Nov 29, 2024  
2012-2013 Graduate Catalog 
    
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2012-2013 Graduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.

Workforce Development and Organizational Leadership Ph.D.

The Workforce Development and Organization Leadership, Ph.D. program is focused on developing courageous, creative leaders and researchers for the workplace of the 21st century, where practices for preparing the workforce are consistently being reinvented. Technological advances have transformed most processes in the workplace and leaders in Workforce Development, must maintain their currency in workplace trends to make sure that their organizations remain competitive. This program is available to full and part-time students, and is designed for both traditional students and working adults.

The goal of the Workforce Development and Organizational Leadership program is to promote excellence, opportunity, and leadership among professionals in workforce education and development. A strong cadre of professionals in the area of workforce development and organizational leadership will enhance the economic vitality of Nevada. The program’s target population are individuals working in a number of areas including the public sector, post-secondary education institutions, social services and non-profit industries, and the private sector. The program will prepare students for both academic and non-academic careers. The former will include teaching at colleges and universities; the latter will include public, private, and non-profit organizations and institutions. The program should strengthen the professional workforce through improving the cultural and ethnic diversity of individuals in this profession. The current program is known to be one of the most diverse programs at UNLV.

Students will enroll in six credits each semester, as well as the summer. Degree completion should take a minimum of four years, but could take up to six years

Admission Requirements

All applications for admission to the Workforce Development and Organizational Leadership, Ph.D. program are made to the Graduate College but are reviewed by the Coordinators of the Workforce Development and Organizational Leadership program. The committee considers all training and preparation, general abilities, and previous experience.

An application form and official transcripts of all college level work must be submitted online to the Graduate College. Applicants must have earned a master’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 3.2. (Under special circumstances the department may consider applicants with lower GPAs.)

In addition to the online application, the following items must be submitted:

  1.  Satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. The recommended score is a total of 1,000 on the verbal and quantitative sections. Scores must be current and submitted directly from ETS.
  2. Three professional and academic recommendations, stating that the applicant can do doctoral-level work.
  3.  A statement of purpose in which the applicant describes specific interests in and purpose for pursing a Ph.D. in Workforce Development and Organizational Leadership. The purpose statement should also include a description of the applicant’s background for advanced work in this field as well as academic and professional goals.
  4.  A professional resume which documents their related work experience in the field.
  5. A writing sample in the form of a master’s thesis or original research paper of substantial length.
  6. International students must also submit their TOEFL scores to the graduate school. TOEFL scores have a time limitation of two (2) years. If the student has completed his/her master’s degree in the U.S. or if the native language of his/her country of origin is English, he/she does not need to submit the TOEFL scores. Visit http://www.toefl.org for further information on the TOEFL.

Applicants that successfully meet the above criteria for admission will be invited to an interview conducted by members of the program. 

Degree Requirements

The Workforce Development and Organization Leadership Ph.D. requires a minimum of 57 credit hours. Students are encouraged to take at least two classes each semester. Early in their program, students are specifically advised to take those courses in the program and research core. Faculty work with students early on to determine their cognate area and to identify the sequence of courses which will satisfy this requirement.

During the course of their degree program students must:
• Maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher for all coursework taken at the doctoral level.
• Complete a minimum of 57 credit hours of study beyond the master’s degree as stated in the candidate’s program of study.
• Complete the residency requirement (Residency Requirement: Successful completion of Comprehensive Exam).
• Pass a written comprehensive examination and complete the dissertation proposal prior to advancing to candidacy and prior to registering for dissertation credits.
• Complete and successfully defend their dissertation. The candidate must follow the guidelines set forth in the Guide to Preparing & Submitting a Thesis or Dissertation available from the Graduate College.
• File the appropriate graduation forms with the Graduate College.
• File the approved dissertation following the guidelines set forth by UNLV Graduate College.

Comprehensive Exam:
The comprehensive exam entails three parts. Students will be asked to submit written documents and prepare an oral presentation on their proposed study and options for a more focused study. The student will be required to propose up to 5 research questions/studies which reflect the gaps in the literature.

Advancement to candidacy involves:
1. Completion of the program and research core and the cognate.
2. Completion of the comprehensive written and oral exams.
3. Successful completion of the proposal defense.

Gaining Approval for the Proposal
After committee approval, the student will be allowed to take the Prospectus course (WFD 796) which will allow them to move forward with their proposal. Upon completion of the prospectus course(EDW 796) and after the dissertation chair has approved the proposal, it is considered by the student’s committee at a scheduled meeting of the committee. Committee members are given the proposal two weeks prior to the committee meeting. The committee will carefully examine the proposal, taking into consideration the organization and presentation, theoretical discussion, review of the literature, research questions/hypotheses, methods, and quality of writing. The committee should assist the student by making recommendations for improving the study. The committee may require the student to rewrite all or selected parts of the proposal. When the committee is satisfied with the proposal, all members sign the appropriate forms to indicate their approval. The committee must formally approve any changes in the study (e.g., as a result of pilot-testing). Such changes will be appended to the proposal.


Dissertation: The dissertation is culminating experience for the Ph.D. in Workforce Development and Organizational Leadership. It must be of substantial length, and contain original research and
interpretation on a topic in the field. Students will be required to enroll in six credits every semester they are working on the dissertation. Twelve credits of dissertation credits (including defense) are required and will count toward the degree (more credits may be taken but will not count towards the Ph.D.).
 

Course Requirements

Program Core (15 credits)
WFD 780 Leadership in Workforce Education & Development
WFD 767 Review and Analysis of Policies in WFE or PAF 701
WFE 787 Organization Development and Change: Theories to Practice
WFD 788 Strategic Planning and Management or PUA 775
WFD 785 Global and Diversity Perspectives in the Workforce

Research Core (12 Credits)
EDW 786 Critique of Research in Workforce Education
EPY 718 Qualitative Research Methodology
EPY 721 Descriptive/Inferential Statistics
EDW 789 Professional Development and Research (3-6)

Research Electives (3 Credits)
One advanced statistics courses selected with the advisor/committee.

Cognate (12 Credits)
Courses taken for the cognate are selected with the advisor/committee.

Dissertation (15 Credits)
WFD 796 Workforce Education Prospectus
WFD 799 Doctoral Dissertation (12 credits)

Most students enroll in 2 classes at a time. They are encouraged to select a cognate early. Students will take from four to six years to complete the degree.