Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Leadership, and Organization
Become a leader prepared for any setting. Earn your Ph.D. in Education, Leadership, and Organization (ELO) to become an effective leader in public education, higher education, or a nonprofit organization or business.
There are three Ph.D. tracks purposefully created for students to develop a depth of knowledge and understanding in a specific focal area of leadership.
- Track 1 - Superintendency: 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.
- 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: Centers around leading organizations and ensuring successful and healthy progress toward organizational goals.
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.
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."
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Apply philosophical, ethical, and theoretical foundations to guide the generation of knowledge in education, leadership, and organization.
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Ensure the rigor of expectations for an organization are assessed and aligned with organizational goals and are effective and data-driven.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
This 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.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| EDSP 6003 | Single Subject Research | 3 |
| ELDR 6013 | Leading with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 |
| ELDR 6603 | Politics, Policy, and Ethics | 3 |
| ELDR 6913 | Independent Study (Special Problems in Leadership and Organizations) | 3 |
| HDFS 6693 | Advanced Quantitative Research Methods In Family Sciences | 3 |
| MGT 5263 | Organizational Behavior in Business Administration | 3 |
| ELDR 6433 | Seminar in Leadership Theory | 3 |
| READ 6483 | Qualitative Research | 3 |
| Track Option | ||
| Select a track from the options below. | 15 | |
| Elective Options | ||
| Choose 30 SCH from the following with committee approval. | 30 | |
| Diversity in the Classroom | ||
| Models and Theories of Learning and Teaching | ||
| Adult Models of Learning and Teaching | ||
| Curriculum Studies | ||
| Assessment in the Classroom | ||
| Foundations of Higher Education | ||
| Social, Academic, and Demographic Characteristics of University Students | ||
| Higher Education: Research to Practice | ||
| Educational Foundations and Administrative Implications: AEL | ||
| Research in Education | ||
| Professional Development and Supervision in Education | ||
| Leadership and Communication: Crucial Conversations | ||
| Administrative Processes in Schools | ||
| Curriculum Development, Assessment, and Evaluation | ||
| Leadership and Special Programs | ||
| Education Law | ||
| Seminar in Education and Communities | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Academic Life and Scholarship | ||
| Grants Writing in Family Sciences | ||
| Statistical Methods I | ||
| Statistical Methods II | ||
| Advanced Qualitative Research Design and Analysis | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| ELDR 6983 | Dissertation | 3 |
| ELDR 6993 | Dissertation | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 75 | |
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.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ELDR 6233 | The Superintendency and School District Leadership | 3 |
| ELDR 6303 | Administration of Teacher and Student Personnel | 3 |
| ELDR 6403 | Seminar in School Administration | 3 |
| ELDR 6503 | School Finance | 3 |
| ELDR 6663 | Internship in School Administration | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 15 | |
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.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| ELDR 6443 | Student Affairs in Higher Education | 3 |
| ELDR 6453 | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education | 3 |
| ELDR 6463 | Resource Management in Higher Education | 3 |
| ELDR 6473 | Organization and Administration in Higher Education | 3 |
| ELDR 6483 | Community Colleges: Issues and Trends | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 15 | |
Interdisciplinary Nonprofit Track
Centers around leading organizations and ensuring successful and healthy progress toward organizational goals.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| BUS 5393 | Leading High Performing Teams | 3 |
| HDFS 6343 | Effective College Teaching Methods | 3 |
| HDFS 6433 | Grants Writing in Family Sciences | 3 |
| MGT 5553 | Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| MGT 5633 | Principles of Talent Development | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 15 | |
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.
