Postgraduate curriculum program in leadership (PALS in advanced leadership studies + PhD in leadership and mastery of change)

Leadership Development Programmes

Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Leadership Studies (PALS)

(distance learning option).

related pages: DAL + MA

Overview Curriculum Admission Fees PhD path

PALS Curriculum

The course units are grouped into sets of four or five, each set composing a Pillar. The PALS has three Pillars (fourteen course unit requirements). (see also the Four Pillars concept on the THIERRY website). Most of the courses shown below are listed sequentially, and includes mandatory and elective courses. The student's personal curriculum is organised in accordance with the Pillar system, to include the chosen elective.

Main Curriculum and Course unit titles	Credits ^[1]	Type ^[2]	Rem. ^[3]
On Human Behaviour, Motivation, and Personality: An Introduction	7.5 / 3	Mand.
On Leaders and Followers I: Concepts and Models	7.5 / 3	Mand.
On Leaders and Followers II: Multidimensional Approaches	7.5 / 3	Mand.
On Values, Ethics, and Responsible Conduct of Leaders	7.5 / 3	Mand.
Residence Programme(s) - Local, special and/or summer courses	10 / 4	Mand.	Resid.
On Mastery of Change I: Organisational Dimensions (incl. Strategy)	7.5 / 3	Mand.
On Mastery of Change II: Individual Dimensions	7.5 / 3	Mand.
Elective course unit (supplemental, see choice list below)	7.5 / 3	Suppl.
On Adult Education (Andragogy)	7.5 / 3	Mand.
On Management and Leadership Development	7.5 / 3	Mand.
Praxis in Learning Facilitation	7.5 / 3	Mand.	Host.
On Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methodologies	7.5 / 3	Mand.
Compendium I (Specialisation re. Final Paper & post-PALS PhD focal area)	7.5 / 3	Mand.
Final Paper, INSIL Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Leadership Studies	20 / 8	Mand.
Total credits PALS program (minimum):	120 / 48

Electives (supplementary courses)	Credits ^[1]	Type ^[2]	Rem. ^[3]
On Environmental Leadership I: Realities and Approaches	7.5 / 3	Suppl.	AF
On Environmental Leadership II: A Casebook (Compendium)	7.5 / 3	Suppl.	AF
Leadership Challenges in Non-governmental Organisations	7.5 / 3	Suppl.	AF
Leadership Dimensions in Healthcare Organisations	7.5 / 3	Suppl.	AF
Servant Leadership: Concept and Applications	7.5 / 3	Suppl.
Leadership Challenges in the Information Technology Industry	7.5 / 3	Suppl.
Stress and Leadership: Mechanisms and Coping Techniques	7.5 / 3	Suppl.	AF
Mentoring Models and Techniques for Small Business Leaders	7.5 / 3	Suppl.	AF
Self-leadership: A Personal Model and its Applications	7.5 / 3	Suppl.	AF
Leadership Communication in Public Organisations	7.5 / 3	Suppl.	AF
Leadership and Natural Environment: Ethical and Legal Implications	7.5 / 3	Suppl.	AF
Imagination, Creativity and Vision: Assessing Leadership Responsibilities	7.5 / 3	Suppl.	Cap.
Crisis Leadership: Time Dim., Human Challenges, and Impact Management	7.5 / 3	Suppl.	Cap.
Compendium II (second specialisation, re. post-PALS PhD twin focus)	7.5 / 3	Suppl.
Compendium II (second specialisation, re. post-PALS PhD twin focus)	7.5 / 3	Suppl.

PhD stage (= Pillar 4). Process may vary if PhD is undertaken at another institution; see PhD path)

Doctoral Thesis Research Topic (subtopic) #1
Doctoral Thesis Research Topic (subtopic) #2
Doctoral Thesis Research Topic (subtopic) #3
Doctoral Thesis Research Topic (subtopic) #4
Completion of doctoral thesis, manuscript review
Oral defense of thesis (viva voce)		Viva
Minimum thesis ^[4] credits:	60 / 24
Total credits PALS + PhD combined (minimum):	180 / 72

^[1]Credits are shown in both the ECTS and US credit systems

^[2]Mand. : Mandatory course / Suppl.: Supplemental course (extra-curricular elective)

^[3]Resid: residence / Host: at host-institution(s) / AF: contingent on faculty approval / Cap: president's course

^[4]The terms Thesis and (doctoral) Dissertation are used interchangeably

In the PALS curriculum all courses are completed one by one, but all of the units are interlaced with each other (in accordance with the applications of the Leaderduct concept in the L-Vortex pedagogical system of the THIERRY programmes). The list of PALS course units shown above is applicable since 2010 for all new admitted students.

Three to five PALS course units are expected to be completed per year (12 months). The completion of the entire PALS curriculum requires 3 ½ years of part-time study. The subsequent PhD stage takes 1 ½ to 2 ½ years (depending on part- and/or full time allocation for research, the related supervision, and the thesis preparation).

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Further source reference information about the Ph.D. programs on the THIERRY website:

Introduction Specifications Approach Pillars PhD path Thesis

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This page was last updated on: 1 January 2012