If you aspire to hold a leadership role in education, corporate, government or community organizations, the Organizational Leadership specialization may be for you. In this specialization, you will develop the knowledge and tools to forge alliances, build confidence, resolve conflict, promote ethics and inspire a shared vision. As an Organizational Leadership graduate, you will be prepared to pursue a variety of positions in higher education, K-12 education, corporate training and development organizations, not for profit organizations, or in government training and development. This specialization can also prepare you to pursue doctoral studies in Organizational Leadership at NCU.
General Degree Requirements
The EdS Program may be completed in 33 credits. An Academic Advisor or Enrollment Specialist evaluates each student individually and works with the student to create an academically sound Learning Plan based on prior academics and their professional goals.
Completion Period for Doctoral Degrees
Northcentral University allows 5 years to complete the EdS degree.
Certification and Licensing
The School of Education serves educational leaders by providing online graduate studies in education to reach worldwide populations. The EdS program is designed to reach national and international markets and does not purport to provide licensure or certification in any particular state or country.
Education Specialist (EdS) Degree Requirements
Individuals with a previously completed master’s degree will meet the basis of admission to the Education Specialist Program. The programs includes foundations, scholarly writing and specialization courses, as well as a final capstone. Students must pass all courses with a Grade Point Average of 3.00 (B) or higher.
All courses are 8 weeks in length.
Specialization Course 1
This course provides an introductory exploration of statistics for the graduate student. It includes instruction on the calculation, use, and interpretation of descriptive statistics, and introduces inferential statistical analysis. The emphasis of this course is on providing a working knowledge of basic statistical concepts to help the student understand statistical methodology as used in education, and also more generally, developing a working knowledge of statistical usage in everyday life.
Specialization Course 2
Specialization Course 3
Specialization Course 4
This course is designed to prepare students who desire to use action research methods and as an opportunity for students to prepare to conduct research on topics/projects of interest to education scholars. The primary goal of action research is to solve a problem that will lead to improvement in individual or organizational practice. In addition to developing an action research proposal, students will gain knowledge about the theoretical, philosophical, epistemological, and political considerations surrounding action research, specifically in educational environments. Students will gain an understanding of the cyclical nature of action research. Student researchers in this course will be prepared to understand the unique role of the researcher in action research, the importance of stakeholders, to define appropriate action research questions, and to evaluate action research studies critically.
Specialization Course 5
Specialization Course 6
Foundations for Graduate Study in Education (This course will be taken as the first course)
This course is an orientation to Northcentral University and to the essential skills needed to pursue a doctoral degree in Education. Doctoral level skills, such as academic integrity, time management, effective use of the Northcentral Library, comprehending complex scholarly texts and research articles, and APA form and style in professional communication are also introduced. Students will complete the course with a better understanding of personal goals, strengths, and challenges, and a roadmap to navigate their way to completion of their educational aspirations.
Advanced Scholarly Writing
The purpose of this course is to build advanced skills identifying and obtaining high quality sources through online library searches. In addition, the course addresses advanced writing and APA formatting skills, and it prepares students to be critically reflective consumers of research reports.
OL7001 / OL7001-8
Conflict Resolution and Mediation
Leaders must become adept at interpreting conflict and identifying options that result in a favorable outcome for all stakeholders. Constructive responses and mediation skills developed through a focused effort to understand communication patterns, interpersonal relationships, and communication skills can produce successful conflict resolution. Theory, self-reflection and enhancement of conflict skills, cultural understanding, structure, and practice of collaborative and mediated negotiations are emphasized.
OL7002 / OL7002-8
Building Organizational Capacity
There are numerous definitions for the phrase "capacity building" within educational and leadership literature. For the purpose of this Doctoral level course, the term "building organizational capacity" will be used to describe a parallel universe, where both the students’ capacity and the organization's capacity must be developed to achieve organizational goals. Students will analyze their own organization to assess internal and external capacity, reviewing all tangible and intangible portions of the organization to understand their individual and collective impact on achieving maximum effectiveness and productivity. Simultaneously, students will also critically evaluate their own role within the organization as it relates to building capacity.
OL7003 / OL7003-8
Leadership for Excellence
In this course students will deepen their philosophy of leadership which serves as the foundation for applying the knowledge and skill sets acquired through their specialization and degree program. The development and implementation of leadership concepts, applications, and frameworks to drive leadership performance for excellence are highlighted. The continued and increasingly successful application of the knowledge, tools, skill sets, and perspectives that have been learned will also be emphasized.
OL7004 / OL7004-8
Theory and Practice of Organizational Leadership
In this course, students will examine in-depth leadership theories and their applications in current organizational settings. This course incorporates the student's experiences and observations regarding leadership from their personal and professional experiences and current work setting. Topics include: leadership principals, ethical leadership, organizational culture, and reflective practice.
OL7005 / OL7005-8
In this course, students gain a deep understanding of the complexity of moral dilemmas through critical analysis and application of ethical principles, as leadership is not an event, but a process that takes time. Interpersonal dynamics operating within an organizational structure and the systemic nature of such structures is examined. Students examine their own ethical profile, and how it impacts their communication with individuals and groups. This process includes oral, print, and electronic communications.
OL7007 / OL7007-8
Leader as Coach
In this course, students will examine coaching principles and theories along with their applications in leadership roles. This course incorporates the student's experiences and observations regarding leadership from both personal and professional environments. Topics include: competencies for coaches, coaching theories, assessment models, and case study analysis related to coaching.
OL7008 / OL7008-8
Executive Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations
In this course, students will examine the principles and practices of executive leaders in non-profit organizations. This course incorporates assessing leadership challenges, strategic planning, organizational capacity, fiduciary responsibilities, marketing and communication, and developing a SWOT analysis.
Education Specialist Capstone Project
ED7053 is the culmination of the EdS program. In this course students will have the opportunity to demonstrate the synthesis of knowledge in the Education Specialist program through the design of a real-world problem solving project. The project should be based on research and/ or fieldwork and must demonstrate an approach to addressing the problem through application of theory. Additionally, within this course students will complete a reflective self-assessment of their learning throughout the program.
At Northcentral University, we pride ourselves in being completely transparent when it comes to tuition and fees. We have adopted an all-inclusive tuition model that gives you the cost of your Education Specialist (EdS) tuition and fees in one flat program rate*. The only additional cost above your EdS program rate is books. Learn more about the EdS costs below:
- Per credit cost: $849
- Per 3 credit course cost: $2,547
- Program cost: $28,017
- Average book cost per course: $110
- Application Fee: $0
- Learning Management Fee (one-time per program): $350
- Registration Fee: $0
*Program rates are subject to change and generally increase at the start of each calendar year.
Total program costs reflected are calculated based on standard degree program credits exclusive of the program’s potential evaluation track. The actual cost of program is determined on the program and track student enters, transfer credits if any and other unique student factors. For more information: please contact Admissions or refer to the catalog.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about our students, it’s that they are motivated and ambitious—but they are also busy! At Northcentral University, we’ve designed our education experience to work with you, not against you, so you can achieve your academic goals without sacrificing the quality, flexibility and support you need to be successful.
- Regionally Accredited
- No Physical Residency Requirements
- One-to-One Teaching
- 100% Doctoral Faculty
- Flexibility of Online Learning
- University Resources
To learn more, request information or call 1-866-776-0331 to speak with an enrollment advisor today. We offer new courses every Monday of the year so you can get started when it’s best for you.