Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership-Organizational Leadership Focus
60
Credit Hours
55%
Max Transfer Credit
Next Start Date
Feb 10, 2025
Years To Complete
Finish in as few as 3 years

Take your organization to a higher level with an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership

Meaningful change is an organization’s most powerful tool. The catalyst behind that tool? A great leader. Franklin’s Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership with a focus in Organizational Leadership (Ed.D.-Organizational Leadership) can help you evolve into a more innovative, influential and impactful leader. Besides learning vital leadership, research and analytical skills, Franklin’s Ed.D.-Organizational Leadership will help you expand your capacity as a master change agent. With Franklin’s Ed.D.-Organizational Leadership online degree program, you’ll build upon your current experience and develop enhanced skills that empower you to successfully drive transformation.

Program Availability

On Site

Real-World Focus

Apply leadership and management theories within the context of actual challenges.

Data-Driven Leadership

Maximize the continuous improvement process.

No-Fear Dissertation™

Get 360-degree support to take on (and finish!) your dissertation.

3-Year Completion

Finish your doctorate faster -- including one year for your dissertation.

Amplify Prior Learning

Transfer up to 33 hours of previously earned credit.

100% Online Degree

Take classes that work for your busy life.

Program Overview

Learn with more breadth and depth to grow your leadership skills and abilities

With Franklin’s Ed.D.-Organizational Leadership degree program, you’ll build a strong foundation for your work as a scholar-practitioner within even the most complex organizations. You’ll develop and hone your capabilities, preparing you to provide strong, effective, forward-thinking leadership across a wide range of organizational leadership roles. And, as an Ed.D.-Organizational Leadership student, you’ll gain valuable experience applying research skills and leadership theory and practice to drive positive organizational cultural and teamwork results.

Guide your organization – and career – to a more dynamic future

Everything evolves. Systems. Organizations. Even people. Organizational leadership is essential to ensuring that this evolution is carefully curated to promote success. With Franklin’s online Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership program, you’ll consider both historical and modern-day leadership concepts, theories and constructs. And you’ll conduct in-depth scholarly research to help you translate these transformational, servant and authentic leadership theories into practice for the real world.

You’ll also be challenged to assess your own leadership strengths and weaknesses. More importantly, you’ll use your findings to develop a self-directed action plan to level-up your leadership competencies to personal growth and professional success.

Improve your research-based ability to effectively influence positive culture and behavior change 

When it comes to organizational effectiveness, there’s no room for complacency. Instead, the bar must rise. Organizations rely on progressive leaders who set a vision, identify opportunities and clear the way for maximizing growth and success. Key to bringing this ideal to reality is the development of a healthy organizational culture. As part of your Ed.D.-Organizational Leadership studies, you’ll research the fundamental ideas and constructs behind organizational culture and behavior. Through critical thinking, analysis, research writing and evaluation, you’ll then develop a research-ready proposal designed to influence and transform organizational culture and behavior.

Differentiate yourself with a widely recognized and respected credential

To build a standout career, you must stand out among other leaders. Earning your Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership can help you do just that. Not only is Franklin’s Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership a widely recognized credential, it’s also a respected one that will distinguish you from other high performers and widen your career path. Not only are graduates of Franklin’s Ed.D.-Organizational Leadership online degree program effective leaders, they’re also poised to coach and mentor others into their own leadership roles.  

Succeed with our unique dissertation structure

If there’s such a thing as a no-fear dissertation process, Franklin has it. We’ve intentionally designed a dissertation structure to help you complete your dissertation step-by-step, beginning with your enrollment in the program. We’ve also built-in faculty mentoring and guidance, and peer-to-peer support so you’re never left to “figure it out” on your own.

Throughout the Ed.D. Organizational Leadership program, you’ll develop important research skills and the necessary writing prowess to complete and publish a dissertation in practice (DiP) as the culmination of your studies. Your DiP will showcase your ability to solve a challenge within the workplace using action research. As a part of the (DiP), you will test your hypotheses in the real world, or based on your findings, document a process to implement your solution.

Read more >

Dr. Rachelle S.

Doctor of Education

"Franklin University's Ed.D. in K-12 education and organizational leadership equipped me with the critical tools and insights to navigate the complex landscape of Education. Franklin took the guesswork out of the doctoral process from application to dissertation and paved a pathway for my success, completing the program in under three years. Franklin University's Ed.D. program not only expanded my knowledge but also instilled in me the confidence and competence to lead with vision, empathy, and a commitment to student success."

Future Start Dates

Start dates for individual programs may vary and are subject to change. Please request free information & speak with an admission advisor for the latest program start dates.

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Your Best Value Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership (Ed.D.)

Choose Franklin's Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership and get an applied doctorate that fits your budget and your ambition.

Finish Formula

3
YEARS TO COMPLETE

2 years of coursework + 1 year for the dissertation.

Transfer MORE Credits, Pay LESS tuition*

$44,880
Tuition
$5,236
Max Transfer Credit
$39,644
Total Tuition

This is only an estimate of tuition costs after average or max transfer credits are applied. Pricing may be higher or lower depending on actual transfer credits and tuition discounts.

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$67,320
Total Tuition
(After Partner Discount)

Highly Recommended

98%
STUDENT SATISFACTION

98% of graduating students would recommend Franklin to their family, friends and/or colleagues.

Source: Franklin University, Office of Career Development Student Satisfaction Survey (Summer 2023)

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Faculty Support

Be mentored + guided by doctoral faculty advisor from first term through candidacy. 

Non-Profit = Student Focused

Unlike for-profit universities, Franklin invests in student success, not shareholder gain.

Unlike for-profit universities, Franklin invests in student success, not shareholder gain.

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Curriculum & Course Descriptions

60 Semester Hours
Research Core
ENG 8010 - Introduction to Doctoral Studies, Writing, and Research (3)

This course will establish the doctoral program structure and associated expectations, requirements, and support resources, as well as prepare students to be active participants in advanced professional and academic discourse by examining and practicing the writing conventions associated with their chosen field of study. As part of an intentional learning community, students will become familiar with the varied conventions of disciplinary writing and analyze the ongoing scholarly conversations pertinent to their academic interest by identifying common scholarly writing conventions, composing knowledge base articles, and responding to both their peers? works in progress and published scholarly writing.

ENG 8020 - Doctoral Writing & Research (3)

This course will build on the foundational work of ENG8010 to ensure that students continue to compose in academic and professional genres in order to compose and communicate scholarly arguments and perspectives in their chosen field of study. In addition to applying scholarly writing conventions associated both with doctoral scholarship and with their chosen field of study, students will continue to cultivate a learning community and develop field-specific research in order to compose knowledge-base articles, annotated bibliographies, literature reviews and analytical research papers.

MTHD 8003 - Introduction to Qualitative Methods (2)

Through this course, students will gain an overview of qualitative research methods. The course starts with successful completion of the CITI training - the protection of human research participants, then move on to introduce some of the critical works in qualitative research methods and design as well as give an overview of the historical progression of the field. Students will become familiar with the various approaches to qualitative methods, including narrative approach, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case studies. Students will gain hands-on experience with qualitative sampling design, observations, and qualitative data collection. They will also get some introduction in qualitative data analysis, validity, reliability, and researchers' bias in qualitative work. At the end of this course, students will be introduced to the research proposal to get a start on the guidelines required for their dissertation proposal.

MTHD 8004 - Introduction to Quantitative Methods & Research Design (2)

Through this course, students will gain an overview of quantitative research designs and methods, including experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental designs. The course will also introduce students to quantitative sampling techniques, data collection approaches, and data analysis. Students will also engage in practical hands-on experience with formulating a research question or hypotheses, discussing important ethical issues, designing sampling methods, collecting data, and analyzing data. They will learn how to examine validity and reliability issues and will be introduced to available software for conducting quantitative design. At the end of this course, students will be introduced to the research proposal to get a start on the guidelines required for their dissertation proposal.

MATH 8070 - Statistical Reasoning and Interpretation (2)

This course will introduce students to the concepts underlying basic data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Core topics include descriptive statistics, selection and operationalization of variables, scales of measurement, data types, sampling techniques, and means of collecting data. Using a current statistical analysis program, students will learn to describe data sets using measures of dispersion and relative position, to compute probability of occurrence of events, to compute measures of relationship, and to convey and interpret results of various analyses in written form.

MATH 8090 - Statistical Techniques for Research Inquiry (3)

This course will emphasize the alignment of statistical procedures with research methods, including selection and application of appropriate statistical analyses given a data set and a problem statement, including comparison tests, tests of prediction/relationships, and tests of predicting group membership. Moreover, students will develop skills of data set manipulation, including ?cleaning and screening? data, and assessing conditions in order to choose between parametric and non-parametric tests. Additional emphasis will be placed upon conveying and interpreting results of analyses in written form.

AND

MTHD 8015 - Questionnaires & Scale Development (2)

This is a hands-on course designed to equip student with skills and knowledge necessary to develop new, valid and reliable instruments as well as help improve existing ones. In particular, the course looks at the evolution of measurement development, the different types of tests used in various settings, the psychometric properties and the process involved in developing reliable and valid measurement instruments. The course includes creation of a reliable and valid measurement that can be readily applied in a given context and/or field.

OR MTHD 8016 - Qualitative Data Analysis (2)

The qualitative data analysis course focuses on qualitative coding, analysis, and interpretation of findings, and writing of the qualitative results. These skills will prepare students for the doctoral candidacy journey. The goal of this course is to collect readily available text data, work on mapping, memoing, coding, analyzing, interpreting, and writing qualitative results.

OR MTHD 8017 - Critical & Social Theory (2)

In this course, students will be introduced to the main schools of critical and social theory: structuralism, post-structuralism, cultural theory, queer theory, gender theory, critical race theory, disability studies, and post-colonialism among others. Students will analyze foundational theoretical scholarship, examine how critical and social theory has developed over time, and consider the ways in which theory might inform their own research. Throughout the course, students will complete short papers as well as a major writing assignment at the end of the term.

OR MTHD 8018 - Research Design (2)

The aim of this course is for students to learn about and be able to apply key research design frameworks in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. In particular, students will learn conditions under which each design and/or approach would be most appropriate and effective. Additionally, students will learn how to formulate research questions, critically evaluate various research designs in order to select a suitable one for a given research problem, develop appropriate data collection and analysis procedures and plans as well as ethical conduct of research studies. During the course, students will learn to craft a research propose integrating critical components, namely background of study, purpose statement, research question, theoretical framework, significance of the study, critical review and synthesis of key literature underpinning the study, appropriate research design, and data collection and analysis procedures.

AND

MTHD 8020 - Advanced Quantitative Research & Design (3)

This is an advanced course in statistics that covers analyses used in multivariate statistical techniques. The course is designed to broaden and deepen learners understanding of advanced statistics in multivariate techniques. As such, several multivariate techniques are covered, including their appropriateness to given situations, analysis, and interpretation. The emphasis of the course is on practical application of concepts learnt to given research problems and/or opportunities. The course is developed to balance theory and application and provides numerous opportunities for application to practical problems. Learners also complete a draft research proposal integrating sound research plans and procedures.

OR MTHD 8022 - Advanced Qualitative Research & Design (3)

The advanced qualitative research course builds on the knowledge and skills students acquire in MTHD 803 and MTHD 804. This course leads students on an in depth treatment of qualitative research methodology, exploring its theoretical underpinnings and associated methods for design, data collection, interpretation, and reporting of results. Ethics are emphasized for each stage of research. This course will also guide students to develop the methodology and data analysis for their dissertation proposal and research.

OR MTHD 8024 - Advanced Mixed Methods Research & Design (3)

Through this course, students will familiarize with mixed-methods research and design. They will gain knowledge on the four different types of mixed-methods: triangulation design, embedded design, explanatory design, and exploratory design. Students will learn how to conceptualize their own study in terms of these different design types. They will gain hands-on experience on how to formulate a research question fitted for a mixed-methods design, collect some data, and analyze it. They will discuss and learn about challenges and advantages of mixed-methods designs. At the end of this course students will be able to work on their dissertation proposal.

Major Area Required
EDUC 8102 - Teaching in Higher Education (4)

The course will study the teaching and learning philosophies, methods, and techniques in higher education. Topics will cover learning theories, instructional design models, instructional strategies, and evaluation of student performance. By the end of this course, students will develop their own teaching philosophy along with an instructional unit demonstrating their mastery of learning theories and instructional design models, selection of proper learning technologies in designing the instruction, and incorporation of appropriate instructional and assessment methods. In addition, students will also explore faculty careers in higher education.

MGMT 8175 - Change Mgmt & Organizational Development (4)

This course focuses on research and evaluation of the key theoretical concepts and practices central to the leading of organizational change initiatives. Students will evaluate real-world situations, cases and scenarios in order to recommend and justify theoretically-based change management practices to ensure ongoing organizational acceptance and effectiveness of these programs. Students will conduct scholarly research to explore, evaluate and interpret state-of0the-art change concepts for their viability in today's organizations. Students will assess the role of change agents as key players in the overall change process.

EDUC 8101 - Leadership of Organizational Principles (4)

This core course focuses on leadership and followership skills and attributes through the lens of traditional and 21st century leadership theories, constructs and concepts as applied to institutions. Students will apply transformational and other state-of-the-art leadership theoretical underpinnings to real-world cases, scenarios and situations that involve optimal practices in leading individuals and organizations through leadership challenging scenarios and other situations. The course concentrates on the application of critical thinking to optimal practices in leading institutions, their stakeholders and culture for optimal effectiveness.

EDUC 8105 - Leadership of Organizational Resources (4)

This core course focuses on state-of-the-art leadership skills necessary for the effectiveness of today's leaders and managers. The course concentrates on the specific transformational, servant-leadership, and other leadership competencies and skills necessary for providing sound management of institutional resources, projects, and performance. Students will apply leadership theoretical underpinnings to real-world cases, scenarios and situations that involve effective and ineffective resource and performance management practices. The course concentrates on the application of critical thinking and decision-making in optimal practices for providing highly effective leadership in today's organizations.

Focus Area

Organizational Leadership:

MGMT 8150 - Organizational Leadership (4)

This course addresses historical and current leadership concepts, theories and constructs. An emphasis will be on the application and assessment of transformational, servant and authentic leadership theories for us by both leaders and followers in 21st century business and academic settings. The course will challenge students to assess their own leadership strengths and weaknesses and produce an in-depth plan of action to develop and refine leadership competencies. Students will conduct substantive scholarly research to address and capture relevant and cutting edge leadership theoretical work for application in course assignments.

MGMT 8145 - Organizational Behavior, Culture & Effectiveness (4)

This course is an advanced research seminar in the field of organizational culture and behavior. The seminar allows you to begin the process of substantive academic research and formal inquiry into these important theories and the implications of these for managers. The seminar will require the synthesis of critical thinking, analysis, research writing and evaluation. Students will develop a key deliverable that involves a research proposal in the fields of organizational culture and behavior and then conduct substantive research into the literature developed by others. The final project in the seminar is the development of a research ready proposal utilizing at minimum one research methodology.

OR

PK-12 Educational Leadership:

EDUC 811 - Leading for Learning (4)

This course will provide educational leaders with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead with a student-centered approach, create high-reliability learning organizations, make data-driven decisions, and effectively engage with the community, ultimately driving positive educational outcomes and enhancing the overall learning experience for students and staff alike.

EDUC 813 - Finance and Resource Management (4)

This course prioritizes the acquisition of the necessary skills to engage in effective board relations, develop sustainable financial plans, and build a foundation of shared leadership that positions the educational institution for continuous growth. This emphasis on collaboration, communication, ethics, goal-setting, shared leadership, and sustainability will empower educational leaders to navigate the complexities of resource management successfully, fostering a thriving learning environment for all stakeholders.

OR

Higher Education Leadership:

EDUC 8140 - College & University Leadership Structures (4)

This course provides an examination of leadership theories and structures in institutions of higher education. Focusing on major theories of leadership of higher education organizations that inform leadership practices, students will develop skills as practitioners in university leadership. By the end of the course, students will be able to understand the structure and function of university leadership structures from multiple theoretical perspectives. Students will gain an understanding of the management, leadership, and administrative roles of academic and student affairs offices in colleges and universities including personnel, program definition, research and teaching issues, and other functions of academic and programming oversight. Additional consideration to the roles, responsibilities, and leadership styles required will be examined for different organizational contexts. Through the linking of theory to practice, the class activities will lead students to develop skills as campus leaders and to empower them to make conscious, deliberate decisions, utilizing multiple, and at times divergent, theoretical frames.

EDUC 8145 - History of U.S. Higher Education (4)

The purpose of this course is to explore critical, challenges facing American higher education. The course explores the history of higher education, with an emphasis on the development of higher education in the United States, to present day challenges facing intuitions. It includes issues of access, accountability, academic freedom, financial aid, state and federal government policy, changing legal structures, teaching and learning in a digital age, student issues, diversity, and the influence of business models and values on institutional strategy and practice. This course also covers different educational systems (Community Colleges, Private Colleges, and Public Colleges) and the critical issues affecting their institutional type. Students will gain an understanding of their responsibilities, critical thinking, and explore current issues that affect managers in institutions of higher education. This course addresses interdisciplinary influences on leadership practice within learning organizations and focuses on recent developments that have broad implications for research and practice in educational leadership.

Major Electives

8 credits from levels 8000-8999 in the following subjects: ACCT, EDUC, HCM, HIM, HRM, IDL, ITEC, MGMT, MKTG, MTHD, PUAD.

Dissertation/Dissertation in Practice Requirements
DISS 9000 - Comprehensive Exam (1)

This course is designed for students to prepare for, take and complete their comprehensive exam. Remedial strategies and actions will also be provided for students who do not successfully pass their comprehensive exam on the first attempt, with the opportunity for a retake during the six weeks of the course if the student chooses to do so. A third attempt on taking the Doctoral Comprehensive Examination will not be automatically provided to doctoral students failing to successfully pass the examination after two attempts. Any third attempt will only be considered upon receiving a written petition by the student requesting a final attempt. The request may or may not be approved based on review by the Dean of Doctoral Studies and the student's doctoral Program Chair. Students who fail the comprehensive examination two times, or fail the examination three times when a third attempt was granted through appeal, are dismissed from doctoral studies at Franklin University.

AND

At least 6 credits from the following courses:

DISS 9100 - Dissertation (1-4)

In consultation with the Dissertation Chair and Committee Members, the doctoral candidate will design and conduct research to complete the aims identified in their research prospectus, proposal and IRB application or as subsequently modified in line with recommendations from the Chair and Committee Members. This course may be repeated as necessary to earn sufficient credit or to finalize the Dissertation to fulfill requirements to earn the doctorate.

AND

DISS 9400 - Defense of Dissertation (1)

Doctoral candidates will finalize all aspects of the Dissertation/Dissertation in Practice and make an oral defense of their design, methods and findings.

Optional Focus Areas

Students may complete 8 credit hours of a focus area to count within the Major Elective requirement. Only one declared focus area will print on the diploma.

OR

Accounting Focus:

At least 8 credits from the following courses:

ACCT 8240 - Advanced Financial Accounting (4)

This course is an advanced accounting research seminar in financial reporting. The seminar allows you to begin the process of substantive academic research and formal inquiry into important financial reporting theories and the implications of these for accountants. The seminar will require the synthesis of critical thinking, analysis, research writing and evaluation. Students will develop a key deliverable that involves a research proposal in financial accounting thought and then conduct substantive research into the literature developed by others. The final project in the seminar is the development of a research ready proposal utilizing at minimum one research methodology.

ACCT 8250 - Advanced Managerial Accounting (4)

This course is an advanced accounting research seminar in managerial accounting. The seminar allows you to begin the process of substantive academic research and formal inquiry into these important theories and the implications of these for managerial accountants. The seminar will require the synthesis of critical thinking, analysis, research writing and evaluation. Students will develop a key deliverable that involves a research proposal in managerial accounting and then conduct substantive research into the literature developed by others. The final project in the seminar is the development of a research ready proposal utilizing at minimum one research methodology.

ACCT 8260 - Advanced Auditing (4)

This course is an advanced accounting research seminar in auditing. The seminar allows you to begin the process of substantive academic research and formal inquiry into important auditing theories and the implications of these for accountants. The seminar will require the synthesis of critical thinking, analysis, research, writing and evaluation. Students will develop a research proposal in auditing based on their substantive research into the accounting, auditing and business literature. The final project in the seminar is the development of a research ready proposal, including an appropriate research methodology that describes an issue, problem or proactive need as documented in the literature, for which the student will formulate, describe and defend an appropriate solution.

OR

Health Informatics Focus:

At least 8 credits from the following courses:

HIM 8202 - Advanced Health Information Governance (4)

In this course students will evaluate an organizations current health information governance infra-structure and will make recommendations for improvement that will cover the broad spectrum of strategic issues in healthcare including policies, guidelines, standards, processes and controls required to manage and implement enterprise-level information. Students will research how health data and organizational information systems are utilized as a strategic asset to healthcare organizations, process to manage various risks to the quality of information and ensure its appropriate use.

HIM 8210 - Advanced Clinical Workflow & Applications (4)

In this course students will evaluate an organizations existing clinical workflows to include a variety of inpatient, outpatient and emergency healthcare environments. Material in the course covers the documentation, review, mapping and diagramming of clinical workflow information and processes. Students will also assess and make recommendations for improvement of patient care to workflow mapping and change management, as part of evidence based decision making in healthcare.

HIM 8261 - Advanced Healthcare Analytics (4)

In this course students will evaluate an organizations existing process of retrieving, analyzing and reporting intelligence to make healthcare decisions. Student will assess and make recommendations for improvement on the techniques of extracting, transforming and loading data from a myriad of operational databases into corporate data warehouses, as well means to ensure that decision making is based on clean and reliable information. Students will also develop skills for reporting the healthcare intelligence gathered.

OR

Healthcare Management Focus:

At least 8 credits from the following courses:

HCM 8110 - Organizations, Community & Global Health (4)

This science of epidemiology is essential for projecting the population health needs, and appropriate allocation of public and private resources. This course focuses on the utilization of epidemiologic studies and techniques as a basis for organizational policy and administrative decision-making. Students will examine the connection between organizational leadership and social health. Students will create and recommend organizational strategies that enhance organizational, community, and global health.

HCM 8120 - Healthcare Policy, Regulations & Reform (4)

This course will explore various aspects of corporate, state and federal policy making. Students will examine the impact of existing health policies on healthcare organizations, providers and patients. Students will develop skills to influence and change existing healthcare policies. Students will also create and propose a new healthcare policy.

HCM 8130 - Healthcare Economics, Resources & Finance (4)

This course will examine the importance of resource and financial management in a healthcare organization. Students will determine the financial status of a healthcare organization and create strategic plans to sustain healthcare services. This course will also explore the various