Online Doctor of Leadership Degree

At A Glance

38 Semester credit hours

$648* Cost per semester credit hour

3 Years Program length

Accreditation

ATS (Association of Theological Schools), NWCCU

Format

Hybrid (online courses with 3 Advance intensives in Cape Town, Oxford, and Washington, D.C.)

Tuition cost for entire program

$24,624* (plus $3,400 per Advance intensive)

* All stated financial information is subject to change. Financial aid available.

Doctor of Leadership students conversing

Differentiated Leadership in an Anxious World

We live in an era of disruption, upheaval and uncertainty, and we need Christian leaders who are willing to step forward and guide our communities and organizations into a hopeful future. In this program, you’ll investigate your own biases, navigate cultural divides, apprentice with experienced mentors, and take your leadership to another level – and do it alongside a cohort of other leaders who become friends.

The Doctor of Leadership degree is a theologically informed, professional doctorate in the practice and theory of leadership, equipping experienced leaders for a variety of contexts.

What Will I Experience?

Under the guidance of Dr. Jason Swan Clark, the program emphasizes:

Differentiated Leadership: You’ll explore leadership theory and practice to develop a deeper understanding of self and vocation that is consistent with your personality, values and mission.
Expanding Perspectives: You’ll develop a globally informed leadership philosophy and practice that integrates cognitive, behavioral, spiritual and theological disciplines.
Collaborative Research and Design: Through the Project Portfolio research sequence, a project faculty member will help you address a challenge in your professional context.

Coursework

Program Details

Lead-mentor Directed

Lead mentor Dr. Jason Swan Clark sets the overall inspiration, ethos and direction of the program, and oversees coursework. You’ll take four courses with Dr. Clark over two years. He facilitates online discussions, provides feedback on individual leadership development plans, and participates in the Project Portfolio examination.

Portland Seminary program cohort meets in small peer groups

Online and Flexible

You'll join a cohort that meets once a week for a Zoom conversation with Dr. Clark and engage in weekly academic blogging around course content with the cohort. You will also regularly interact with a project faculty member in small peer groups each semester.

Cohort-based

Each fall semester, students are organized into a cohort of 12 to 18 that journey together through the program. The cohort provides a learning community for sharing research, insights and personal ministry experiences.

Advances in Cape Town, Oxford, and Washington D.C.

You will participate in an online orientation to begin the program and three face-to-face intensives (or what we call “Advances”) in Cape Town, Oxford, and Washington D.C.

We live in a globally connected world, via economics, politics, popular culture, media communications, pandemics, the ease of travel, etc. The Advance locations are designed to push the boundaries of your thinking about leadership through on-the-ground engagement with mentors, leaders, and scholars in light of these global realities.

Portland Seminary faculty mentor talking with student

Project Portfolio

In the Project Portfolio research sequence, you will journey through a series of milestone assignments to develop a doctoral project that addresses a Need, Problem, or Opportunity (NPO) in your professional context.

Project Faculty

You will be paired with a project faculty member for three years. Project faculty join students at the first and third Advances and meet regularly online to guide them in their research.