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Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
in Organization Development

DANIEL L. GOODWIN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

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The Ph.D. in Organization Development (OD) program is dedicated to better understanding the work of the OD professional within the context of global trends and emerging problems.

It prepares management professionals with state-of-the-art education in the field. The coursework is designed for organization development professionals who perceive the management of change and the creation of high-performance organizations as central parts of their careers. It is designed as a full-time program integrated with and complementary to full-time work activities. Classes generally are held on weekends.

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Candidates for the Ph.D. degree in Organization Develop will have the opportunities to:

Understand and apply core knowledge in the field of OD from the frame of a scholar-practitioner, including history, emerging concepts and theories, current and projected global trends and problems, and application through practice.
Research Methods and Analysis: Understand and apply appropriate research methods in the field of Organization Development.
OD in a Global Setting: Describe and understand major global environmental trends, including economic, demographic, political, legislative, influencing organizational effectiveness and the role of organizational development.
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Ph.D. in Organization Development Requirements - Lisle
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What our Graduates Have Done with this Degree

Ph.D. in OD Program Alumni

Students and alumni from Benedictine’s Ph.D. in OD program range from human resource managers and university deans to senior corporate executives and military generals. The program requires career diversity among its cohorts to create genuine dialogue and learning experiences that can be immediately impactful within the careers and organizations of program graduates.

Top-Rated Program

The master’s level OD program at Benedictine University was one of the first graduate OD programs in the country. Currently, it is the third largest behaviorally-oriented management program nationally and is one of the top-rated graduate OD programs internationally.

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State-of-the-Art Education

The Ph.D. in Organization Development program prepares management professionals with state-of-the-art education in the field. Built on a 50-year history of successful graduate-level OD education, this program is intended for those persons with extensive experience, who currently hold responsible positions either in the field of organization development, management or a closely-allied field such as human resource management. It is a three-year program, consisting of a first year of context courses, a second year covering some core OD knowledge areas and a third year consisting of advanced OD topics and the completion of a dissertation.

Lisle Campus

As a minority, I know that it is not always easy to aspire to an advanced degree due to the availability of resources. It has not been an easy journey having to overcome some of the stereotypes. (But with a Ph.D. in Organization Development from Benedictine), you earn the reputation for having a higher level of credibility to do this work.

Rosa Colon-Kolacko

Rosa Colon-Kolacko, Ph.D., Organization Development ’02
Senior Vice President Learning Institute and Chief Diversity Officer
Christiana Care Health System

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Organization Development Faculty

Therese Yaeger, Ph.D.

Therese F. Yaeger, Professor
B.A., M.S., and Ph.D., 2001, Benedictine University

Ramkrishnan Tenkasi

Ramkrishnan V. Tenkasi, Professor
Ph.D., 1994, Case Western Reserve University

Faculty and Distinguished Visiting Scholars

Benedictine’s Ph.D. in OD program brings the world’s top organizational change leaders to campus through its Distinguished Visiting Scholars program. Renowned authors, practitioners, faculty members and thought leaders in the field of OD all gather at Benedictine throughout the year to discuss their insight, new trends and the future of the industry.

The internationally acclaimed programs are overseen by Peter Sorensen, Ph.D., an international leader in the field and an integral founder in the development of one of the country’s first master’s programs in OD. He, along with Therese Yaeger, Ph.D., another recognized name in the field who is acknowledged as a foremost leader in corporate organization dynamics, have put Benedictine on the map in the OD world.