Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Leadership, and Organization

The Ph.D. in Education, Leadership, and Organization (ELO) prepares students to become effective leaders in public education, higher education, or a nonprofit organization or business.

The Ph.D. in ELO core courses focus on leadership and organizational health so that students learn leadership skills, styles, and attributes while also learning how to build a successful and healthy culture and organization. Core courses provide a leadership foundation and develop a depth of knowledge in a specific focus of leadership as students pursue their chosen track.

Three Ph.D. tracks have been purposefully created for students to develop a depth of knowledge and understanding in a specific focal area of leadership.

  • Track 1 - Superintendency: This track provides a pathway to superintendent certification for those with Texas Principal Certification. It aligns with the Texas Superintendent Standards and Competencies.
  • Track 2 – Higher Education: Students with backgrounds in leadership, diversity, student affairs, and current issues and trends in higher education will learn more about the education, structure, and expectations of a university or college.
  • Track 3 – Interdisciplinary Nonprofit: This track centers around leading organizations and ensuring successful and healthy progress toward organizational goals.

Marketable Skills

Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."

  1. Apply philosophical, ethical, and theoretical foundations to guide the generation of knowledge in education, leadership, and organization.

  2. Ensure the rigor of expectations for an organization are assessed and aligned with organizational goals and are effective and data-driven.

  3. Assess, evaluate, and retain human capital to ensure that high-quality staff and faculty are coached and provided with targeted professional development, and evaluated with multiple data sources.

  4. Develop the skills necessary to provide resilient executive leadership through change and continuously seek to improve and reflect on personal goals. Additionally, graduates will learn to communicate with diverse audiences and ensure positive relationships, with good moral character while following the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators.

  5. Establish, implement, and promote a shared vision and productive culture that ensures high expectations for all, promotes social and emotional support for all, and ensures a safe environment that promotes civility.

  6. Lead and collaborate to create and promote clear goals that align with school, district, and/or university vision that allows for continuous improvement of all within an organization.

 

Admissions

All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.

The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.

Degree Requirements

Total Semester Credit Hours Required

A minimum of 75 semester credit hours (SCH).  Up to 37 SCH of masters coursework may be transferred in with committee approval.

Required Courses
EDSP 6003Single Subject Research3
ELDR 6013Leading with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion3
ELDR 6603Politics, Policy, and Ethics3
ELDR 6913Independent Study (Special Problems in Leadership and Organizations)3
HDFS 6693Advanced Quantitative Research Methods In Family Sciences3
MGT 5263Organizational Behavior in Business Administration3
ELDR 6433Seminar in Leadership Theory3
READ 6483Qualitative Research3
Track Option
Select a track from the options below.15
Elective Options
Choose 30 SCH at the 5000 or 6000 level. Any courses may be taken as an elective as long as the courses align with the Ph.D. in ELO and the faculty advisor approves.30
Dissertation
ELDR 6983Dissertation3
ELDR 6993Dissertation3
Total SCHs75

Superintendent/EC-12 Leadership Track

Become a school superintendent. This track provides a pathway to superintendent certification for those with Texas Principal Certification. It aligns with the Texas Superintendent Standards and Competencies.

Required Courses
ELDR 6233The Superintendency and School District Leadership3
ELDR 6303Administration of Teacher and Student Personnel3
ELDR 6403Seminar in School Administration3
ELDR 6503School Finance3
ELDR 6663Internship in School Administration3
Total SCHs15

Higher Education Track

Students with backgrounds in leadership, diversity, student affairs, and current issues and trends in higher education will learn more about education, structure, and expectations of a university or college.

ELDR 6443Student Affairs in Higher Education3
ELDR 6453Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education3
ELDR 6463Resource Management in Higher Education3
ELDR 6473Organization and Administration in Higher Education3
ELDR 6483Community Colleges: Issues and Trends3
Total SCHs15

Interdisciplinary Nonprofit Track

Centers around leading organizations and ensuring successful and healthy progress toward organizational goals.

BUS 5393Leading High Performing Teams3
HDFS 6343Effective College Teaching Methods3
HDFS 6433Grants Writing in Family Sciences3
MGT 5553Conflict Resolution3
MGT 5633Principles of Talent Development3
Total SCHs15

Major/Emphasis

Requirements will depend upon individual student’s needs.  Transfer of coursework from a student's master's degree is not automatic; please see the Graduate School guidelines for credit by transfer.  Courses from a master's degree are only transferred with advisor approval.

Research Tools

Students must take EDSP 6003, HDFS 6693, READ 6483, or equivalent courses in other colleges, along with two sequential statistics classes, and/or three or four additional research courses at the 5000 or 6000 level as determined by their advisor. The research courses taken should support the student's proposed research methodology. 

Qualifying Examination

A comprehensive portfolio examination that demonstrates a student's depth and breadth of knowledge related to leadership and organization determines a student's eligibility for candidacy. The student's advisory committee and other Education, Leadership, and Organization faculty will grade the portfolio on a rubric. Sections deemed unsatisfactory may be presented by the student to the committee again one additional time after six months.

Final Examination

Students must successfully complete a research project, write the dissertation according to the advisory committee, and TWU Graduate School guidelines, and defend the dissertation in an open meeting, which requires answering questions effectively and demonstrating competence and fluency with content.