OnlineDoctor ofStrategic Leadership
- 100% Online + Residency
- 48 Credit Hours
- 9 Semesters
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Oral Roberts University's Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) is a 48-credit-hour doctoral program designed for experienced professionals who want to strengthen their leadership capabilities, solve complex organizational challenges, and create meaningful change. Combining online coursework with residency experiences, the program equips you to apply advanced leadership research, strategic thinking, and practical solutions within your organization and industry.
Through a multidisciplinary approach, you'll explore organizational change, leadership coaching, systems thinking, innovation, and research-informed decision-making. ORU's participatory research approach allows you to investigate real-world leadership challenges and develop strategies that can be applied to professional settings.
With concentrations in Applied Research, Leadership Coaching, Change Management, and Strategic Foresight, you can focus your doctoral studies on the leadership skills and areas of expertise that align with your professional goals.
As ORU's fastest-growing doctoral program, the DSL brings together experienced professionals from diverse industries and backgrounds who share a commitment to purposeful leadership. Rooted in ORU's Spirit-empowered, Whole Person Education, the program integrates advanced leadership scholarship with ethical decision-making and a commitment to developing people, organizations, and communities.
Develop advanced research skills to investigate organizational challenges, evaluate
evidence, and generate insights that support informed leadership decisions. This concentration
emphasizes applying research to real-world problems and organizational improvement. Explore coaching principles, talent development, and approaches to helping individuals
and teams reach their potential. Strengthen your understanding of leadership development,
professional growth, and building effective coaching relationships. Examine how organizations navigate transformation, develop effective change strategies,
and guide teams through uncertainty. This concentration focuses on organizational
culture, leadership decision-making, and implementing meaningful change. Explore methods for identifying emerging trends, evaluating future possibilities,
and preparing organizations for long-term challenges and opportunities. Develop strategic
thinking skills that support innovation, adaptability, and forward-looking leadership.Doctor of Strategic Leadership Concentrations
Applied Research
Leadership Coaching
Change Management
Strategic Foresight
How Can a Doctor of Strategic Leadership Advance My Career?
ORU's Doctor of Strategic Leadership is designed for experienced professionals seeking to expand their leadership capabilities, strengthen their strategic expertise, and create meaningful change within their organizations and industries.
Through advanced leadership research, organizational strategy, coaching, and change management, you'll develop knowledge and skills that can support executive responsibilities, consulting opportunities, organizational transformation, and leadership development. Career opportunities you may explore include:
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Chief Operating Officer (COO)
- Executive Director
- Organizational Development Director
- Leadership Development Consultant
- Executive Leadership Coach
- Change Management Consultant
- Strategy and Innovation Director
- Higher Education Administrator
- Nonprofit or Ministry Executive
The skills developed through a DSL can be applied across industries, including business, healthcare, education, government, technology, nonprofit organizations, and ministry.
What Will I Learn in the Online Doctor of Strategic Leadership Program?
ORU's Doctor of Strategic Leadership combines advanced leadership theory, applied research, organizational strategy, and practical problem-solving. Through multidisciplinary coursework, you'll explore how to develop leaders, guide organizational change, analyze complex systems, and make research-informed decisions. Featured courses are:
- Spirit-Empowered Leadership
- Critical Inquiry & Research Methods
- Coaching & Talent Development
- Organizational Culture & Design
- Modeling Systems Change
- Global Entrepreneurship
- Collaborative Leadership
- Innovation & Change Management
- Decision and Data Analytics
Take the next step toward your goals with ORU’s 100% online DSL. Apply today and strengthen
your leadership skills, solve complex organizational challenges and create meaningful
change in your field.Start Your DSL Journey
Overview of the program, curriculum, and what you can expect as a student. Yes. ORU Online’s DSL program is designed for working professionals and is offered
primarily online with flexible coursework and instructor-led virtual workshops. A DSL is a professional doctorate focused on applied leadership, organizational change,
and real-world problem solving, while a PhD in Leadership is typically more research-focused
and academic in nature. The Doctor of Strategic Leadership program can be completed in as little as 33 months
when enrolled full-time. Yes. ORU Online is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and students
complete the same academically rigorous curriculum developed by ORU faculty. The DSL program emphasizes participatory and applied research focused on solving real-world
organizational challenges through a doctoral project rather than a traditional purely
academic dissertation model.Resources for Your ORU Journey
Program Guide
FAQ
Find out more about online learning at ORU by emailing us at mwillcoxon@oru.edu. If you want to call and learn more about Online Learning at ORU, call 918.495.6022. Want more info about our Online degree programs? Click the button below!Email
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