DHA in Operational Leadership – Quantitative Research

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Degree Level

Doctoral

Class Setting

Online

Area of Study

Business

Program

Doctor of Health Administration: Operational Leadership (Quantitative)

Current Education Level

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Citizenship Status

U.S. Citizen

Military Affiliation

No military affiliation

Country

United States

GCU alumni enrolling in a doctoral program for the first time may be eligible for a $2,000 scholarship.^§

Alumni Doctoral Degree Scholarship

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Overview

Become a Leader of Healthcare Operations

Earning a Doctor of Health Administration (DHA) in Operational Leadership can help you position yourself to be a potential leader and innovator in the field of healthcare administration. This program allows you to design innovative, quantitative approaches to healthcare operations that address efficiency, quality, safety and outcome. As a DHA learner, you will be taught the skills to apply theoretical and research knowledge to practical situations and settings in order to influence and improve existing practices and policies.

Doctor of Health Administration: Operational Leadership (Quantitative Research)

Offered By

College of Doctoral Studies

Class Settings

Online

Tuition Rate

Online: $750 per credit [More Info]

Cost of Attendance

Course Information

Credits: 60

Online: 8 weeks

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Transfer Credits

Up to 9 doctoral credits

Credits: Fill out the Lopes Eval to find out what will transfer

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements (Doctoral)

Doctoral Degree
3.4+ GPA*

OR 2.5+ Unweighted GPA and

Masters Degree
3.4 GPA**

Admission requirements may differ based on degree level, program and modality, or transfer status. Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
* Degree must be from an institutionally accredited school. Applicants with a GPA less than 3.4 may be accepted with specifications.
** Degree must be from an institutionally accredited school. Applicants with a GPA between 3.0 - 3.39 may be accepted with specifications. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 will not be accepted.

Why GCU

Choosing a Quantitative Operational Leadership DHA Degree

By pursuing GCU’s Doctor of Healthcare Administration: Operational Leadership – quantitative track, you will focus on analyzing approaches to operational leadership by interpreting numeric data. You will progress through coursework taught from the perspective of doing, with classes designed based on a quantitative research focus. In every class, you will have the opportunity to make clear steps toward the completion of the dissertation.

Coursework

Course Topics

Participating in this minimum 60-credit operational leadership program will allow you to:

Explore the basic components of quantitative research design
Study the application of technology in healthcare administration
Evaluate the strategic focus of operational leadership initiatives
Propose methods to innovate, plan and lead change in the healthcare industry

Careers

Jobs for Operational Leadership DHA Graduates

The operational leadership program strives to prepare you to continue to develop theoretical knowledge in the healthcare industry and to apply that knowledge to the improvement of practice. These proficiencies offer you the necessary skill set to drive innovation within healthcare administration and its approaches to leadership.

As a graduate of the DHA in Operational Leadership, you have the opportunity to position yourself for leadership roles in:

Health system management

Healthcare operations

Healthcare research

Health policy

Courses

Course List

Credit Summary

Major60 credits

Degree Requirements60 credits

To learn more about time to completion and the dissertation process at GCU, visit our doctoral page.

Core Courses

RES-815

3 Total Credits

Course Description

This course introduces doctoral learners to the principle elements of research, scholarly writing, and effective argumentation. Learners are made aware of the dispositions and expectations of doctoral researchers as well as the University’s overarching values and beliefs regarding research and the responsibility of scholars to contribute new knowledge to their respective fields of study. Learners begin the process of identifying a researchable dissertation topic and are acquainted with appropriate scholarly resources that support the development of the dissertation.

RES-820G

3 Total Credits

Course Description

In this course, learners are introduced to the critical reading of scholarly qualitative and quantitative literature at the doctoral level. Learners also explore the concept of synthesizing the scholarly literature to identify problems and problem spaces that emerge to form a researchable topic of study. The application of scholarly argumentation from the extant literature to defend the need for a research study is discussed.

DHA-801

3 Total Credits

DHA-802

3 Total Credits

RES-831

3 Total Credits

Course Description

In this course, learners are introduced to key components of qualitative and quantitative research designs and the means to critically appraise the application of research designs as observed in the scholarly literature. The University's core research designs are presented. Consideration is given to the initial selection and defense of a research design to address a problem that emerged from the extant literature.

RSD-851

3 Total Credits

RES-832

3 Total Credits

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to the sampling, data collection, and data analysis methods employed in qualitative and quantitative research designs. Learners explore the alignment of sampling, data collection, and data analysis methods to the research topic, research questions, and research design. The course positions learners to select qualitative or quantitative designs for their dissertation studies. Prerequisite: RES-831.

DHL-821

3 Total Credits

DHA-803

3 Total Credits

DHA-804

3 Total Credits

RES-842

3 Total Credits

RES-844

3 Total Credits

DHL-823

3 Total Credits

RSD-884

3 Total Credits

DHL-825

3 Total Credits

DHA-955

3 Total Credits

RES-874

3 Total Credits

Course Description

In this course, learners focus on data collection, data preparation and management, and the analysis of quantitative data to produce written research findings, results, and implications. Learners continue to work with their respective dissertation chairs and apply information from this course to move ahead in the dissertation process. Prerequisites: RES-844 and one of the following: DBA-955 or DIS-955 or DHA-955 or PSY-955 or PCE-955 or TLC-955.

DHA-960

3 Total Credits

RES-884

3 Total Credits

Course Description

In this course, learners focus on the interpretation of quantitative data to produce written research findings, results, and implications. Learners continue to work with their respective dissertation chairs and apply information from this course to move ahead in the dissertation process. Prerequisites: RES-874 and one of the following: DBA-960 or DIS-960 or DHA-960 or PSY-960 or PCE-960 or TLC-960.

DHA-965

3 Total Credits

Continuation Courses

The course identified above represent the minimum academic course requirements only. Most students will also need to take one or more of the following Research Continuation Courses to complete a dissertation. Research Continuation Courses are 3-credit courses charged at the standard doctoral per credit rate.

DHA-966

3 Total Credits

DHA-967

3 Total Credits

DHA-968

3 Total Credits

DHA-969

3 Total Credits

DHA-970

3 Total Credits

DHA-971

3 Total Credits

DHA-972

3 Total Credits

DHA-973

3 Total Credits

DHA-974

3 Total Credits

GCU cannot and will not promise job placement, a job, graduate school placement, transfer of GCU program credits to another institution, promotion, salary, or salary increase. Please see the Career Services Policy in the University Policy Handbook.
Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change

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^§ MOU-Alumni 2000 Doctoral-July2025: The Alumni Scholarship for Doctoral Programs is only valid for those applicants who submit a complete application and begin a Doctoral program in July 2025. This scholarship cannot be used in conjunction with any other GCU scholarship or awards and only applies to online and evening programs. Please speak to a university counselor for complete details.