Application Deadline

The delivery modality chosen for the PhD program reflects the professional needs of students in various leadership roles. Admitted students will have earned a master's degree from a college or university that is institutionally accredited and endorsed by CHEA and will have graduated with at least a 3.2 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent. International students from foreign institutions will be considered on a case-by-case basis, contingent upon specialized, national, or other accreditations of their institutions.

Students whose first language is not English will be required to complete the TOEFL exam. The PhD program's minimum TOEFL requirement is 550 (paper version) and 79 (internet version).  Detailed information for international applicants.

Since the program is designed for reflective leaders, students will be expected to demonstrate, via resume or curriculum vitae and supporting documents, at least three years of professional practice in a leadership capacity. This will provide both a context for the learning that takes place in the program and a means of contributing to the learning of others in the program. Professional practice could include teaching experience, mid-level to executive-level management within a for-profit or not-for-profit organization, public service in an elected or appointed position with legal or fiduciary responsibilities, company proprietorship, ministry experience that requires professional credentials, and educational administration.

There are no specific course prerequisites to be admitted into the program but students would be advised to have graduate level courses in statistics and research design prior to the beginning of their program. Applicants who do not have this background may be asked to strengthen their background through self-directed learning prior to the beginning of their first research methods course.

Once accepted into the program, students must submit a $150 deposit (if international student, please refer to international requirements for deposit) and register for classes. Once students are registered, they receive usernames and passwords for email and access to Eastern's online learning platform, intranet, and library resources.

Both acceptances and deferrals are only valid for one year. Students who choose to attend the year that they're accepted or defer to the following year must submit a $150 deposit to reserve a seat in the PhD Program. A new application must be submitted if students choose to defer beyond the one year limit.

All students are selected for admission to the PhD program based on academic preparation, leadership experience, and alignment with Eastern’s mission. Candidates with superior academic qualifications will be considered for a $1,000 merit grant, to be applied to tuition in their first semester of enrollment. A limited number of grants will be awarded to selected applicants in each academic year.

Complete applications are reviewed for the following Fall cohort based on four deadlines: November 7th, January 16th, March 13th, and May 15th. Admissions committee decisions are issued no later than six weeks after each application deadline. Reviews will continue until the cohort and wait list are full for the fall cohort.

Official admissions decisions are mailed to the address stated on the application.

To apply for acceptance, a student must submit all of the following:

1. Application: Online Application Form.
2. Official Transcripts: Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education that you attended, which should be institutionally accredited and endorsed by CHEA (To request a transcript, view FAQs about requesting a transcript from your previous school(s)).
3. Current Resume or Curriculum Vitae: your updated resume or CV. 
4. Recommendation Forms: Two recommendations directly submitted by two different professional or academic referees. Submit recommendations online.
5. Essay: One essay responding to three prompts: (a) Leadership Experience (250–300 words) describing your organizational leadership experience; (b) Purpose Statement (250–300 words) discussing why you are pursuing a PhD in organizational leadership and how the Eastern’s PhD program would support your purpose; and (c) Research Experience and Interest (250–300 words) describing your qualitative and quantitative research experience and coursework, if any, and your research interest.
6. Writing Sample: One single-authored scholarly/professional writing you completed in the past (e.g., thesis, book, chapter, published article, class paper, official project report, or equivalent).
7. Application Fee: A $75 non-refundable application fee. (Note: The fee is waived if you attend one of our online info sessions.)