A private Lutheran university founded in 1864, CUC offers an online leadership PhD program with a specialization in organizational leadership. Successful candidates develop an ethical framework for making decisions strategically, as well as forecasting the future needs of an organization.

Doctoral students may obtain a doctor of education in leadership with 61 credits or a doctor of philosophy in leadership with 67 credits. Foundation courses include philosophical and theoretical foundations of leadership, organizational change, and policy analysis. Completion of the program requires a dissertation and a comprehensive exam.

Applicants must possess a master's degree with a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA. Students must submit GRE or MAT scores from the last three years.

With a history that dates back to 1911, ETSU now provides a robust selection of online programs -- including a doctor of education degree in educational leadership. Students may pursue a higher education leadership or school leadership concentration.

All doctoral candidates identify a dissertation topic and write a paper based on their research with the guidance of the dissertation committee. Students must also complete a qualifying exam to earn their doctoral degree.

Applicants must hold a bachelor's or master's degree and possess a minimum 2.5 undergraduate GPA to qualify for admission.

Founded as Boiling Springs High School in 1905, Gardner-Webb offers an online educational specialist degree (EdS) in executive leadership. The program offers a traditional approach to curriculum design, replacing individual courses with integrated modules.

The program consists of 42 credits of study taken over six semesters. Successful completion of the doctoral program enables graduates to obtain state licensure as a superintendent.

Applicants must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited school and possess a minimum 3.0 GPA for all graduate-level coursework. The program also requires applicants to possess three years minimum experience in administration and hold a principal-level license.

A private Catholic university, Gonzaga offers an online doctoral program in leadership studies based on the Jesuit tradition of educating the whole person. The program develops working professionals in business, healthcare, education, law enforcement, and government. The program focuses on three leadership dimensions: the leader as a person, the leader in organizational systems, and the leader in global systems.

Gonzaga also offers an online doctor of educational leadership, with in-person courses required during the summer. The program focuses on three main areas: preschool to grade 12 leadership, educational leadership among Indigenous populations, and leadership in Catholic schools.

Both programs require previous professional working experience and a master's degree from a regionally accredited university.

Located 30 miles south of Chicago, GSU offers an online doctor of education in interdisciplinary leadership for those seeking advanced leadership roles in education.

Doctoral candidates choose from three concentrations: higher education, not-for-profit/social entrepreneurship, or superintendent. Completing the doctoral program requires successfully delivering a capstone dissertation project and passing written and oral examinations.

Admission into the superintendent concentration requires students to hold a master's degree in educational administration or principalship. Other admissions requirements include a 3.0 cumulative GPA from a completed master's degree and a combined GRE verbal and quantitative score of 1000, with a 4.0 on the analytical writing section.

Indiana Tech's online PhD in global leadership provides students with a holistic understanding of global leadership and demonstrates values such as responsibility and ethical consciousness. Students must complete a minimum of 60 credits, including a research core of 18 credits and a global leadership core of 18 credits.

Students choose from one of two specialization options: organizational management or higher education administration. The degree program culminates with an original dissertation investigating a significant problem in the student's area of specialization.

Strong applicants must possess applied leadership practice and evidence of global experience or background. Students must also attend campus residency weekends in Fort Wayne once per year.

A private Christian university founded in 1893, JU offers an interdisciplinary PhD in leadership studies. The program focuses on the biblical, theological, and ethical foundations of leadership. Specialization tracks include educational leadership, organizational leadership, missional leadership, or philosophy and theology of leadership.

Courses include leadership studies and theory, applied ethics, and an introduction to global studies. Students complete a candidacy paper and then conclude the program with a dissertation and defense.

Doctoral students may participate in optional research summits that offer the chance for face-to-face interaction and networking. Applicants must hold a master's degree from an accredited institution.

Founded in 1996, NCU offers a PhD in organizational leadership. Students learn the major theories of the leadership field while contributing research to the body of leadership knowledge. Successful graduates can assess an organization's potential for change and formulate strategies for solving modern-day organizational issues.

NCU also offers a doctor of philosophy in education in organizational leadership, which focuses on education, and a doctor of philosophy in business administration, which focuses on developing leaders in the business world.

Applicants must hold a master's degree from an accredited institution. The 60-credit program features start dates every Monday.

Founded in 1964, NSU offers an online doctor of education degree in organizational leadership. The program prepares graduates to serve in such roles as C-level executives, program directors, and sales team leaders.

Doctoral students that do not wish to complete a dissertation may complete a strategic research project instead. The research project requires students to identify a complex problem they wish to investigate and develop solutions over the course of two semesters.

Applicants must hold a master's degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 to gain admission. While coursework delivery takes place completely online, all students must attend one summer institute during their course of study.

Located in the heart of Los Angeles, USC offers an online doctor of education degree in organizational change and leadership. The curriculum revolves around three central themes: leadership, problem-solving, and reflection.

While coursework takes place completely online, doctoral students must attend an annual immersion weekend held on campus. The program culminates with a dissertation in practice that demonstrates the proper application of learned theories and techniques.

Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0. Applicants also must show a minimum of six years of proven leadership experience and demonstrate a high level of writing ability by completing an EdD writing assessment, GRE, or GMAT.