William Woods University announced Thursday the establishment of its first Ph.D. degree program in the history of the university.
The Ph.D. program is for a doctor of philosophy in leadership. It will be offered online, with a summer residential requirement.
It will begin being offered in the upcoming fall semester this August. The program will be offered primarily online.
Residency events will be offered, where students can meet with other students and faculty.
Coursework for the program have a focus on the top organizational leadership skills as cited by employers. These skills include creativity, ethics and morality, change management and innovation.
The leadership program will be 54 credit hours. A minimum of three dissertation courses will be required.
It can be completed in as little as three years.
The degree program was approved by the Higher Learning Commission, an accrediting agency that is "responsible for accrediting post-secondary education institutions in the United States," a WWU release states.
The program was approved in April.
"Our new Ph.D. in Leadership, the first Ph.D. program ever offered by William Woods, is a groundbreaking moment in the long, proud academic tradition of our University," Jeremy Moreland, WWU president, said in a release.