This course introduces the field of organizational behavior by examining the historical development of the theory of organizations. It identifies the major concepts of the theories and introduces students to modern paradigms.

This course exposes the student to applied theories of leadership behavior. It surveys the concepts of leadership effectiveness: leaders as change agents, and leaders as servants. The role of leadership in organizational communication, control, empowerment, and conflict resolution are covered.

This course presents a variety of research methods to examine factors both internal and external to an organization.  It stresses both environmental theory and application in the use of rigorous methods for conducting applied research.  Methods investigated include personnel assessment, focus groups, analyzing media messages, stakeholder analysis, and force field analysis.

This course focuses on developing an awareness of the major ethical positions and critically examining the foundational ethical theories and decision-making processes throughout history. Various ethical theories are examined in relation to contemporary examples of the ethical challenges faced by leadership. The course seeks to enable individuals to reflect on their personal ethical stances and to analyze and critique ethical issues related to a variety of leadership contexts and situations.

This course focuses on developing and refining a writing process for extensive research projects. Emphasis is on identifying and strengthening one’s "voice" as an academic writer; establishing a relationship with readers; achieving advanced skills in development, analysis, revision of ideas, and editing to mastery of research writing. APA style of writing is a key component of the class.

This course studies the relationship between effective organizational communication strategies and the personal empowerment needed in transformational leadership. Emotional intelligence, the cultural perspectives on organizational structure, organizational ideology, and organizational symbolism are examined to understand the complexities of organizational communication. Strategies for communicating effectively within organizations are analyzed and synthesized.

This course addresses a comprehensive range of theories of adult learning and explores such issues as demographics and characteristics of adult learners, motivation, developmental theories, the impact of age on learning, learning styles, cross-cultural issues, and both old and new learning technologies.

Participants in this course examine characteristics of adult learners as students or employees, and explore various methods of more effectively working with adult learners. Participants analyze continuous improvement within a learning organization, work environments as places of learning for adults, and the leader employee relationship as a facilitator of learning and change. Ongoing application of new learning to the participants’ work setting is a critical aspect of the course.

In this course students examine models for curriculum design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Students examine implications on curriculum design of constructivism, multiple intelligences, integrated curricular design, performance-based curriculum, assessment for understanding, critical thinking, authentic assessment, standards based curriculum, dimensions of thinking, and cognitive coaching.

This course focuses on the concept of assessment as linked to the learning process and teaching practices. The theoretical foundations of assessment, including learning cognitive theories, are examined. Additional topics include: clarification of terminology, limitations of conventional evaluation, relating assessment to instruction, performance criteria, assessment tools and strategies, assessment strategies for school-age and adult populations, designing an appropriate assessment plan for the student’s area of interest, and current trends in assessment.

This course continues the development of ethical decision-making begun in EDD 805 by reexamining the major theories of ethics, and the application of these theories to learning organizations and the various constituencies within them.  Models for ethical leadership within the perspective of reflective practice are developed. 

This course provides students with the opportunity to examine in detail, and to discuss, topics in education that have emerged, either from earlier courses or from their professional life that they consider important.

This course introduces the basic techniques needed to conduct organizational research. Fundamental  elements such as problem statements, research questions, hypotheses, sampling techniques, data analysis, design validity, and research ethics are investigated in preparation for the design of a scholarly research proposal.

This course provides an in-depth look at qualitative research methods through exploration of qualitative research paradigms; various qualitative methodologies; design, implementation, analysis and presentation issues; the use of technological data analysis tools in qualitative research; and ethical issues.

This course explores quantitative research methods. It includes a general survey of descriptive statistical techniques, selection of appropriate statistical measure, development of sample populations or databases, and analysis of findings through analysis of variance and multiple regression. Computer applications and use of statistical programs to develop, manipulate, and analyze data will constitute an integral part of the course.

Individualized sessions are conducted with the candidate’s committee chairperson to prepare the dissertation proposal and the dissertation as well as the presentation to the committee.  Candidates are required to register for at least one dissertation credit each semester until finished with a minimum of 12 credits required to complete the degree.

This course focuses on analysis of various methods of supervision and the skills, sensitivities, and attitudes required for clinical supervision. It examines the connection between individual development of teachers and school-wide goals for improvement. Students discern personal leadership strengths that promote teacher development.

The Comprehensive Examination is an integrative experience requiring students to demonstrate personal mastery of concepts studied during the core sequence as well as the ability to apply those concepts to challenges in their areas of specialization.  The comprehensive examination entails two components: 1) written examination, and; 2) oral examination. The process is designed to determine if students can demonstrate all specific components required to complete a dissertation.

The emphasis of this course is on budget allocation, planning, reporting, and auditing. Financial systems at the state, district and school levels are evaluated. It reviews the historical development of Minnesota state funding for public education.

The emphasis of this course is on identification of laws and legal issues affecting schools and school systems. Education case law, contract law, policies, and regulations pertinent to school districts are discussed.

This course focuses on analysis of various methods of supervision and the skills, sensitivities, and attitudes required for clinical supervision. It examines the connection between individual development of teachers and school-wide goals for improvement. Students discern personal leadership strengths that promote teacher development.

This course begins with a historical perspective of higher education, including: European roots, the founding of American universities, land-grant colleges, the research university, the two-year college movement, and changes since World War II. The course examines both the historical and the contemporary governance structure and fictions, and the impetus for institutional reform. Future trends, such as those driven by the information age and demographic change, will be explored.

This course provides an overview of policy formulation in postsecondary institutions, including the role of boards, administrators, faculty, and students. The forces exerted by federal and state policy and regulatory agencies on both public and private institutions are examined. Related topics include policies on academic freedom, the future of the tenure system, faculty participation in institutional planning, and the effects of external and internal policy-making on financial planning.

The course will focus on the variety of issues surrounding the delivery and evaluation of academic programs to changing student bodies. Topics will include traditional, contemporary and future models of postsecondary programs; the effects of the changing student population on program development, particularly adult learners; educational offerings in the workplace; keeping quality control in the midst of changes, such as an increase in part-time faculty; accreditation issues; the impact of student and faculty evaluations on quality programming; and faculty development as an institutional response to quality programming.

This course applies the concepts of learning to the methods and techniques through which organizations communicate information and learn. Supported by the learning organization model of organization theory, this course examines the structures and systems that allow organizations to learn as well as those that inhibit or eliminate organizational learning.

This course applies the principles of education to the discipline of organizational development, which studies the ways in which individuals as well as the organization refines existing skills and develops new skills. Topics will include peak performance, surplus powerlessness, intrinsic and extrinsic motivational systems, as well as techniques that develop these attributes in organizations.

This course applies the principles of assessment to the development of authentic systems to monitor and measure the effectiveness of organizations. Models will include the systems approach, the goal-attainment approach, the strategic-constituencies model, and the competing-values model. These models will provide a framework for assessing the criteria which are relevant to the long-term survival of any organization.