Skip navigation
An alumnus with a colleague: Pursue a Doctor of Strategic Leadership DSL degree at Regent University.

DSL – Strategic Leadership

Take Your Organization to the Next Level

You want to do more than lead organizations—you’re ready to transform them. Our Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) degree program with a concentration in Strategic Leadership emphasizes communication, leadership, structure, team building, and cultural understanding from a Christian perspective. Through this terminal professional degree, you can become grounded in theory and practical components essential to organizational success. There are no GMAT/GRE requirements. Experience a transformative DSL degree program.

Online w/ Residency
51
January 13, 2025
Download PDF

Careers | Courses | Other Concentrations | Admissions | Tuition

MASTER THE MECHANICS OF LEADERSHIP

Explore sociology, psychology, theology, and theory to lead and transform organizations.

EXCEL IN ADMINISTRATION

Understand the intricacies of organizational assessment, organizational change, and how to lead strategic initiatives.

BECOME A VISIONARY

Monitor and assess organizations’ skills to innovate learning environments that continually increase effectiveness and efficiency. Our award-winning faculty can bring out your inner leader, from performing expert analyses to mentoring teams through change.

ALIGN YOURSELF WITH EXCELLENCE THROUGH A DSL DEGREE PROGRAM

Regent has been ranked among Top National Universities by the U.S. News & World Report for four years (2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023). Our programs have also been recognized among the Top 5 Best Graduate Online Business (Non-MBA) Programs in Virginia for 9 consecutive years (2015-23). Experience the Regent difference through the Doctor of Strategic Leadership program.

Please complete the Request Information form on this page to learn more about this program.

After completing the DSL in Strategic Leadership degree online, you can:

  • Evaluate and provide advice on succession planning to client organizations.
  • Assess organizational life cycles and determine new avenues for spiritual, mental, and physical leadership development and renewal.
  • Understand how to move a product from idea through development to marketplace introduction and success.
  • Explain the biblical foundations, perspectives, and examples of servant leadership—and apply them in a contemporary world.
  • Elevate individuals, teams, and systems to their God-given potential.

Career Opportunities

  • Corporate, Military & Government Consulting
  • Executive Leadership for Business, Nonprofits, Educational Institutions, Government Agencies & the Military
$127Thousand
Mean annual wage for top executives U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019
Featured Courses
LDSL 734Learning Organizations3
Theoretical and practical underpinnings of various types of learning environments.
LDSL 735Design Thinking3
Development of practical alternate solutions to a specific problem, fully using individual and group capabilities as well as ideas from employees, customers, vendors, and the general public.
LDSL 736Venture Development3
Engages requirements for moving a product from idea through development to marketplace introduction and success.
LDSL 737Change Management3
Understanding change, the change process, resistance to change, change readiness, and the role of a leader as change catalyst.

2024-25 Semester Check-In Deadlines

All students are expected to check-in for the semester two weeks before the session start date. Students should apply, be accepted, enroll in their first courses, and confirm a plan to pay for their courses prior to this date.

SessionSemester Check-InSession Start Date
Session AFriday, August 9Monday, August 19
Session MFriday, September 6Monday, September 16
Session BFriday, October 11Monday, October 21
Session CWednesday, January 8Monday, January 13
Session TFriday, January 31Monday, February 10
Session DFriday, March 7Monday, March 17
Session EFriday, May 2Monday, May 12
Session FFriday, June 13Monday, June 23

Admissions Requirements

Step 1: Apply to Regent University

Submit your application using the Regent University Online Application.

Note: If you are unable to complete our application due to a disability, please contact our Admissions Office at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu and an admissions representative will provide reasonable accommodations to assist you in completing the application.

Step 2: Submit Your Unofficial Transcripts

Submit your unofficial transcripts to regent.edu/items.

Upon submitting your application, you will receive an email requesting authorization for Regent University to obtain your official transcripts from your U.S. degree-granting institution. International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES, AACRAO or NAFSA approved agency.

Step 3: Submit Your Government-Issued ID

To ensure academic integrity, Regent University requires a copy of a government-issued ID. Please submit a scanned copy or photograph of it to regent.edu/items.


Please feel free to contact the Office of Admissions at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu should you have any further questions about the application process.

Note: All items submitted as part of the application process become the property of Regent University and cannot be returned.

PART-TIME STUDENTS

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Arts (MA) / Master of Science (MS)$6956$4,170
Master of Business Administration (MBA)$6956$4,170
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)$1,0203$3,060
Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership (PhD)$1,0203$3,060
Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL)$1,0203$3,060

Full-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Arts (MA) / Master of Science (MS)$6959$6,255
Master of Business Administration (MBA)$6959$6,255
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)$1,0206$6,120
Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership (PhD)$1,0206$6,120
Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL)$1,0206$6,120

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$850 (Fall & Spring)
$700 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

Part-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Arts (MA) / Master of Science (MS)$6956$4,170
Master of Business Administration (MBA)$6956$4,170
Doctor in Business Administration (DBA)$1,0203$3,060
Doctor of Philosophy in Business (PhD)$1,0203$3,060
Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership (PhD)$1,0203$3,060
Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL)$1,0203$3,060

Full-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Arts (MA) / Master of Science (MS)$6959$6,255
Master of Business Administration (MBA)$6959$6,255
Doctor in Business Administration (DBA)$1,0206$6,120
Doctor of Philosophy in Business (PhD)$1,0206$6,120
Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership (PhD)$1,0206$6,120
Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL)$1,0206$6,120

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$850 (Fall & Spring)
$700 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

*Rates are subject to change at any time.

TITLE IV LOANS: If students are receiving Title IV Federal Student Loans, they are permitted to enroll in the same course number a maximum of only two semesters. Therefore, doctoral students are encouraged to carefully plan the dissertation/final project stage of their program.

The School of Business & Leadership is committed to the historical foundations of the doctoral degree in which a community of scholars is created among faculty mentors and student scholars. Regent University mirrors this historical tradition by using student cohorts, intensive online residencies and a variety of interactive discussion modes that extend beyond topical course discourse.

The Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) program in the School of Business & Leadership includes two required residencies, held virtually. The first residency covers program orientation and guidelines, the library use course (UNIV LIB Information Research & Resources) as well as class instruction for the first two courses of the core curriculum. The second residency focuses on class instruction for the courses to be taken in the semester as well as doctoral program requirements such as the Final Project.

View upcoming residency dates, registration and lodging details.

“It has been a wonderful privilege to have a small investment in the life of a student in the DSL program. Being involved in the mentoring program has been a way for me to express my gratitude for the investment Regent made in my life. I have benefitted so much from the mentoring program; the resources from the Executive Mentor Program have been invaluable for me in the college where I serve as Executive VP.”

Paul Holritz, Ph.D. Organizational Leadership, 2009 Executive Mentor

“To the Big Four firm who insisted I'd need to drop out of my Regent doctoral program: I decided not to drop out. I completed my program (4.0 GPA), started my own firm and added multimillion-dollar organizations to my portfolio.”

Marissa Layton, Doctor of Strategic Leadership, 2020 Business Coach

“The focus on Christian values and principles adds depth to the whole area of organizational leadership … when you bring it into the context of the church, into the context of Christ working in us as leaders, then we are more able to take on the character of Christ in the leadership environment.”

Frederick Kawuma, Ph.D., 2016

“Regent's program resonated with me because it's about servant leadership and mentoring and coaching. That is so important. At the end of the day, it's about the legacy you leave behind.”

Kelly Tanner, DSL, 2017 Dental Hygienist

“I am proud to say that I finished my degree with a 3.94 GPA while working full time. Hard work pays off!”

Holly Leppert, M.A. in Organizational Leadership – Not-for-Profit Leadership, 2020 Administrative Assistant, Marymount University