Wright State to offer new Ed.D. in Organizational Studies

Jill Lindsey, chair of Leadership Studies in Education and Organizations (second from left) and Suzanne Franco, associate professor (far right), meeting with potential Ed.D. in Organizational Studies students Colleen Hayden (far left) and Aaron Skira.

A program that will help professionals become innovators and change agents for education institutions, businesses and government agencies is now being offered at Wright State University in what is the first doctoral degree from the College of Education and Human Services.

The Department of Leadership Studies in Education and Organizations, which is offering the new Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Studies, is now accepting applications for the fall 2013 semester.

“The Ed.D. in Organizational Studies seeks to assist students of the program to innovate and become creators of knowledge that will bring about change and make a positive impact on their organizations,” said Suzanne Franco, Ed.D., associate professor in the Department of Leadership Studies in Education and Organizations.

The program is designed to be attractive to professionals in education, government, public service, business and nonprofit organizations. Most of the program’s graduates are expected to seek leadership opportunities in a variety of organizations, including school systems, government and higher education.

“The focus is to develop scholar-practitioners committed to exploring and expanding research related to the practice and processes of organizations,” Franco said.

Students will follow a concentration in one of two areas: Leadership Studies or Learning Organizations. Each student will collaboratively develop with their advisor their concentration coursework to meet their career aspirations as organizational leaders or organizational learning experts.

Candidates must also complete an internship either within their current organization or in an outside organization. The internship experience is designed to help students expand their expertise and knowledge and explore other career opportunities, if desired.

The concentration component and the internship requirement make the new doctoral program distinctive, Franco said.

The program’s curriculum will take an interdisciplinary approach to the study of topics, theories and research often used by successful leaders. Core courses will address systems theory, leadership, decision making, personnel issues, external relations, planning, program evaluation and organization behavior.

The doctoral program is the first offered by the College of Education and Human Services, which also offers 12 undergraduate degrees, 45 master’s-level degrees and more than 40 licensure or endorsement programs.

More information on the Ed.D. in Organizational Studies is available on the College of Education and Human Services website or by contacting Julia Acosta, leadership programs coordinator, at (937) 775-2506 or julia.acosta@wright.edu.