Ph.D. in Leadership Studies

The PhD in Leadership Studies is designed with academic rigor for working professionals to become scholar-practitioners who are able to take their study and research and apply them into their vocational context. Since 2005, the PhD in Leadership Studies has produced Christ-centered servant leaders for a variety of fields, including hospitals, educational institutions, government agencies, global businesses, local schools, and the list could do on and on. Through a commitment to servant leadership, the PhD in Leadership Studies seeks to challenge and develop you for the leadership role you have today and in the future. Our in-person, intensive classroom format connects you with a cohort of fellow students, providing a support network to see you through your coursework, comprehensive exams, and dissertation process. In addition, Cook School of Leadership faculty are present to serve as guides and mentors along the way, in addition to the vast array of PhD in Leadership Studies graduates who can counsel and encourage you.

Applicants must have a master’s degree from an accredited college, university, or seminary. The decision for admission is based on a candidate’s overall qualifications in all of the following criteria, which indicate a likelihood of success in a doctoral program. A cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale. A score at the 50th percentile or higher on the GRE, GMAT, or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) (WAIVED). A personal interview during a one-day Admissions, Interview Event at DBU. A completed Admissions Assessment Instrument, Professional experience, Recommendation Forms. Official Transcripts. The applicant must hold earned baccalaureate and master’s degrees from an accredited college, university, or seminary, and must have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher in master’s coursework. Official transcripts of all earned credit leading toward both degrees must accompany the application. Transcripts from a university outside of the United States will need a course-by-course credential evaluation from an independent credential evaluation company. Entrance Examination Score. The applicant must submit the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a score at the 50th percentile or higher. In lieu of the GRE, the applicant may submit the GMAT, MAT, or other nationally-recognized aptitude tests with comparable scores. (WAIVED) Admissions Assessment Instrument. The applicant must complete and submit the written Admissions Assessment Instrument, which will evaluate the applicant’s long-range professional and scholarly interests and goals and potential for doctoral-level critical thinking and research. Professional Experience. The applicant must submit, if applicable, a résumé that details the applicant’s employment history. Completion of one or more years of full-time employment by the applicant is preferred. Individuals without prior work experience must complete six total semester hours of an internship. Recommendation Forms. The applicant must include the designated recommendation forms (not a letter of recommendation) from each of the following three sources: (a) character or personal recommendation from the applicant’s church minister, (b) an academic recommendation from a professor with whom the applicant studied at the master’s level, and (c) a professional reference from a supervisor under whose oversight the applicant worked.