Study in Leadership at Shenandoah University offers learners the opportunity to think deeply about, examine, understand and challenge problems facing educational and other public organizations.
The programs are organized around a core of leadership and inquiry courses, complemented by courses in the learner’s concentration and emphasize the application of theory to real world problems and lived experiences.
Organizational Leadership
MS Organizational Leadership
The Master of Science: Organizational Leadership is a graduate degree for those interested in leadership positions in the nonprofit, public, higher education, or governmental organizations. Serving new professionals and those aspiring to leadership positions in institutions of public trust.
DProf Organizational Leadership
The Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf) degree is appropriate to professionals with substantive experience in non-profit, public sector, higher education, or service professions. These experiences will inform and leverage learning, position learners’ study in the program, and allow them to assume significant leadership roles in their professions. It is geared towards those who wish to reflect upon and leverage that experience in the context of an academic program designed to enhance leadership and research skills.
The DProf dissertation is not typically a purely academic study, but reflects the application of theory to an organizational concern, thereby, leading to high-level practical action that may result in significant change or development in a community of practice.
Education Administration Leadership
PSC Educational Administration and Supervision
The Professional Studies Certificate (PSC) for Licensure in Administration and Supervision serves students who already hold a master’s degree and want to obtain Virginia licensure in School Administration and Supervision.
EdD Educational Leadership
Advanced study in the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program at Shenandoah University is designed to serve learners with career goals related to PK-12 educational administration.
The EdD in Educational Leadership is a 60-credit program. It is primarily associated with those whose field of practice falls into traditionally-defined “education” professions. This degree appeals to education administrators as well as those seeking advanced preparation in teacher-leadership, curriculum and instruction, or in specific teaching disciplines. It may also apply, in certain circumstances, to those with interests in higher education. The EdD is for the professional education practitioner interested in becoming a professor, administrator, or applied researcher. The EdD is usually the preferred qualification for mid-career education professionals, many of whom will already have Master’s degrees but wish to pursue studies at the doctoral level. EdD degrees are based on research in addition to its application in professional practice. The EdD dissertation may take any form ranging from an applied, disciplined inquiry into a problem encountered in the workplace (action research) to the more traditional thesis-like research report.
What is the Difference Between the Doctor of Education (EDD) and the Doctor of Professional Studies (DPROF)?
Both the EdD and the DProf are what some call “professional doctorates”. A professional doctorate (which is distinct from a “clinical doctorate” or a “first professional degree”) is a course of advanced study and research which both satisfies the criteria for a doctorate and meets the specific needs of a professional group. These are also known as “practitioner’s doctorates” due to their applied focus, and target group of advanced practitioners of various professions. While the PhD can be seen as the degree of a professional scholar/researcher, the EdD and the DProf are viewed as the degrees of a scholarly or researching professional. Those seeking professional doctorates tend to value:
- learning with a cohort of like-minded professionals
- developing professional practice skills or professional qualifications
- develop and adopt a research stance/perspective (develop research capacity)
- develop advanced skills to carry out a research projects based on professional practice
- a desire to shift from action to reflection