Designed for working professionals in Asia who are ready to transform the organizations they lead, this cohort brings the rigor of USC Rossier's Organizational Change and Leadership program directly to your region. You'll build the skills to diagnose complex, systems-level challenges and implement equity-minded solutions — in a doctoral program shaped around your time zone and your unique context.
EdD in Organizational Change and Leadership
International Cohort – EdD in Organizational Change and Leadership
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Lead Organizational Change That Matters
At USC Rossier, the Organizational Change and Leadership (OCL) program equips experienced professionals to transform organizations through equity-minded change that centers the human experience.
This international cohort is designed to support participants across Asia, with coursework offered on weekends at times aligned with the region. There are two immersive weekend experiences in Singapore built into the program to deepen learning and connection.
Through a curriculum that bridges research and practice, students learn how to be effective change leaders, cultivate inclusive and resilient teams, and ground their leadership in evidence and critical reflection. Alongside peers from a range of sectors, they gain perspectives that broaden their understanding of how organizational change and leadership are shaped by cultural, social, and contextual factors across different settings.
Upon completion of the OCL program, you will be equipped with the experience and expertise to:
- Use principles and practices of learning and motivation to supervise others.
- Drive innovation through technology-enabled and blended-learning formats.
- Organize and deploy organizational resources, especially human and financial resources, to attain organizational goals.
- Gather and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to assess the status of organizational priorities.
- Create a culminating dissertation in practice that demonstrates effective application of the program’s theories and concepts.
- Assess and reflect upon your own skill as a leader and the performance of your team and organization, and then modify your strategies as needed based on those data.
“We designed the International Cohort to meet working professionals where they are, geographically and professionally. By offering courses aligned to their time zones and immersive experiences in their region, we’re bringing the rigorous leadership development that USC Rossier is known for directly to them.”
Courtney Malloy
Professor of Education
Curriculum
While the focus of the program—building skills to diagnose systems-level challenges and implement effective solutions to drive organizational change—remains the same for the International Cohort, courses will take place on weekends, 7:30 am – 12 pm SGT. Students will also participate in two immersive weekend educational experiences in Singapore.
Live, online class sessions are scheduled during standard Asia time zone hours, allowing you to balance your full-time professional responsibilities with these courses.
Immersion
In the first and fifth terms of the program, you will be required to attend an immersion weekend held in Singapore. This immersion experience will give you the opportunity to meet your classmates and professors face-to-face and complete various collaborative learning exercises designed to build essential leadership skills. A $2,500 immersion fee, per immersion, will be assessed. This fee does not include student travel expenses (e.g., flight and accommodation) and a mandatory student travel health insurance fee (assessed separately by USC).
Coursework for International Cohort
Year 1
Term 1
Immersion 1
During this term, you will be required to attend an immersion weekend held in Singapore.
Leadership as a Critical Practice | EDUE 661 | 3 Units
Focuses on leadership identity and critical self-reflection to develop effective, equity-minded, and human-centered leadership practices.
Foundations of Research | EDUE 667| 3 Units
Quantitative and qualitative research methods; critical analysis of existing studies; effective academic writing and synthesis skills.
Term 2
Leadership: Theories and Application | EDUE 671 | 3 Units
Critical analysis and application of leadership theories to develop context-specific strategies that prioritize equity and inclusivity.
Context of Organizational Change | EDUE 676 | 3 Units
External factors impacting organizations; human-centered organizational design; evidence-based decision-making for thriving in dynamic environments.
Term 3
Designing Organizational Change | EDUE 682 | 3 Units
Students will learn to analyze organizational learning and motivation, and make evidence-based recommendations for interventions to promote positive development in organizational contexts.
Quantitative Methods and Descriptive Statistics| EDUE 687| 3 Units
Quantitative research methods for practitioner-scholars; foundational principles of designing and conducting surveys; descriptive statistics and data interpretation.
Year 2
Term 4
Current and Emerging Opportunities in Leadership | EDUE 692| 3 Units
Identification and analysis of current and emerging leadership opportunities and global and systemic challenges in the context of advancing human-centered organizations.
Qualitative Methods and Analysis | EDUE 698 | 3 Units
Qualitative research methods for practitioner scholars; systematic qualitative data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
Term 5
Immersion 2
You will be required to attend an immersion weekend held in Singapore.
Facilitating Learning, Motivation, and Wellbeing| EDUE 709 | 3 Units
Evidence-based strategies to promote employee engagement and well-being in organizational contexts; inclusive policies and practices that facilitate employee motivation, learning, and development.
Research | EDUC 790 | 2 Units
This course is designed for you to practice research and academic writing skills.
Term 6
Evaluation and Data Use | EDUE 716 | 3 Units
Designing and implementing effective and ethical evaluation plans for assessing organizational change initiatives.
Proposal for Doctoral Dissertation | EDUC 791 | 1 Unit
Research course that focuses on the development of your dissertation in practice.
Year 3
Term 7
Implementing Organizational Change | EDUE 731 | 3 Units
Developing and implementing organizational change strategies and plans; building capacity for change; analyzing and allocating resources.
Dissertation in Practice | EDUC 764A | 1 Units
This course focuses on budget planning, research and assessing fiscal viability of a project.
Dissertation in Practice | EDUC 764B | 1 Unit
Research course that focuses on the development of your dissertation in practice.
Term 8
Leadership for Impact | EDUE 737 | 3 Units
Developing advanced leadership skills to navigate complex challenges, emphasizing ethics, equity, effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and impactful decision-making.
Dissertation in Practice | EDUC 764C | 1 Unit
Research course that focuses on the development of your dissertation in practice.
Dissertation in Practice | EDUC 764D | 1 Unit
Research course that focuses on the development of your dissertation in practice.
Lead transformational change across industries.
Change agents start here. Equip yourself to lead transformational change across industries through a multidisciplinary and impact-driven curriculum, whether you’re working in the U.S., Asia, or elsewhere.
Compare OCL Programs
Both Organizational Change and Leadership programs receive the same EdD degree. Cohorts differ only in who they are designed to serve geographically, with the International Cohort being based in Singapore.
| Details | Organizational Change and Leadership | Organizational Change and Leadership International Cohort |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Leaders who reside in the U.S. | Leaders who reside in Asia |
| Time to Completion | Full time: 3 Years Part time: 4-5 Years | Full time: 3 Years |
| Prerequisites | Entry tracks for those with or without a master’s degree | Master’s degree |
| Modalities | Online | Online |
| Course Delivery | Online, weekend courses + immersion weekend held on the USC University Park campus | Online, weekend courses (SGT) + immersion weekend held in Singapore |
| Best for | Leaders who reside in the U.S. | Leaders who reside in Asia |
| How to Apply | Use the graduate application to apply to the OCL Online Application Instructions | Use the graduate application to apply to the OCL Online Application Instructions |
| Next Steps | Request Information | Request Information |
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Organizational Change and Leadership doctoral student Zuriel Oduwole nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
The internationally lauded 23-year-old filmmaker, education advocate and policymaker came to USC to deepen her understanding of leadership and organizational change.
Start Your Application
Scholarship funding is limited. All applicants are reviewed for merit-based scholarship consideration as part of the admissions process—no separate scholarship application is required. While admission to the program does not guarantee a scholarship, applying earlier may increase your opportunity for scholarship consideration. For the Organizational Change and Leadership program, merit-based scholarships may be worth up to $10,000. Eligible applicants are awarded based on academic achievement, alignment with the USC Rossier mission, and other selection criteria. Scholarship recipients are notified at the time of admission.
Apply NowQuestions about the program?
Contact:
Estevan R. Hernandez
Senior Assistant Director, Office of Admission and Scholarships