Doctor of Philosophy in
Business Administration (PhD-BA),
Organizational Leadership
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Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration – Organizational Leadership Specialization
This specialization serves to enhance the understanding and practice of organizational leadership using an interdisciplinary approach between business and education theory and research. This specialization has broad appeal among practicing professionals (middle and upper management, and military personnel) with a background in business administration, human resources, nonprofit administration, and related fields, whose professional goal may be organizational consulting or a generalist leadership position in corporate, government, not-for-profit, educational or community organizations.
Degree Requirements
Students must complete at least 9 credit hours in a single area of specialization at the University (not counting foundational courses) and may elect to have the specialization recorded on their transcript and diploma. The remaining 9 elective credits must be appropriate to the student’s degree program. Students may opt to use the remaining 9 elective credits towards an additional specialization.
(3 courses; 9 semester credit hours)
All PhD-BA specializations require completion of the PhD-BA core curriculum, three specialization courses, three doctoral electives, and the dissertation sequence, including prospectus, proposal, data collection and analysis, and final manuscript and defense.
Specialization Course Listings
Choose three of the following:
Leaders must be adept at interpreting conflict and identifying options that result in a favorable outcome for all stakeholders. In this course, you’ll learn to mediate and resolve conflicts by exploring constructive responses, communication patterns, and interpersonal relationships. The focus is on theory, self-reflection, structure, cultural understanding, and collaborative and mediated negotiations.
Capacity building, an integral aspect of organizational leadership, involves investing in the right people for the right roles and implementing the necessary systems to optimize their success. In this course, you’ll learn the theories and best practices to enhance your leadership role in building and maintaining organizational capacity.
This course focuses on theories of leadership as they apply to organizational success. You’ll learn about various theoretical and applied leadership theories and practices, and you’ll identify and practice those that are most applicable to your own organization.
In this course, you’ll gain a deep understanding of the complexity of organizational ethics and ethical leadership through critical analysis and research. You’ll research and evaluate the consequences of unethical leadership while learning to build and maintain a culture of ethics that works for both domestic and global organizations.
Communication is never more important than during times of change. Leaders play an integral role in leading organizational change by helping others understand the need and purpose of change through effective communication. In this course, you’ll examine leadership theories and practices to successfully communicate and manage organizational change.
Electives selected on the initial degree plan can be changed upon request to an Academic and Finance Counselor.
Learning Outcomes
Students earning the Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration, Organizational Leadership specialization will learn to:
- Frame complex problems or questions within the specialization using appropriate conceptual, analytical, and contextual lenses.
Program Disclosure
Successful completion and attainment of National University degrees do not lead to automatic or immediate licensure, employment, or certification in any state/country. The University cannot guarantee that any professional organization or business will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any certification, licensure, or related exam for the purpose of professional certification.
Program availability varies by state. Many disciplines, professions, and jobs require disclosure of an individual’s criminal history, and a variety of states require background checks to apply to, or be eligible for, certain certificates, registrations, and licenses. Existence of a criminal history may also subject an individual to denial of an initial application for a certificate, registration, or license and/or result in the revocation or suspension of an existing certificate, registration, or license. Requirements can vary by state, occupation, and/or licensing authority.
NU graduates will be subject to additional requirements on a program, certification/licensure, employment, and state-by-state basis that can include one or more of the following items: internships, practicum experience, additional coursework, exams, tests, drug testing, earning an additional degree, and/or other training/education requirements.
All prospective students are advised to review employment, certification, and/or licensure requirements in their state, and to contact the certification/licensing body of the state and/or country where they intend to obtain certification/licensure to verify that these courses/programs qualify in that state/country, prior to enrolling. Prospective students are also advised to regularly review the state’s/country’s policies and procedures relating to certification/licensure, as those policies are subject to change.
National University degrees do not guarantee employment or salary of any kind. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to review desired job positions to review degrees, education, and/or training required to apply for desired positions. Prospective students should monitor these positions as requirements, salary, and other relevant factors can change over time.