Online Doctoral Degrees

Alternative Residency Cohort Program

For a select group of non-traditional students meeting the highest of academic and ministry standards, an alternative residency option maybe available. You can read about this program in the Research Doctoral Studies Handbook to see if you might qualify. The cohort program is limited to 12 persons per year who are carefully selected for their outstanding potential in Christian leadership. Contact the Associate Dean of Doctoral Studies at the School of Leadership and Church Ministry office for additional information on this option at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Description and Purpose

The Cohort Ph.D. program is an alternative residency program designed for non-traditional students. The Cohort Ph.D. in Leadership is a research-based, terminal degree designed to enhance the research, analytical, interpersonal, leadership and change management skills of leaders, scholars and teachers serving in local church, denominational, or higher education leadership positions.

The Cohort Ph.D. in Leadership is built upon an analytical framework that understands the organization to be dynamic and developmental in nature. Its approach is multidisciplinary, synthesizing knowledge from the fields of theology, education, psychology, sociology and organizational theory, which are evaluated and integrated through the foundation of a biblical worldview.

The Cohort Ph.D. in Leadership promotes a values-driven model of leadership appropriate to faith-based organizations. This program offers a biblical perspective on leadership theory and practice. Beginning with theological assumptions that include, an ecclesiology that sees the church as an organism, an anthropology that sees people as ?fallen image-bearers,? a Christology that sees the leaders as servant-teachers, and an epistemology that places Scripture as the unqualified authority, the Cohort Ph.D. in Leadership is an applied theology degree.

Leadership and Education are connected fields of study. Both fields are rooted in a common theory-base and both seek to influence people and groups toward change and goal achievement. This program recognizes that relationship; therefore, students acquire breadth of knowledge across both the leadership and education fields. Students pursue in-depth research in key areas related to these fields. Within limits, students tailor the selection of focused electives, research goals and the dissertation topic.

Program Format

The Cohort Ph.D. in Leadership is a alternative residency program designed for non-traditional students that requires four years to complete. Students enrolled in the CPhD in Leadership degree consists of 32 credit hours of core competency seminars in leadership (8 courses; 4 hours each) followed by 12 credit hours of focused study in ministry leadership, student leadership, or higher education leadership. Throughout the program, students are enrolled in 6 credit hours of leadership colloquium. Upon completion of all seminar work, students complete a dissertation (16 credit hours)in a leadership related area. The entire program requires 66 credit hours of doctoral level studies.

Students enter the program as a cohort of 12 students who enroll together in the prescribed sequence of courses. Students are physically on-campus two times per year?two weeks in June or mid-July and two weeks in early January. The dates of each set of research seminars are fixed approximately two years in advance of the actual seminar sessions. Due to the time-compressed nature of the on-campus seminar experience, attendance is required at every session to receive credit for the course.

Students will be involved in online interactions related to each seminar. These cohort dialogues are required and are part of grade for each course. Dialogues begin two months before the scheduled course session. Follow-up online discussions are also required. These post-course interactions also occur of a two-month period.