Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Leadership - CAGS

The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Leadership is offered via the Internet with two required on-campus residencies. Students must attend two residencies once each academic calendar year and always in the month of May. The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Leadership uses autonomous learning methods that require students to learn independently, but not alone. Our values-oriented educational perspective is based on a biblical foundation and Christian worldview, providing a substantive distinctive in this program.

Degree Requirements

In order to receive the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies, students must apply to and obtain acceptance in either the Ph.D. or the DSL program. Furthermore, students must complete 30 credit hours of core courses.

Once students complete a minimum of 30 core credits, they are eligible to apply for and obtain the Certificate of Advanced Studies. However, students are encouraged to complete the doctoral degree, which involves an additional 30 credit hours of coursework and the successful completion of the following degree requirements (depending on the chosen program):

• PhD: Comprehensive exams and a scholarly dissertation
• DSL: Integrative paper and a final doctoral project