| Foreword | Approach| Pillars | Modes | Curriculum | Admission | Tuition fees | Doctoral track | PhD Thesis |

Twin Curriculum: Postgraduate Diploma Programme in Advanced Leadership Studies, 

and the PhD Degree Programme in Leadership (and Mastery of Change)

Pragmatic learning approach

Kurt Lewin, whom in the second half of the 20th century gained notoriety with his groundbreaking action research, stated: "Research that produces nothing but books will not suffice". Four hundred and fifty years earlier Leonardo Da Vinci wrote: "All knowledge is vain if it is not borne by experience". At our graduate school  knowledge research entails that it should be of real practical use in the daily work and life of a leader, leadership consultant, or educator. The valuing of relevant experience is also earmarked by the willingness of thoughtful knowledge sharing with other persons. The combination of knowledge, research, experience, and creative abilities, leads to a form of expertise. Expertise in leadership is an art, a craftsmanship. It takes many years to master the art, probably a lifetime, whether one is a leader-educator, an action-leader, a thought leader, or a combination of these life-roles.

Career, study, and Twin Curriculum framework. 

In line with the programme's aims and learning approach it is expected that the participants pursue an active professional life, in which adequate space and sufficient time is made available for study. The e-coached distance learning version of the programme is the preferred one, combined with (at least) one residential requirement (two week Summer institute). The framework of the Twin PALS + PhD curriculum is divided into four pillars (course categories) . The vortex is the postgraduate curriculum composed of a flow-array of courses, and ending with a comprehensive Essay requirement. it is equivalent to a comprehensive examination, as it partly encapsulates the components of the core-curriculum. The fourth or field-project (FP) pillar relates to the PhD specifically. The components of the FP, which are defined by the doctoral candidate, focus on action-leadership or leadership education (development) in a given profesioonal environment. The thesis (doctoral dissertation), as it emerges from the field project, overarches the entire postgraduate twin curriculum (or at a later stage, when attending the single i.o. the dual track curriculum.  

Field project and focal areas (specialisation)

In the fourth pillar, and typical of the THIERRY approach in doctoral thesis preparation, there are four main themes or focal areas that are of specific interest and use to the doctoral candidate. (depending on the institution where the PhD thesis takes place, another research framework could however apply). In line with our graduate school's genuine interdisciplinary approach, the doctorate specialisations focus on the leadership and the change dimensions that are found in various professional fields. For instance in:

·  Organisational Development and Human Dynamics;

·  Corporate Strategy and Business Policy;

·  Public Policy, Systems, and Structures;  

·  Executive Coaching and Mentoring:

·  Environment, Ecology and Sustainability;

·  Education and Educational Institutions;

·  Ethics, Morality and Organisational Conduct;

·  Entrepreneurship and Project Implementation;

·  Cross-cultural Communication and Teambuilding;

·  Health Care Environments and Education;

·  Non-governmental Organisations (NGO)

·  Virtual Environments and e-Coaching (e-leadership); ...

Course flow, pedagogy, language, and research

The Twin Curriculum of PALS+PhD programme, starts off with the postgraduate (PALS) curriculum. All of the course materials and examinations are in English, also the common language for the e-coaching and the summer residential module. In some cases the e-coaching can also be offered in French, German, or Dutch.    As a whole, the flow of both the twin and single track curricula contains "conventional" learning (cognitive) methods, as well as non-linear and non-sequential ("non-rational") thought, learning, and development processes. The curriculum includes selected portions of Enguerran's Odyssey, a multidisciplinary resource (in history, sciences, arts, technology, ...) which supports the broadening or stretching of the learner-leader's intellectual, emotional, and intuitive spectra (or "thinking out of the box"). 

Next page in the flow, go to   Four Pillars

| Foreword | Approach | Pillars | Modes |  Curriculum | Admission |Tuition fees |  Doctoral track | PhD Thesis |

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