Ed D Program in Organizational Leadership Division of Education Pepperdine University

Rising Executives in Public or Private Sectors

Organizational Leadership is a values-based doctoral program designed to strengthen and develop leadership skills while preparing students to work in a wide range of settings. Doctoral students are equipped with the knowledge and ability to recognize, harness, and channel forces of change to transform organizations for optimal success and growth.

The Organizational Leadership program was ranked #17 in the Education/Universities/Schools of Management and Business category of the 2012 Leadership 500, alongside the Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management.

This program is ideal for current leaders who are looking for relevant skills to expand their career paths or refresh their credentials; it is also designed for rising executives who would like doctoral degrees to advance their academic and professional goals. The program has applications to community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and comprehensive universities, as well as businesses and other organizations engaged in training and development, life-span learning, health care, and adult occupational education.

Benefits of the program

The Organizational Leadership doctoral program is designed for the working professional, with 2 format options: Traditional and Global Access. Both formats allow students to continue advancing their careers while engaging in full-time doctoral studies. One distinctive feature of this program is the national and international policy experience, providing a critical outlook and more opportunities for practical knowledge. Other benefits of the program include program objectives that place student success at the center of its mission; caring faculty members with exemplary academic and professional practice; course projects tailored to reflect and enhance professional practice; learning structures that provide group collaboration, faculty mentorship, and personal networking; and connection with the professional community.

Additionally, the Professional Administrative Services Credential is available to students enrolled in this program. Students pursuing this credential will develop a custom-tailored education plan in collaboration with their employer and a University representative. The plan will consist of 20 units selected from among the curricular offerings of the student's specific doctoral program and selected non-university activities (if appropriate). In addition to those 20 unites, candidates will also enroll in ED 722 Program Planning and Induction Seminar (2 units) and ED 723 Candidate Assessment Seminar (2 units) for a total of 4 additional units.

National and International Policy Experience

Pepperdine University offers a challenging learning environment which examines the complex and global issues that affect organizations. To provide doctoral students with a well-rounded perspective, students engage in firsthand travel experiences which supplement and enhance the classroom experience. As part of the curriculum requirements, students participate in 2 required travel expeditions, the National Policy Experience and the International Policy Experience.

The National Policy Experience involves a 3-day trip to Washington, DC (or similar location), where students gain practical knowledge of policy development at the federal level. Students will meet and converse with policy makers, lobbyists, and leaders in government and national associations.

The International Policy Experience is designed for students to gain an international perspective of policy development and leadership in other countries. With the influences of multiculturalism, ever-changing technologies, and globalization, organizations of today are becoming more complex. Successful leadership within diverse and varied environments calls for a dynamic leader with a global perspective. During a 5 to 10-day trip, students will visit an international location to meet with local and national leaders to strengthen their global awareness of organizations and workplaces in other cultures. Students gain opportunities to observe and examine industries and institutions such as health care, schools, universities, and manufacturing in order to contrast them with those of the United States. In the past, destinations for the International Policy Experience have included China, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Argentina.

More Information

More information on this program is available: Pepperdine University, Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP).

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Doctor of Education (Ed D)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 37
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? Yes
• Distance learning programs available? Not reported
• Terminal master's degree available? No

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Not reported
• Doctoral Degrees Required
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied111
• Accepted83
• Acceptance Rate74%
• Enrolled63
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $55
• Application Fee - International $55
• Electronic applications accepted? Not Reported
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline July 1st Not Reported Not Reported
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesNot Reported
• Doctoral's DegreesGMAT or GRE General Test, MAT, 1, 000- to 2, 000-word statement of educational purpose, three recommendations, and personal interviews, on-site writing sample
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *Not Reported
• Out-of-state tuition *Not Reported
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year feesNot Reported
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitNot Reported
• Application deadlines for financial awardsJuly 1
• Types of financial support availableFinancial Support for Part-time Students, Institutionally-sponsored Loans, Scholarship and/or loans

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students239
• Female Percentage66%
• Male Percentage34%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students239
• Part-time Percentage51%
• Full-time Percentage49%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino13%
• Black / African American18%
• White / Caucasian36%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native1%
• Asian10%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander1%
• Two or more races0%
• Unknown21%

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty164
• Full-time Percentage30%
• Part-time Percentage70%
• Female Percentage59%
• Male Percentage41%