School of Educational Leadership

Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership

Brian Cole, Program Director
Karen Maxwell, Associate Program Director
16633 Dallas Pkwy, Suite 800
Addison, TX 75001

Phone: 248-761-3322
Email: bec15b@acu.edu

Faculty

Jennifer Butcher, Professor
Brian Cole, Associate Professor
Wade Fish, Associate Professor
Karen Maxwell, Associate Professor
Kristin Koetting O’Byrne, Associate Professor
Linnea Rademaker, Professor
Heather Rasmussen, Associate Professor
Leah Wickersham-Fish, Associate Professor
Kathy Yeager, Assistant Professor

Introduction

The School of Educational Leadership offers a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership. This program is offered online with optional residency experiences for select concentrations.

The mission of the EdD in Organizational Leadership is to prepare professionals in a variety of contexts for leadership roles. A distinguishing feature is a focus on the vocation of leadership in complex organizational cultures to develop effective practice. This is accomplished through equipping leaders to:

Lead with purpose based upon the foundation of vocation, rooted in Christian principles;
Develop organizational resources;
Build effective communication structures and collaborative relationships;
Apply organizational assessment and evaluation strategies; and
Create a healthy organizational culture that supports organizational outcomes and human flourishing.

The EdD will entail 60 credit hours consisting of 21 foundational hours; 18 hours of research methods; a 15 hour track in the student’s choice of specialization – conflict management, higher education, learning with emerging technologies, positive leadership, school superintendent (advanced standing only), or principalship (advanced standing only); and a minimum of 6 hours of dissertation credit. Students with a master’s degree in an existing track may be considered for advanced standing of up to 15 credit hours to serve as their specialization track with the approval of the Program Director.

Graduates of the EdD in Organizational Leadership will be prepared for executive leadership roles in a variety of settings including primary and secondary schools; colleges and universities; nonprofit agencies; government, military, and law enforcement; businesses; and in a variety of organization and community settings.

Admission Requirements

Application for admission with a nonrefundable processing fee.
Official transcripts in English of all previous colleges attended. The transcripts must indicate an earned Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
A statement of interest in the EdD in Organizational Leadership addressing such topics as the applicant’s view of leadership. ability to create followers, propensity to take risks, perseverance and demonstrated achievements, future career/life objectives, and reasons for pursuing a doctoral program.
Completion of a writing exercise in response to a prompt provided by ACU Dallas. Because effective academic writing is an essential skill in doctoral study, students who do not demonstrate the necessary writing skills to be successful may be placed on academic probation and be required to participate in writing enhancement tutoring.
Professional CV or résumé.
Video conference interview with the program director may be requested.

International applicants to the EdD will be required to complete the standard graduate application requirements for all international students applying for an ACU graduate degree, including TOEFL or IELTS scores and transcript assessment for degrees completed outside of the United States (http://www.acu.edu/undergraduate/admissions/international/international-graduate-application-information.html). All students in the EdD, regardless of their language background, are held to the same standard of written English proficiency.

Students who choose the superintendent or principal track must already possess the superintendent or principal certification, the equivalent courses, and recent school administration experience.

Education Specialist in Organizational Leadership

Brian Cole, Program Director
Karen Maxwell, Associate Program Director
16633 Dallas Pkwy, Suite 800
Addison, TX 75001

Phone: 248-761-3322
Email: bec15b@acu.edu

Faculty

Introduction

The School of Educational Leadership offers an Education Specialist degree in Organizational Leadership.

The mission of the EdS in Organizational Leadership is to provide students with the theory and application skills necessary to serve effectively in positions of leadership within organizations.

The EdS has traditionally been a professional degree for educators, primarily within the K-12 educational sector, to provide additional training and credentialing beyond the master’s degree. The goal of the EdS in Organizational Leadership is to introduce students to the essential foundations of leadership from both a theoretical and practical perspective. The curriculum will provide opportunities for students to develop strategic and tactical approaches to providing and nurturing leadership in the organizations they serve.

Admission Requirements

Application for admission with a nonrefundable processing fee.
Official transcripts in English of all previous colleges attended. The transcripts must indicate an earned Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
A statement of interest in the EdS in Organizational Leadership addressing such topics as the applicant’s view of leadership. ability to create followers, propensity to take risks, perseverance and demonstrated achievements, future career/life objectives, and reasons for pursuing a doctoral program.
Completion of a writing exercise in response to a prompt provided by ACU Dallas. Because effective academic writing is an essential skill in doctoral study, students who do not demonstrate the necessary writing skills to be successful may be placed on academic probation and be required to participate in writing enhancement tutoring.
Professional CV or résumé.
Video conference interview with the program director may be requested.

International applicants to the EdS will be required to complete the standard graduate application requirements for all international students applying for an ACU graduate degree, including TOEFL or IELTS scores and transcript assessment for degrees completed outside of the United States (http://www.acu.edu/undergraduate/admissions/international/international-graduate-application-information.html). All students in the EdS, regardless of their language background, are held to the same standard of written English proficiency.

Students who choose the superintendent or principal track must already possess the superintendent or principal certification, the equivalent courses, and recent school administration experience.

Master of Education

Brian Cole, Program Director
Karen Maxwell, Associate Program Director
16633 Dallas Pkwy, Suite 800
Addison, TX 75001

Phone: 248-761-3322
Email: bec15b@acu.edu

Faculty

Wade Fish, Associate Professor
Karen Maxwell, Associate Professor

Introduction

The School of Educational Leadership offers a Master of Education (MEd) degree in the following areas:

Instruction and Learning (Teacher Leadership roles)
Higher Education (see the Higher Education section of this catalog)

Students in the Instruction and Learning program may also be able to complete the requirements for a graduate certificate in Learning with Emerging Technologies or in Conflict Management for Educators .

The Master of Education program prepares individuals who have a thorough mastery of the technical and practical aspects of education and are skilled in both the art and science of teaching and learning. The faculty and staff seek to accomplish this within the context of Christian values and principles.

The mission of the MEd in Instruction and Learning is to improve an educator’s professional craft through the utilization of his/her faith-based vocational calling: seeing and experiencing work as participants in the life and mission of God. The program’s curriculum prepares educators to effectively serve their learners through (a) implementing evidence-based teaching practices; (b) understanding complex processes of teaching and learning; (c) making data-driven decisions that strive towards continuous improvement to meet accountability expectations; (d) providing meaningful engagement for all learners across culturally diverse settings; and (e) promoting a positive learning culture for all learners.

Faculty members author teaching materials, publish articles and papers, present at state and national conferences, serve as officers in professional organizations, and conduct numerous workshops and seminars for school professionals.

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements for the Master of Education in Instruction and Learning are:

A completed application for admission with a nonrefundable application fee;
An official transcript(s) in English (or translated to English) of all previous colleges attended. The transcript must indicate an earned bachelor’s degree in education or related field from a regionally accredited college or university or equivalent;
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above;
A current résumé;

Certificate in Learning with Emerging Technologies

The Certificate in Learning with Emerging Technologies is a 15-hour online program designed to prepare students to be instructional designers, trainers, and leaders of professional development in education and in other industries.

Faculty

Leah Wickersham-Fish, Associate Professor

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the Certificate in Learning with Emerging Technologies are as follows:

A completed application for admission with a nonrefundable application fee;
An official transcript(s) in English (or translated to English) of all previous colleges attended. The transcript must indicate an earned bachelor’s degree in education or related field from a regionally accredited college or university or equivalent;
A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale;
A current résumé;
A purpose statement (2 pages double spaced, typed) including philosophy of education.

Higher Education

Jason Morris, Program Director
ACU Box 29009
Abilene, Texas 79699-8252

Phone: 325-674-2830
Fax: 325-674-2123
Email: morrisj@acu.edu
Web: highered.acu.edu

Faculty

Jason Morris, Professor

Introduction

The Master of Education in Higher Education is a 33-hour program designed to prepare students for a professional career in a broad range of higher education settings. The program has three concentrations, 1) Student Affairs Leadership, 2) Academic Advising, and 3) Conflict Resolution.

Higher education is understood increasingly as a holistic enterprise that requires not only a traditionally organized discipline-oriented faculty but also a cadre of professionals trained in co-curricular concerns—matters that command great importance in the lives of college students but are not commonly the focus of classroom experiences. This program is designed both for working student development professionals who reside in a higher education setting and need advanced training and for recent college graduates who have an interest in working in higher education.

The program will prepare students to incorporate faith-based principles in professional practice. Graduates will be qualified for roles such as residence life director, academic advisor, international student coordinator, financial aid counselor, intramurals director, career services advisor, and many others. The degree will also provide a solid foundation for future doctoral work in higher education.

This program is designed to provide learning that is both content-based and experiential and that is intentional in its consideration and integration of the role of Christian faith in the work of a higher education professional. Upon completion of this program, students will be knowledgeable about and competent in:

Resource management in higher education
Diversity and intercultural issues
Conflict management
Assessment and evaluation
Student development
Legal and ethical issues in higher education
Student spiritual formation
Research methodology
Enrollment management
Higher education leadership
Academic advising

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the MEd in Higher Education are:

A completed application for admission with a nonrefundable application fee;
An official transcript(s) in English (or translated to English) of all previous colleges attended. The transcript must indicate an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or equivalent;
A cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
A written purpose statement describing the applicant’s reasons for wishing to enter the higher education program and future career plans; and
A résumé or curriculum vita.

Programs

Doctor of Education

Education Specialist

Master of Education

Certificate

Learning with Emerging Technologies Certificate (LET)

Courses

Higher Education

Organizational Leadership

Education Online