Ph.D. Leadership and Policy
Our Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy is designed to produce graduates who have highly developed skill sets. You will graduate with an exceptional ability to organize substantial amounts of information, research subjects broadly, independently manage and bring to successful fruition complex and in-depth projects, and an ability to adapt to changing environments.
Choose from two guided elective study tracks:
Education
or
Public Service
Students enrolled in this program work in a variety of sectors including k-12 education, higher education, health care, public service, law and other service organizations. Each person has there own goals whether they are seeking to advance to leadership positions or seeking positions which will enable them to influence policy related to their industry.
Why Earn Your Ph.D. Degree at Lipscomb University?
Master's Degree Option
Admitted Doctoral Students may earn a Master of Science in Leadership and Policy along the way toward this Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy Studies. Students who do not complete the research course sequence or dissertation may still be allowed to earn the master's if they successfully complete the required coursework.
Faculty Support
Throughout your journey toward a Ph.D., it's important to have a support network. 100% of our faculty have terminal degrees, and their real-life experience will guide and mentor you as you work on your dissertation and gain skills to succeed in your field.
In-Person or Distance Learning
Courses are offered on campus in Nashville, but students not local to Nashville are still eligible for enrollment. This program offers a distance learning option where students participate in classes live via video-conferencing. This format is synchronous with local course offerings.
Bachelor's to Ph.D. Route
Graduating seniors who know a Ph.D. is their ultimate goal may be considered for direct admission to the Ph.D. program if they meet the following admission criteria:
- 3.5 Cumulative GPA
- Above Average Required GRE Scores: 156 or higher on both Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning Scores and 4.1 or higher on Analytical Writing Score
- Meet all other admissions requirements including acceptance following an interview with faculty committee
Candidates not accepted under the above criteria will be required to earn a masters degree before being considered for admission to the Ph.D. program.
 | Kristin Blankenship is here to help!Graduate and Adult Admissions, Director of Graduate Enrollment |