Degree Description

Organizations around the world in various domains like education, business, civil society, and government are challenged by unprecedented complexity. What is demanded of organizational leaders now is often far beyond their current capabilities. Meridian's Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership has been developed to respond to this capability gap. The curriculum design enables students to cultivate an ecology of competencies in support of their own capabilities as leaders, as well as in coaching other leaders and consulting with teams and organizations. Students in this program work with faculty who are highly skilled practitioners and are deeply engaged in transformative projects.

At A Glance

"Any real change implies the breakup of the world as one has always known it, the loss of all that gave one identity."

—James Baldwin

Educational Objectives

1. To cultivate leadership capacities that promote creative and cultural transformation within organizations.
2. To develop creative inquiry skills that promote innovation in organizations.
3. To develop competencies required to facilitate transformative learning with an understanding of human development across multiple domains of practice and levels of human systems.
4. To develop research competencies required to lead cultural and social transformation in service of regenerating the local and global commons.
5. To develop competencies required to design curricula with transformative assessments and lead educational organizations and initiatives at a local and global scale.

Graduation Requirements

• Students are required to complete 92 coursework credits (920 hours).
• Students are required to attend 5 intensives. Each intensive can be residential or virtual.
• Students are expected to complete a Creative Action Project (capstone).
• The completion of an original research Dissertation is required.
• Students have a maximum of eight years from their initial date of enrollment to complete this degree.

Admission Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree is required for admission to Meridian's graduate degree programs.
• Students submit an online application form along with documents such as official transcripts, a personal statement, and letters of recommendation. The Admissions Committee reviews all applications and invites select applicants to proceed to an interview. More information is available on the Application Process page.
• All students are expected to be proficient in the English language as all instruction at Meridian is offered in English.

Academic Structure

Meridian’s academic structure gives students the flexibility to navigate the University’s curricular architecture in ways that match their passions, professional goals, and other life commitments.

The structure is designed to serve a diverse student body, who live around the globe, have varied cultural and clinical visions for their careers, and are at different stages in their professional journey.

Students enroll in a degree program, can elect a concentration, and register for one or multiple courses each quarter. In addition to core courses for the specific degree program and anchor courses that represent the Transformative Learning intent of Meridian’s curriculum, students select elective courses that align with their Meridian concentration, background, and career path.

Learning Formats

Hybrid Format

Meridian’s hybrid learning format combines online courses with onsite weeklong residential intensives. The hybrid learning format is designed to enable students to pursue their graduate education at a flexible pace, combining asynchronous coursework via the University’s custom social learning platform, Pivot, live course video calls with faculty, synchronous student community engagement, and one-week residential intensives. By combining innovative online education methodologies with rich video calls and deep residential connections, the hybrid format enables students to contribute locally and perceive globally.

Each quarter, students take one or multiple seven-week online courses. This schedule provides students with time between quarters to rest, engage, and prepare. Additionally, students attend at least two weeklong onsite residential intensives per academic year. Intensives run Monday through Friday throughout the year, with residential intensives taking place at Meridian’s Bay Area Center and other globally distributed locations.

Online Format

In Meridian's online learning format, students can complete 100% of their coursework degree requirements online. Virtual intensives are also available for students who choose not to travel to residential intensives. Students can select intensive dates, locations, and formats based on their personal circumstances and professional aspirations.

Accreditation and Financial Aid

Meridian University is a degree-granting higher education institution accredited by the Senior Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). As an accreditor, WASC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. WASC is also an accreditor of the University of California, Berkeley, UCLA, and Stanford University.

Meridian is approved by the U.S. Department of Education for participation in the Federal Student Aid programs as well as by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs for the training of veterans and other eligible persons.

The University is approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide form I-20 to eligible international students, enabling travel to and stay in the United States.

Meridian offers institutional financial aid to qualified international students.