| Course Code | Name | Course Description |
| OL7001-8 | Conflict Resolution and Mediation | Dealing with conflict is an inevitable part of any leader's role within an organization. This Doctoral level course examines conflict management processes and skills with an emphasis on interaction patterns, interpersonal relationships, and communication skills. Learners will examine the nature of conflict - its origins, sources, and types, as well as methods of proactive intervention, conflict resolution and effective strategies in organizational settings. Issues such as diversity and ethics within multiple contexts, fostering creativity in problem solving and process design, and skills for successful mediation will be examined. Theory, structure, and practice of collaborative and mediated negotiations are also emphasized. |
| EDU8002-8 | Educational Research Methodology | This Doctoral level course provides learners with an overview of the research process, and an opportunity to learn about educational research methodology and the components of a dissertation. The course will also provide the learner with the opportunity to identify and develop a research topic, define a research problem, describe the purpose of the research study, and establish associated research question(s). The learner will prepare a Topic Paper and a preliminary annotated bibliography for the dissertation topic in the Signature Assignment. |
| OL7002-8 | Building Organizational Capacity | There are numerous definitions for the phrase "capacity building" within educational and leadership literature. For the purpose of this Doctoral level course, the term "building organizational capacity" will be used to describe a parallel universe, where both the Learners’ capacity and the organization's capacity must be developed to achieve organizational goals. Learners will analyze their own organization to assess internal and external capacity, reviewing all tangible and intangible portions of the organization to understand their individual and collective impact on achieving maximum effectiveness and productivity. Simultaneously, Learners will also critically evaluate their own role within the organization as it relates to building capacity. |
| EDU8003-8 | Statistics I | This course provides an introductory exploration of statistics for the graduate Learner. It includes instruction on the calculation, use, and interpretation of descriptive statistics, and introduces inferential statistical analysis. The emphasis of this course is on providing a working knowledge of basic statistical concepts to help the Learner understand statistical methodology used in education, and also more generally, developing a working knowledge of statistical usage in everyday life. |
| OL7003-8 | Leadership for Excellence | This Doctoral level course will benefit Learners who understand that striving for leadership excellence is a life journey. It is predicated upon studying, practicing, and developing leadership skills and competencies. This process involves an intensive examination of personal and organizational leadership abilities and capacities. Learners will deepen their philosophy of leadership which serves as the foundation for applying the knowledge and skill sets acquired through their specialization and degree program. The development and implementation of leadership concepts, applications, and frameworks to drive leadership performance for excellence are highlighted. The continued and increasingly successful application of the knowledge, tools, skill sets, and perspectives that have been learned will also be emphasized. |
| EDU8202-8 | Research Design | In this course, the Learner acquires the basic skills necessary for the interpretation and application of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research. The Learner will examine the formal research process carefully, with an emphasis on practical applications and skill development. Critical concepts and principles intrinsic to research paradigms, study designs, and methods of inquiry are presented to empower the Learner’s ability to formulate and respond to research questions. The resources listed below from the Northcentral University Dissertation Center are critical resources throughout the whole research process – learners are highly encouraged to become deeply familiar with the resources from the Northcentral University Dissertation Center. |
| EDU8005-8 | Qualitative Research Design | This course is an examination of qualitative methods for studying human behavior including grounded theory, narrative analysis, ethnography, mixed methods, and case studies. |
| OL7004-8 | Theory and Practice of Organizational Leadership | Leadership theory spans academic disciplines and draws as much from artistry of relationships as it does from writings and reflections of leadership as an applied science. Students of leadership gain as much from the experiences of others, as they do from studies of attributes of successful leaders and organizations. Through coursework, course readings, case analyses and personal reflection, Learners will examine in-depth leadership theories and their applications in current organizational settings. This course incorporates the Learner's experiences and observations regarding leadership from their personal and professional experiences and current work setting. |
| EDU8006-8 | Statistics II | This course is an intermediate examination of statistical analyses commonly used for research in education. It prepares the doctoral student with the skills required to plan, conduct (using SPSS), report, and interpret quantitative statistical analyses. Topics include: basic statistical knowledge, probability theory, exploratory date analysis, assumptions for statistical tests, parametric and nonparametric tests. Specific analyses include: correlation, regression (simple, multiple, and logistic), basic ANOVA and advanced ANOVA techniques. |
| OL7005-8 | Ethical Leadership | Leadership is not an event, but is a process that takes time. In this course, Learners gain a deep understanding of the complexity of such moral dilemmas through critical analysis and application of ethical principles. Both hypothetical and real ethical scenarios and decisions will be critically considered and discussed with the focus on the Learner building practical decision making skills in the organizational environment and the understanding the criteria by which the soundness of those decisions are to be judged. Interpersonal dynamics operating within an organizational structure and the systemic nature of such structures is examined. Learners examine their own ethical profile, and how it impacts their communication with individuals and groups. This process includes oral, print and electronic communications. |
| EDU8007-8 | Quantitative Research Design | This course provides Learners with the skills essential for designing experimental, quasi-experiment, and survey studies; analyzing the data collected in these studies, and interpreting the results of data analyses. Learners will explore designs and statistical techniques to use with their envisioned dissertation research. |
| OL7007-8 | Leader as Coach | As organizations are increasingly required to be innovative, leaders are called upon to use a broader repertoire of skills to maximize internal human potential. Coaching skills and the theories from which they derive draw upon such interdisciplinary fields as organizational development, humanistic psychology and dialogue and systems theory. Through coursework, course readings, case analyses, field experience and personal reflection, Doctoral Learners will examine in-depth coaching principles and theories along with their applications in leadership roles. This course incorporates the Learner's experiences and observations regarding leadership from both personal and professional environments. |
| EDU8207-8 | Planning Dissertation Research in Education | Students in this course will begin the process of writing a dissertation for a research or professional doctorate. The course will address the University dissertation process and aids to successfully complete a dissertation, including self-care and time management. |
