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Programs

DEL Program approval pending ADHE and HLC final approval

DEL Curriculum

The Doctor of Executive Leadership degree is an online, asynchronous program of 42 credit hours. If you’re not quite ready for the full doctoral degree (or already have a doctorate and want to dive into a new specialty), consider earning one of our Certificates instead.

Doctoral Curriculum Overview

The Doctor of Executive Leadership (DEL) curriculum is intentionally designed to blend scholarly rigor, applied executive practice, and specialized leadership development. The program consists of three integrated components:

  • Doctoral Project Curriculum – your scholarly foundation and research sequence
  • DEL Foundational Curriculum – core leadership and organizational mastery
  • DEL Specialty Curriculum – advanced courses tailored to your executive pathway

Together, these courses prepare leaders to think strategically, influence effectively, and drive meaningful change across complex systems.

Doctoral Project Curriculum

The foundation of the DEL curriculum is a set of sequential courses in scholarship and research. Through these courses, you will dive into the details of reading and interpreting medical literature, develop your own research questions, perform research via existing literature, and produce a publication-worthy paper of your own under the tutelage of experienced professionals known for their own published works.

These research and scholarship courses also guide you through the development of your Doctoral Project-a culminating, real-world scholarly initiative that demonstrates your ability to apply executive-level leadership to complex problems. Throughout the project sequence, you will refine your research question, synthesize evidence, analyze systems, and produce a final doctoral project that reflects both academic rigor and practical leadership impact.

The DEL Doctoral Project experience ensures that every graduate can translate scholarship into meaningful organizational, community, or system-level change.

Doctoral Project Curriculum Courses

  • DEL 5801 Research Resources & Methods
  • DEL 5802 Doctoral Project Capstone I
  • DEL 5803 Doctoral Project Capstone II

Applied Leadership Projects (ALPs)

Where doctoral learning becomes real-world impact.

A signature feature of the DEL program is the integration of Applied Leadership Projects (ALPs)—hands-on, high-impact initiatives that demonstrate executive-level capability. These projects give learners the opportunity to apply research, leadership theory, and systems thinking to real challenges within their own organizations or communities.

Examples of Applied Leadership Projects

  • Organizational & Process Improvement – Lead a structured improvement initiative using frameworks such as Lean, Six Sigma, or Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA).
  • Building a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) or Program Initiative – Develop the strategy, governance structure, and operations for a mission-driven organization or program.
  • Professional Portfolio & Executive Identity Development – Construct a comprehensive doctoral-level portfolio articulating your leadership identity and long-term professional trajectory.
  • Innovation & Technology Integration – Lead initiatives that advance organizational capability through innovation or digital transformation.

Why Applied Leadership Projects Matter

Applied Leadership Projects ensure DEL graduates are able to:

  • Demonstrate doctoral-level leadership through tangible deliverables
  • Transform ideas into measurable organizational improvement
  • Build a professional portfolio that stands out at the executive level
  • Influence systems, policies, and communities through applied scholarship
  • Lead confidently in high-stakes, complex, and rapidly evolving environments

The DEL Applied Leadership and Doctoral Project curriculum empower leaders to move beyond theory—toward bold, meaningful action that elevates organizations and improves population health.

DEL Foundational Curriculum

The DEL Foundational Curriculum builds core competencies in leadership, organizational systems, strategic influence, innovation, and personal mastery. These courses establish the fundamental executive skill set required to navigate and lead within complex, rapidly evolving environments.

Foundational Curriculum Courses

  • DEL 5805 Organizational Contexts & Systems
  • DEL 5807 Leadership Foundations
  • DEL 5809 Strategic Leadership & Influence
  • DEL 5811 Strategic Communication & Executive Presence
  • DEL 5813 Data, Technology, & the Future of Leadership
  • DEL 5815 Personal Mastery & Performance
  • DEL 5820 Entrepreneurship & Innovation

(Note: Some specialties allow students to “Select 5 of the following” from this list—see each pathway for details.)

DEL Specialty Curriculum

The DEL Specialty Curriculum strengthens expertise in advanced domains and allows students to tailor their doctoral pathway to their professional aspirations. These courses deepen knowledge in healthcare leadership, communication, innovation, risk management, and system-level administration.

Healthcare Leadership

The Healthcare Leadership Specialty pathway provides the essential, non-clinical skills necessary to transition from highly competent professionals into influential healthcare leaders. This formal training covers critical areas such as healthcare management, financial literacy, quality improvement, team development, and policy advocacy. By completing this degree, professionals significantly enhance their career advancement potential, becoming competitive candidates for roles like Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operations Officer (COO), and Executive Director, leading to increased salary and influence. These skills empower professionals to drive organizational change, improve patient care outcomes, ensure efficient resource allocation, and effectively advocate for their profession at the executive level, ultimately making them indispensable contributors to the future of healthcare.

DEL Doctoral Project Curriculum

  • DEL 5801 Research Resources & Methods
  • DEL 5802 Doctoral Project Capstone I
  • DEL 5803 Doctoral Project Capstone II

DEL Foundational Curriculum

  • DEL 5805 Organizational Contexts & Systems
  • DEL 5807 Leadership Foundations
  • DEL 5809 Strategic Leadership & Influence
  • DEL 5813 Data, Technology, & the Future of Leadership
  • DEL 5815 Personal Mastery & Performance

DEL Healthcare Leadership Specialty Curriculum

  • DEL 5804 Healthcare Law & Risk Management
  • DEL 5811 Strategic Communication & Executive Presence
  • DEL 5820 Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  • DEL 5850 Healthcare Finance & Value-Based Strategy
  • DEL 5852 Strategic Leadership in Healthcare Systems Administration
Global Health & Humanitarian Medicine

The Global Health & Humanitarian Medicine (GHHM) Specialty pathway provides the essential skills and academic background necessary to prepare professionals to lead and coordinate global health missions for humanitarian benefit. Upon completion, professionals will be prepared to serve with cultural humility, prepare for deployment to disparate health systems and operate within diverse administrative cultures. This training includes leadership and coordination with global health organizations, preparing graduates to work with or even form their own non-governmental organizations. By completing this degree, professionals significantly enhance their career advancement potential, prepared to take on international medical challenges and coordinate cross-functional teams and operational goals to a common purpose.

This pathway requires an organized humanitarian field deployment with classmates and faculty to an international or domestic site to apply the principles learned during the academic coursework. Program faculty have led similar deployments in locations including Ukraine, Tanzania, Panama, Dominican Republic, and Mexico.

DEL Doctoral Project Curriculum

  • DEL 5801 Research Resources & Methods
  • DEL 5802 Doctoral Project Capstone I
  • DEL 5803 Doctoral Project Capstone II

DEL Foundational Curriculum – Select 5 of the following:

  • DEL 5805 Organizational Contexts & Systems
  • DEL 5807 Leadership Foundations
  • DEL 5809 Strategic Leadership & Influence
  • DEL 5811 Strategic Communication & Executive Presence
  • DEL 5813 Data, Technology, & the Future of Leadership
  • DEL 5815 Personal Mastery & Performance
  • DEL 5820 Entrepreneurship & Innovation

DEL Global Health and Humanitarian Medicine Specialty Curriculum

  • DEL 5822 Infectious Disease & Tropical Medicine
  • DEL 5828 Global Health Issues & Determinants of Health
  • DEL 5824 Remote & Operational Medicine
  • DEL 5830 Global Health Organizations & Management

DEL Humanitarian Deployment Curriculum

  • DEL 5831 Strategic Planning for Global Health & Humanitarian Response
  • DEL 5836 Humanitarian Deployment & Strategic Application
Emergency Management and Disaster Response

The Emergency Management & Disaster Response (EMDR) Specialty pathway provides the essential skills and academic background necessary to prepare professionals to lead and coordinate within governmental and non-governmental agencies to provide service in disaster planning, mitigation, response, and recovery. Upon completion, professionals will be prepared to deploy on domestic and international disaster response missions, as well as to work within larger agencies to provide disaster-related planning. This training includes leadership and coordination with constituent organizations inside and outside government, preparing graduates to excel in environments from small businesses to hospital systems to large multinational agencies. By completing this degree, professionals significantly enhance their career advancement potential, becoming competitive candidates for roles like Emergency Management Director, Disaster Response Coordinator, or Operations Officer within a response organization, leading to increased salary, leadership, and influence.

This pathway requires an organized field deployment with classmates and faculty to a site within the continental US to apply the principles learned during the academic coursework. Program faculty have led disaster response deployments in locations across the United States and the world.

DEL Doctoral Project Curriculum

  • DEL 5801 Research Resources & Methods
  • DEL 5802 Doctoral Project Capstone I
  • DEL 5803 Doctoral Project Capstone II

DEL Foundational Curriculum – Select 5 of the following:

  • DEL 5805 Organizational Contexts & Systems
  • DEL 5807 Leadership Foundations
  • DEL 5809 Strategic Leadership & Influence
  • DEL 5811 Strategic Communication & Executive Presence
  • DEL 5813 Data, Technology, & the Future of Leadership
  • DEL 5815 Personal Mastery & Performance
  • DEL 5820 Entrepreneurship & Innovation

DEL Emergency Management and Disaster Response Specialty Curriculum

  • DEL 5826 Wilderness & Expedition Medicine
  • DEL 5838 Executive Leadership in Crisis & Emergency Management
  • DEL 5840 Disaster Medicine & Health Systems Response
  • DEL 5842 Public Health Emergencies & Outbreak Response

DEL Disaster Response Deployment Curriculum

  • DEL 5835 Strategic Planning for Disaster & Humanitarian Response
  • DEL 5837 Disaster Response Deployment & Strategic Application
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

The Specialty pathway in Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare is essential for all healthcare professionals—including those in clinical, administrative, executive, teaching, and operations roles—who recognize the transformative impact of AI and seek to maintain relevance and effectiveness in the modern health ecosystem. This program addresses the critical need for a comprehensive, non-technical understanding of AI principles, machine learning applications, ethical considerations, and governance frameworks, enabling providers to move beyond basic awareness to strategic implementation. The value of this specialty pathway lies in empowering professionals to lead process innovation (e.g., optimizing resource allocation and predicting disease outbreaks), ensure data integrity and equitable use in patient care, drive educational advancements through intelligent tutoring systems, and inform executive decisions about technology adoption, ultimately positioning them as vital contributors who can bridge the gap between advanced technology and impactful, responsible healthcare delivery.

DEL Doctoral Project Curriculum

  • DEL 5801 Research Resources & Methods
  • DEL 5802 Doctoral Project Capstone I
  • DEL 5803 Doctoral Project Capstone II

DEL Foundational Curriculum – Select 5 of the following:

  • DEL 5805 Organizational Contexts & Systems
  • DEL 5807 Leadership Foundations
  • DEL 5809 Strategic Leadership & Influence
  • DEL 5811 Strategic Communication & Executive Presence
  • DEL 5813 Data, Technology, & the Future of Leadership
  • DEL 5815 Personal Mastery & Performance

DEL Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Specialty Curriculum

  • DEL 5820 Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  • DEL 5870 AI Foundations in Healthcare Innovation
  • DEL 5872 AI Systems, Algorithms, & Infrastructure
  • DEL 5874 Ethics, Risk, & Strategy in the AI Era
  • DEL 5876 Leading the AI-Driven Healthcare Organization