Course Syllabus

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ORG891: Doctoral Project Preparation and Proposal

Instructor & Contact Information

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Course Description

Candidates begin research on their doctoral project, culminating in a proposal to their doctoral chair. This is the first of three Doctoral Project courses in the Doctor of Organizational Leadership and Innovation program, designed to establish a strong foundation through rigorous research and strategic decision-making about a student’s project specifications. The Doctoral Project integrates the knowledge and skills a student acquires from core and concentration courses, independent research in their chosen field, and constitutes a key component demonstrating their leadership. In this course, students complete critical sections of their Doctoral Project, honing their analytical and project management skills while gaining a clear, actionable roadmap to ensure timely completion. Students will finish this course with a comprehensive understanding of their project's scope, purpose, and necessary milestones to complete their Doctoral Project.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of all Core and Concentration coursework.

Course Outcomes

After completing this course, you will be able to:

  1. Conduct initial research to identify a topic and complete a proposal outlining the project type, scope, audience, purpose, and intended outcomes.
  2. Define a clear research purpose, approach, scope, and value proposition for the doctoral project, detailing expected results and stakeholder implications.
  3. Complete one or more sections of the doctoral project for review and feedback from the chair, and to gauge the level of effort required to complete the entire work on time.
  4. Develop a Doctoral Project Completion Plan with a timeline and milestones to ensure completion by the deadline.

Degree Program Outcomes

This course supports the following program outcomes, marked with an (I) for Introduce, (D) for Develop and an (M) for Mastery.

  1. Research methods. Apply action research methods to practical research topics in the field. (D)

  2. Diffusion of Innovation. Utilize technology and relational networking to help diffuse innovations within a community of practice. (D)

  3. Values Alignment. To develop a theological vision and to align your organization's strategy, culture and systems with that vision to avoid secularization and mission drift. (D)

  4. Strategy. To develop a synthesis to integrate a wide range of business skills into a strategic plan for starting or growing an organization. (D)

  5. Social Entrepreneurship. Develop strategies and plans to effectively use technology and innovation to achieve organizational goals. (D)

  6. Action Research Project. Synthesize action research with theory and practice to solve a practical challenge facing your organization and/or the larger field. (D)

Concentration Outcomes

  • 7a. Executive Leadership & Fundraising. Develop and implement plans to grow an organization in its impact, financial health, and relational health (D)
  • 7b. Nonprofit Program Leadership & Social Entrepreneurship. Improve the effectiveness of nonprofit programs by implementing best practices (D)
  • 7c. Education Leadership and Innovation. Apply disruptive and continuous innovation principles to designing courses and programs to provide radically affordable and practical online education (D)
  • 7d. Organizational Culture and Change Management. Develop and implement plans to improve organizational health and adapt to change (D)
  • 7e. Trauma-Informed Counseling Management. Develop and implement plans to establish a trauma-informed culture of health throughout an organization (D)

Broad Institutional Outcomes

  • I1. Knowledge (Head). Apply a wide range of tools to help solve society’s great problems by shifting from a single lens/tool/discipline to a multiple lens, multifaceted Biblical understanding of reality. (D)
  • I2. Skills (Hands). Develop the skills you need for the next position in your development as a leader by shifting from mastery & understanding of a division in an organization to a comprehensive systemic mastery/understanding needed to lead across the organization. (D)
  • I3. Attitudes/Character (Heart). Develop the character and discipline needed to step into greater leadership roles by losing the bias of your old position to gain a broader perspective and intellectual humility needed to accelerate your commitment to lifelong learning. (D)

Required Texts

Students are required to purchase these texts before the first day of classes. 

  • There are no required textbooks for this course.

Guidelines for Written Work

All written work must follow our Writing Format and Forum Requirements. You must read these to understand how to cite sources appropriately.

Critical Policies to Read for This Course

Note: These policies are critical for all students to read. In case of change, we have linked to the versions on our website to make sure you have the latest version.

Additional Policies:

This syllabus is subject to change without notice up until the first day of the semester. Last updated: November 25, 2025

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due