Online Doctorate of Education in Leadership Studies

Total credit hours per program: 63 credit hours

Cost per credit hour: $411

Total cost with fees: $25,841

Students in the EdD in Leadership Studies online program must complete 63 credit hours of coursework.

Common Leadership Core (36 credit hours)

Common Leadership Core: 12 courses	Credit Hours
LDSH 804: Seminar in Leadership Theory and Practice I	3
LDSH 801: Seminar in Leadership Theory and Practice II	3
LDSH 838: Seminar in Leadership Theory and Practice III	3
LDSH 836: Seminar in Leadership Theory and Practice IV	3
LDSH 817: Ethics, Values, and Principled Leadership	3
LDSH 823: Social and Group Dynamics	3
LDSH 827: Coaching and Mentoring for Leaders	3
LDSH 829: Culture, Climate, and Change Leadership	3
LDSH 841: Leadership in Complex Organizations	3
LDSH 872: Power, Politics, and Influence in Organizations	3
LDSH 837: Adult Learning and Development	3
LDSH 871: Followership	3
Total Required Hours	36

 

Concentration Core (12 credit hours)

Students will select one concentration. 

Leadership Studies Concentration

Leadership Studies: 4 courses	Credit Hours
LDSH 825: Dark Side of Leadership	3
LDSH 826: Gender Issues in Leadership	3
LDSH 831: Policy Analysis and Development	3
LDSH 854: Human Resource Development	3
Total Required Hours	12

Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management Concentration

Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management: 4 courses	Credit Hours
LDSH 811: Crisis Leadership and Emergency Response	3
LDSH 818: Peace, Civil Unrest, and Social Conflict	3
LDSH 819: Emergency and Disaster Communications	3
LDSH 821: Disaster Response and Emergency Management	3
Total Required Hours	12

Health Communication & Leadership Concentration 

Health Communication & Leadership: 4 courses	Credit Hours
LDSH 873: Health Leadership	3
LDSH 874: Health Communication for Leaders	3
LDSH 875: Ethics for Health Leadership	3
LDSH 876: Health Information Technologies and Leadership	3
Total Required Hours	12

Research Core (15 credit hours)

The Doctoral Program in Leadership Studies is a competitive admissions program. Each year the program receives applications from a diverse group of professionals spanning industries which include, but are not limited to, healthcare, for/non-profit institutions, military, law enforcement and first responders, education, and a variety of other professions.

The following items should be sent directly to the LSUS Office of Graduate Admissions:

1. The LSUS Graduate Studies Application for Graduate Admission, complying with all applicable guidelines and standards official copies of transcripts of all prior college work attempted.
2. Master's degree from regionally accredited college or university with a minimum cumulative graduate GPA of 3.5/4.0. Applicants with a cumulative graduate GPA between 3.0 and 3.49 may be considered for admission following the formal review process and an admission decision by the Department Chair of Leadership Studies.
3. All official transcripts from institutions where coursework has been attempted.

Items Required:

1. Resume/CV (3-5 years minimum of management/supervisor/leadership experience)
2. Professional recommendation letters from three sources
3. CLEAR Purpose statement from the applicant including:
   • How the degree fits within the applicant's professional and personal goals
   • The applicant's professional experience and how the applicant believes this will contribute to the program
   • The coursework, professional experience, or other professional development that has prepared the applicant for conducting doctoral level research
   • The applicant's area of research where there is a strong interest (leadership, health communication and leadership, or disaster preparedness and emergency management) and to explain the potential study that the applicant may want to develop. *Please provide explicit details on this requirement*

Applicants who are selected to continue to the next round of review will be contacted for an interview via Online Video Service (Zoom, Skype, Adobe Connect, etc.) Final notification of admission status will be provided upon the completion of reviews and selection of applicants.

Questions regarding the application process may be directed to the Leadership Studies Department.

Please note: The Ed.D. program is a competitive admissions program and as such, not all applicants who apply will be admitted. Each concentration accepts approximately 7-10 new students per year.

*An important note to take into account is the misconception that this degree is in educational leadership when, in reality, it is not. Teachers might not qualify for this degree due to their limited leadership experience. On the other hand, K-12 Principals and Superintendents are eligible for application given their relevant experience.

• Chief Executive Officer
• Training and Development Manager
• Chief Human Resources Officer
• College President
• College Faculty
• Chief Learning Officer
• Provost
• Health Care Clinic Director
• Health Administrator
• Hospital Communications Director
• Director of Emergency Response

In the online EdD in Leadership Studies, students will be given the opportunity to develop these attributes through engaging courses, research endeavors, and interactive networking experiences.

Topics covered in this degree include:

• Leadership theory focusing on practical data-driven results
• Group dynamics and motivation
• The mentoring and coaching process for cultivating future leaders
• Building efficient learning and development opportunities
• The use of power, politics, and influence in organizations
• Data collection, analysis, and research techniques to inform practice

As a 100% Online program, courses are available from anywhere in the world. Courses are offered in an accelerated format, year-round, at one course per 7-week session. We offer 1-course or 2-courses per session. Students can choose which they would like to pursue. At 2-courses per session, all core and concentration courses may be completed in 4 semesters (8 sessions) and the time to completion is just over 2 years. Otherwise, at 1-course per session, completion takes approximately 3.5 years. 

This degree offers small class sizes, access to faculty, weekly Zoom meetings for class, cutting edge curriculum with opportunities to network worldwide with professionals from diverse industries and opportunities for research and conference presentations.