Learner-driven & Flexible

The Leadership program develops scholar-practitioners who can transform the power of knowledge into improved service. Progress towards this goal is measured by competency development which is presented and evaluated through a portfolio. Feedback from participants and advisors on competency development is designed to help individuals improve their learning (formative) and provide a final (summative) evaluation of their leadership development and program requirements.

The Portfolio of Competencies

The Leadership Program is one of the pioneers of using the portfolio as a comprehensive evaluation tool for capturing learning and assessing leadership. Assessment through portofolio is more comprehensive and holistic than a written examination. It allows participants to showcase their transformational learning as leaders. has built in multiple ways to provide individualized feedback to enhance your learning during the process of competency development.

Leadership & Learning plan

The Leadership program has been designed with a flexible curriculum structure to help program participants gain a tightly integrated leadership development program that has been designed towards their specific needs. Each participant is led through a process to customize their program to their specific needs and context.

Your Advisor

As you develop your Leadership & Learning Plan, your portfolio of competencies, and your research plan your advisor is always a close companion in your academic journey. He or she is one email or a phone call away and available to each participant on an ongoing basis for input, dialogue and feedback.

Leadership & Learning Group (LLG)

The LLG plays a pivotal role in your journey in the Leadership Program by creating a natural context in which participants can provide feedback to your work. Often participants who are already one step ahead are a valuable source of counsel and feedback as you plan your own journey.

Course Work, Doctoral Project & Dissertation

The courses are designed to develop leadership competency and are based on a mastery learning model rather than graded test model. This means that participants receive feedback until they reach the necessary level of performance in their competency development. For doctoral participants, a final doctoral project (D.Lead) or dissertation (Ph.D.) is required. The doctoral project is the culminating experience for participants in the Doctor of Leadership program. The doctoral project is an integrative experience that brings together competency development, theoretical learning, reflection on experience, and is all documented in a work-related change project. For Ph.D. participants, the dissertation experience is often seen as a daunting experience requiring participants to develop a publishable research report that can be defended in a public forum. To make facilitate this process, participants work with their advisors to recruit a dissertation committee which will guide them through the process. Expect the dissertation process to be an iterative process of writing and rewriting till the dissertation can be defended in a public forum. For most participants this is a highpoint in their course of study.

Is the Leadership Program for you?

The MA, DLead, and PhD programs follow similar principles.