Coursework
Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives
Portland Seminary’s Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives degree is ideal for those in faith-based leadership in a variety of settings. As a professional doctorate, the degree is distinctive from other leadership doctorates. Its primary focus is on the practice of leadership from a Christ-centered, globally minded, and theologically informed perspective.
The degree is divided into two parallel course sequences:
- Project Portfolio research sequence (DLDR 750, 751, 850, 851, 950, and 951)
- Lead-mentor “taught” courses (DLDR 707, 717, 807, and 817)
Project Portfolio Research Sequence
In the Project Portfolio research sequence, you take six courses designed to give you greater flexibility to engage in research and writing on a ministry Need, Problem, or Opportunity (NPO) of interest to you.
As part of the process, you are assigned to a small peer group under the supervision of a project faculty member who guides your research through a series of key milestones to generate the final portfolio.
The research course sequence is divided into three stages: Discover, Design, and Deliver, with milestone assignments to mark the completion of each stage.
Year 1 | Discover
You first explore a Need, Problem, or Opportunity (NPO) from your ministry context, then draw on discoveries from grassroots stakeholder insights as well as expert analysis through immersion in relevant academic and theological literature.
Year 2 | Design
You engage stakeholders from your context to brainstorm solutions. Out of this process, you then identify and test a project prototype to develop in the third year.
Year 3 | Deliver
You refine the prototype with potential users, evaluate your findings, and create a launch plan to further develop your doctoral project after graduation. An evaluation committee assesses the entire portfolio, including project and launch plan, for final approval.
All of the key milestone documents are compiled in a final portfolio for the library archival and digital publication.
Courses Taught by the Lead Mentor
Dr. Jason Swan Clark serves as the Lead Mentor for the Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives program. Dr. Clark's courses consist of directed readings and cohort-level interaction online. You will explore how to lead in your own context from a wide variety of perspectives and disciplines. These courses generally include the following elements:
- Reading: You are provided a reading list and schedule of books, articles, and websites to discuss with your cohort.
- Online discussion: You’ll discuss the assigned course materials each week on the public, blog platform.
- Zoom chat: You will meet once a week for a live video conference Monday mornings, Pacific Time. Dr. Clark facilitates the discussion.
- Advances: Join Dr. Clark annually for an immersive in-person experience in a city of global influence.
Curriculum Sequence
Year 1
Fall Semester (4 hrs)
| Course | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| DLDR 750 Identifying the Need/Problem/Opportunity (Includes Advance in late September) | 4 |
Spring Semester (8 hrs)
| Course | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| DLDR 707 Critical Thinking and Research Methods | 4 |
| DLDR 751 Exploring Theological and Contextual Foundations of the NPO | 4 |
Year 2
Fall Semester (7 hrs)
| Course | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| DLDR 717 Global Contexts and Leadership (Includes Advance in late September) | 4 |
| DLDR 850 Discovering Stakeholder Perspectives for Addressing the NPO | 3 |
Spring Semester (7 hrs)
| Course | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| DLDR 807 Global Leadership Habits, Practices and Dynamics | 4 |
| DLDR 851 Experimenting with Prototypes | 3 |
Year 3
Fall Semester (8 hrs)
| Course | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| DLDR 817 Contextualizing Global Leadership Challenges for Local Contexts (Includes Advance in late September) | 4 |
| DLDR 950 Designing the Doctoral Project | 4 |
Spring Semester (4 hrs)
| Course | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| DLDR 951 Assessment of the Doctoral Project | 4 |