHDB; PHDG; PHDH; EDDH; EDDM 7316)

Requisites: None.

Offered:

Dissertation Courses

PHDL 8305 (3-3-0) Research Methods

(EDDL 8305, LEAD 8305)

Contemporary businesses, educational institutions, and other organizations expect mastery of strategic leadership elements and a comprehension of motivational and problem-solving approaches from their leaders. This course provides a survey of the most current research and writing on key components of leadership theory, concepts, and models within the context of a Christian worldview. Learners will examine leadership theory, ethics, values, attitudes, character development, diversity, and leadership behavior with an emphasis on developing the requisite skills for effective servant leadership.

Requisites: Approval of Program Director.

Offered: Spring.

PHDL 8306 (3-3-0) Foundations of Leadership

(EDDL 8306, LEAD 8306)

Requisites: Approval of Program Director.

Offered: Fall.

PHDL 8310 (3-3-0) Dissertation Proposal/Prospectus

To register for this course, students must have successfully completed all required course work and passed comprehensive examinations. During the Proposal/Prospectus phase of the dissertation process, the student will identify the dissertation research question, select the method of research used to investigate the problem, define, state, and justify the thesis or theory, outlined the proposed study, and submit the proposal/prospectus to the proposal/prospectus course until they have successfully completed and defended their dissertation proposal/prospectus.

Requisites:

Offered: Fall, Spring, or Summer.

PHDL 8320 (3-3-0) Dissertation

Upon completion and successful defense of their dissertation proposal/prospectus, the student will enroll in this course. In this course, students will implement and document the research methodology outlined in the dissertation proposal/prospectus. Students must maintain continuous enrollment in the dissertation course until they have successfully completed and defended their dissertation.

Requisites:

Offered: Fall, Spring, or Summer.