Academic Programs

PhD in Leadership Studies

Message from the Dean  

In choosing a a doctoral program in leadership studies, it’s important to look at what opportunities you will have to learn the different types of knowledge crucial to your understanding of leadership effectiveness within your chosen career.

There are four types of knowledge you will be afforded in the Department of Leadership Studies: declarative — factual knowledge; procedural — how-to knowledge; contextual — what you learn in the context of a job; and somatic — sensing knowledge, or what some people call intuition, or gut feeling. Each of these types of knowledge is present in our Ph.D. program, and this is what sets us apart from other doctoral programs.

At USD, you will learn declarative knowledge in your classes when faculty use teaching strategies such as lecture, discussion, reading and reflection, film, video narratives, and independent study. Procedural knowledge will be taught using strategies such as case studies, role-play, and problem-based learning. Contextual
knowledge will be taught through opportunities for doing field-based projects and internships.

A source of knowledge largely ignored in Western cultures, but essential for exercising effective leadership, is somatic knowledge. This implies an education that trusts individuals to learn from their ability to attend and to listen to the information they are receiving from interaction of self with the environment. Howard Gardner’s
concepts of the intrapersonal (knowledge of self) and interpersonal (skill in interacting with others) intelligences are closely connected to somatic knowledge. Our program incorporates methodologies such as case-in-point, which powerfully addresses somatic knowledge.

Finally, because all of our students in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences are required to have an international experience, you will have multiple opportunities to integrate all four types of knowledge.

We are proud of our innovative teaching methods because they differentiate us from other Ph.D. programs in leadership studies.

Paula A. Cordeiro, Ed.D.
Dean , School of Leadership and Education SciencesMission

Mission

To prepare students with the professional knowledge, skills, and ethical perspectives they will need for effective leadership and practice in a diverse society.

To become, and encourage our students to become, life-long learners engaged in scholarly inquiry, research, and professional development.

To promote and model professional and community service and encourage such service by our students.

Why the University of San Diego?

There are many reasons for selecting the University of San Diego’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) for advanced studies. We will mention just four distinguishing factors here.

First is the value of your University of San Diego degree. U.S. News & World Report ranked SOLES as one of the top 100 schools of education in the country and the top-ranked Catholic university from the region. The university is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). SOLES programs are accredited by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), the national Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). SOLES curriculum is accredited by our peers
and rated as both challenging and rewarding by our graduates. Our reputation in the areas of education, counseling and leadership is highly respected by our peers, the community, and our alumni network of more than 3,500 people representing virtually every organizational setting.

The second factor that distinguishes us from other institutions is the quality of the faculty, their teaching, and their scholarship. They are outstanding instructors who are enthusiastic about their roles as teachers. Their reputation as productive scholars continues to differentiate them in their fields of academic specialization and in the
educational, counseling and leadership communities.

The third distinguishing factor is the availability of the faculty, who pride themselves on the individual attention they are able to provide. Students have ample opportunities to meet with faculty in both formal and informal settings in order to take full advantage of their counsel and advisement.

Finally, we are especially proud of our diversity and international work. We offer courses and educational partnerships around the world, and all SOLES graduate
students are required to take part in an international experience. Recently, we received the Best Practice Award in Support of Global Diversity and Inclusion from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

 

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Contact:

Beth Garofalo
Assistant Director Of Leadership Programming
(619) 260-7790 | Phone
(619) 849-8175 | Fax

For admissions and general program information:
Admissions and Outreach
(619) 260-7988 | Phone
(619) 849-8138 | Fax

University of San Diego
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, CA 92110-2492
(619) 260-4600