Doctor of Education:
Higher Education Leadership

Program Outcomes

Graduates of APU's doctoral program in higher education leadership are expected to be change agents for students' learning: culturally aware, strengths-focused, outcomes-driven, and skilled in motivating diverse learners. To this end, candidates are encouraged to make the transition from the role of "student" to that of "scholar." This involves diligent preparation, active participation in the community of scholars within the department, intellectual engagement, self-regulation, coherent professional writing, and collegiality. In addition, they are expected to give thoughtful consideration to the application of principles of academic integrity in their academic work and professional practice.

Essential Competencies for Graduates of the Program to Possess:

• Visionary Leadership: The capacity to identify critical issues, participate actively in complex problem solving, to find integrative solutions across boundaries, and be proactive strategic thinkers
• Commitment to Social Justice: The knowledge, values, and skills necessary to recognize and confront institutional and personal injustice, the marginalization of individuals and groups, and incongruence between institutional mission and reality
• Strengths Focused: The insights and abilities to help individuals identify, affirm, celebrate, develop, and apply their talents and strengths; a commitment to fostering a strengths approach into teaching, learning, and leadership development
• Integrity and Congruence: Moral, ethical, and spiritual commitments that are reflected through honesty, truth-telling, and a servant-oriented approach to leadership as best exemplified by Christ
• Research Skills that Make a Difference: The ability to conduct, evaluate, and disseminate both qualitative and quantitative research that has been undertaken in order to answer meaningful questions
• Commitment to Fostering Student Learning, Motivation, and Achievement: An understanding of the processes involved in student learning and a commitment toward influencing individuals and institutions to become student-centered
• Administrative Competence: The skills necessary to be an effective administrator in the management of finances, planning processes, employee supervision and evaluation, student enrollments, and legal issues
• Cultural Competence and Global Literacy: The knowledge, values, and skills needed to relate to diverse populations and to appreciate educational leadership practices in diverse societies and cultures
• Capacity for Creative Interventions: The desire, creativity, and resourcefulness needed to design and implement new programs and interventions to address educational problems
• Ability to Form Working Alliances: The relational skills necessary to work across functional boundaries in forming collaborative partnerships
• Ability to Facilitate Effective Change: An understanding of systems theory, the value of making data-driven decisions, the ability to form strategic partnerships, and an awareness of self that facilitates an effective change process
• Ability to Articulate a Christian Worldview in Educational Leadership: An understanding of the values, ethics, and principal teachings of the Christian faith and its integration within the field of higher education