Leadership Studies (LEAD)

This course provides an overview of the history of leadership scholarship, leadership theory and behaviors associated with ethical and effective leadership.

This course discusses the core components of systems thinking, complexity leadership strategies, the role of data in complex systems and systems analysis and design.

In this course, students will examine communications strategies that use data to build consensus, engage stakeholders and enhance mission fulfillment across a variety of organizational environments. This is an advanced seminar focusing on persuasion theory and communication methodology relevant to strategic communication in diverse cultural settings. Emphasis is placed upon message analysis in cross-cultural contexts at various communication levels including interpersonal, small group, organizational and public. The course considers communication strategies and tactics embedded in adversarial belief systems. This seminar will use lecture-discussion, case studies, guest speakers and team projects.

This course aims to equip future leaders with the essential statistical tools required for informed decision-making. Students will be introduced to statistical modeling techniques relevant to a variety of sectors such as non-profit, government and industry. This course emphasizes how statistical models can be employed in strategic planning and leadership to make ethical and effective decisions.

This course aims to teach future leaders how to interpret and present data effectively to inform decision-making. Students will learn about best practices in data visualization, storytelling with data and how to make data-driven arguments more compelling. The course will utilize a range of software tools to create visualizations that are both informative and persuasive.

This course empowers future leaders to harness data tools, including AI, for strategic and effective leadership in government, nonprofit organizations and industry. Students will develop the skills to generate data or pull it from governmental datasets. Students will also learn to interpret and communicate data insights, using data manipulation, statistical analysis, and communication to drive informed decision-making and inspire high-performing organizations and agencies. Leaders will learn how to craft and implement big-data and advanced-analytics strategies, from building core analytical knowledge and fostering data-driven cultures, to leading analytics talent and communicating results and data informed strategies.

In this course, students will examine ethical leadership, ethical data gathering, analysis and interpretation, and using data to inform ethical leadership practices and decisions.  Class discussions will focus on the role of data in policy and decision-making, including ethical questions around the datafication of society and AI. Through case studies in healthcare, energy and environmental policy, social welfare, and administrative decision-making, students will engage with real-world applications of data science concepts and examine their impacts.

This course focuses on leadership perspectives best suited to complex, big data environments as well as core and emerging research in this area. Utilizing human-centered design and UX design principles, this course helps students to leverage data and digital technologies to improve organizational and societal policies, programs and services.

This course examines cross-cultural leadership preferences that impact how leaders make decisions regarding human resources and organizational management. The course also explores models of how leaders communicate and implement decisions across a variety of geographic and workplace contexts including in-person, remote and hybrid environments as well as the differing role of technology in those settings.

In this capstone course, students will apply the principles learned throughout the program to a real-world technology leadership challenge. The outcome will be a comprehensive data strategy to address the problem.

This doctoral survey course covers the history, philosophy, theories and concepts of organizational leadership. This course will differentiate between the roles of the manager and the leader and provide the student with the foundations of organizational leadership. This course provides an opportunity to examine pertinent leadership theories, to develop a personal understanding of leadership and to explore the relations of leaders and followers.

Designed to give students an opportunity to complete a brief independent investigation of a leadership topic. May be repeated with a different topic.

In-depth study of a current topic in the field of Strategic Leadership Studies. Content varies depending on the topic and instructor. May be repeated for different special studies.

This course focuses on principles of research design and planning in strategic leadership studies at the doctoral level.

This course is designed to enable students to understand the distinction among civic participation organizations and political advocacy.

For PhD candidates who seek employment as faculty members, this course is important to the degree. As new PhDs, they will be expected to show effectiveness in this area from the beginning of their careers. Increasingly, colleges and universities are looking to hire new PhDs who have had a teaching course and/or supported teaching experience for effective university classrooms. This course is designed to present specific theories and strategies for teaching effectively in the collegiate classroom and assists students in showing rigor and effectiveness in teaching from the beginning, thus promoting job placement. This course gives students the opportunity to take the higher-level knowledge and skills and apply them to teaching/learning situations.

Mixed methods research (MMR) is a popular approach in leadership studies and its associated disciplines (e.g., postsecondary education, non-profit studies, organizational sciences, etc.) given its distinctive ability to answer research questions that benefit from the integration of quantitative and qualitative data. This doctoral-level class will provide the opportunity to learn about the opportunities (and challenges) confronting mixed-methods research, with the overall objective being to equip students with the ability to independently design, conduct and disseminate mixed-methods research in leadership studies and its associated applications.

This course focuses on the design, delivery, assessment and supervision of instruction in schools, across schools, throughout the school division and in the community.

This course focuses on the determination, development, implementation, assessment and revision of curriculum and its relationship to the design, delivery, assessment and supervision of instruction in schools, across schools, throughout the school division and in the community.

Encompasses the practice, theory and empirical underpinnings of postsecondary education. Approaches may draw upon cultural, political, economic, historical, social and global aspects.

Analyze, apply study of ethics, values and leadership concepts. Apply four ethical paradigms of justice, care, critique and profession. Integrate and apply knowledge of educational laws, personnel supervision and education finance. Analyze change theory as related to cognitive and social processes and apply to school and organizational change. Analyze the impact of personnel motivation, work performance and evaluation on school culture. Evaluate sociopolitical influences on leadership in schools.

This course provides a broad overview of the field of organizational science and key components that unite and divide the field drawing upon an overview of various social science disciplines such as organizational development, change, climate, and culture.

This course is designed to introduce students to the principles of organizational transactions, internal and external, with a focus on leading organizational change. The course links communication theory and research to effective practices, emerging issues, evaluation and experiential learning opportunities in organizational practice.

This course examines the key theories, purposes and roles of organizations in today's world. The main focus is on the design and structure of organizations based on their mission, environments, complexity, size and span. Differences between public, private and governmental organizations are examined. Organizational culture and its effect on ethics, change leadership and innovation are studied. Designing for performance, sustainability and innovation are foci of this course.

This course focuses on principles of research design and planning in organizational science and leadership. Students will conduct a defensible research topic, research plan, data collection, selection of methodology and implications.

This doctoral level course is designed to develop organizational leaders' practices related to and theoretical understanding of policy, accountability and assessment in organizations and in organizational science generally.

The first course in the concentration is designed to enhance students' understanding of how third-sector organizations differ in economic, legal and political terms from government and for-profit organizations. The course fosters understanding of the theoretical, organizational and practice space occupied by various types of nonprofit organizations within the sector as well as their purposes, and the current status of service provision.

This doctoral survey course explores the synergy between civil society and the nonprofit sector by tracing the theoretical and historical perspectives of each. The role of cultural and political context in the development of civil society and the nonprofit sector are presented from a leadership perspective through emphasis on voluntary associations and their potential role in fostering social transformations across national and transnational boundaries.

The roles, structure, functions and composition of organizational boards and their relationship to organizational leadership and performance are investigated. Strategies for improved board performance and accountability are explored.

A doctoral seminar exploring the historical, economic, political, social and psychological foundations of philanthropy in American society as well as the ethical, legal and financial aspects of organizational resource development. The role of leadership strategies for acquisition, maintenance and stewardship of resources including various organizational stakeholders is emphasized. The course includes perspectives from theory, empirical research and practice.

This course presents methods of accountability, impact assessment and evaluation in nonprofit organizations in light of myriad stakeholders. The role of leadership in determining and implementing processes of internal and external evaluations is explored.

This course involves instruction in the design, practice and evaluation of leadership development in a variety of settings. Empirical research on the use and effectiveness of leader development efforts will be reviewed. Students will analyze case studies of effective organizations and a variety of assessment and development activities will be completed as part of the course. Also students will respond to a sample request for proposals for leadership development.

Current issues of higher education are analyzed and future trends are discussed. Various approaches to policy development and their applications are examined from institutional, state, federal, legislative and international perspectives.

This course closely examines the dynamic relationship (and, within this, relationships) between students and postsecondary organizations.

This doctoral level course presents methods of accountability, impact assessment and evaluation. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to accountability and program evaluation in business, higher education and nonprofit organizational settings and the stakeholders commonly found in these settings. The role of leadership in determining and implementing processes of internal and external evaluations is explored.

This doctoral-level course focuses on complex quantitative, evaluative research designs used in leadership studies. The content of the course includes conducting statistical analyses associated with experimental and quasi-experimental intervention evaluative designs.

This doctoral-level course focuses on complex quantitative, correlational research designs used in leadership studies. The content of the course includes both parametric and non-parametric correlational designs.

This doctoral-level course focuses on the application of advanced quantitative, correlational statistics research methods used in leadership studies.

This course and work experience represents the final pre-dissertation stage for the leadership studies doctoral program. As a capstone course and experience, it is designed to integrate prior knowledge (both tacit and explicit) and current work experiences with more advanced leadership concepts and applications.

The externship represents the culmination of the student's formal course of study and is an applied learning opportunity. The instructor for LEAD 891 serves as the externship supervisor and oversees all aspects of the externship. The student can expect to spend an average of 35 hours per credit hour working within or for another organization.

Continued study, research and writing in the area of dissertation concentration. This course does not count toward fulfilling the required hours for the degree; it may be repeated as needed.

Provides advanced research required of all doctoral candidates. Course is graded on an S/U/I basis. Students must take a minimum of 12 credit hours of LEAD 900 to fulfill program requirements. Up to 6 additional credit hours may be taken, but these cannot be used to fulfill program requirements.