Stockton University announced on April 8 that its doctorate in Organization Leadership, launched a decade ago, has grown to attract professionals from a range of fields beyond education.
The program’s broad appeal highlights the increasing demand for leadership skills across industries. Sequetta Sweet, chair of the Ed.D. program, said, “In every organization — in schools, churches, the military, law enforcement, social work, health care and, of course, K-12 and higher education — effective leaders are required to make change and to make those organizations successful. And that’s the beauty of this degree.”
While many New Jersey institutions offer advanced degrees in educational leadership, Stockton’s program is designed for leaders from various sectors. Brian McBride, superintendent of Monroe Township schools and a graduate from 2019, said he chose Stockton because he wanted exposure to professionals outside school administration. “As a school superintendent… you are actually running a large organization where you have personnel that work in operations, governance and law. I have 1,000 employees who work for me,” McBride said.
Tamica Williams enrolled last year as part of her career in child welfare leadership. She described herself as a “lifelong learner” who values learning alongside peers from different professions. “I am fascinated by the theoretical frameworks used in organizational settings,” Williams said. She added that Stockton provides “a safe environment for learning and networking and it fosters growth beyond the classroom.” Williams praised her small cohort for its camaraderie: “We challenge each other’s thoughts and perspectives and hold each other accountable.”
Sweet explained that students participate both online and through an annual week-long session at Atlantic City campus focused on creativity and innovation: “It was an intentional decision for the degree program to not be all online.” McBride also noted how his dissertation allowed him to address real-world issues at work: “One of the things that I learned is that the role of a leader is to make other leaders… My leadership team is no longer hierarchical.”
To mark its tenth anniversary this year, Stockton will host an event featuring alumni presentations on April 14 at its Noyes Arts Garage in Atlantic City.
Looking ahead, Sweet said possible changes include adding microcredentials or specialized tracks such as higher education leadership or integrating artificial intelligence into coursework: “It’s important that we teach and help students understand that you can use AI as a thought partner… One of the aspects of authentic leadership is transparency.”
