Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership with a Specialization in Information Systems and Technology
Program Goals
Upon completion of all program requirements of the Information Systems and Technology specialization of the Doctorate in Management in Organizational Leadership degree (DM/IST), learners will be able to:
- Conduct research as a foundation for executive action.
- Demonstrate innovation and creativity in developing new IT models to explain, forecast, support, and improve the strategic, tactical, and operational performance of organizations.
- Integrate and align IT initiatives with organizational strategy.
- Lead the IT decision-making process toward positive outcomes.
- Provide leadership to improve the overall performance of the organization in its industry, community, and global environment.
Program Structure
The DM/IST program has a 62-credit requirement that involves both residency and online modalities of instruction. The majority of the program will be delivered in an online, virtual classroom setting. In these courses, learners will work in a cohort of approximately 12 peers and be required to spend approximately 25 hours per week on required coursework.
Courses offered during residency sessions cover a variety of areas essential to the successful completion of this advanced degree program, including insights into dissertation preparation. Additionally, in the third year residency, learners will apply their knowledge to a comprehensive, collaborative case study. This case study is the University's vehicle for assessing programmatic learning. Because of the nature and value of the information presented in the residency environment, learners must attend all residency sessions.
The most important milestone of the DM/IST degree is the successful completion and oral defense of a significant, substantial, and independently completed doctoral dissertation that adds new information to the body of information systems management knowledge. The dissertation provides the learner an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of germinal and current literature and express their competence in applying learning to actual organizational issues. To ensure the quality of this effort, the program's curriculum is designed to develop the student's ability to create original solutions to complex issues and to carefully identify and apply the most appropriate research methodology for addressing these issues.
Because of the highly independent nature of the program, learners must be self-disciplined and exceedingly motivated to earn this degree.