Rather than the mere accumulation of credits, it is the demonstration of independent scholarly ability at the doctoral level that is required to successfully complete the program. All students pursuing the Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership must complete the following:
- All on-campus residencies
- All required coursework
- Successful completion of comprehensive exams following completion of all coursework
- Fulfillment of all doctoral dissertation requirements including final oral defense
If a student needs additional time to complete the dissertation after registering and paying for 60 credit hours, the student must register for one dissertation credit hour per semester for each semester until the dissertation is successfully completed and defended.