Doctor of Professional Practice in Global Leadership and Management

Location:

Online

Start dates:

Aug

Overview

Thunderbird School of Global Management has developed a unique and first of its kind program, the Doctor of Professional Practice (DPP) in Global Leadership and Management. Designed to prepare practitioners who are responsive to the opportunities and challenges presented by this unprecedented time of rapid disruption, this program prepares leaders from across industries and sectors and is available online from anywhere in the world. ASU Sync provides students with technology-enhanced, fully interactive remote learning with classes delivered online. This format provides working professionals the greatest convenience and flexibility while still benefiting from the live delivery of courses provided by Thunderbird’s world-class faculty.

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36-48 months

Duration

Minimum years of experience

Degree earned

Doctor of Professional Practice (DPP)

Who should attend?

Organization and industry practitioners seeking to develop their leadership and management capabilities to help organizations transform.

Individuals serving as faculty or trainers in organizations and institutions seeking to advance the development of their leadership and management knowledge application and expertise.

Curriculum

Core curriculum

This program will offer opportunities for integrating and customizing the course of study depending on student objectives. The 60-credit program includes 45 credits from DPP courses and 15 transfer credits obtained through a Masters' degree. Of these 45 DPP course credits, 18 come from required Thunderbird core courses, 9 hours from graduate-level electives with DPP Faculty and other ASU unit approval, 15 credit hours of required research courses, as well as 3 credit hours of a required culminating experience. The program will use synchronous approaches, including pro-seminars, colloquia, and flipped classroom delivery, with asynchronous content discussion and application.

Term	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3
Fall A	TGM 705 Philosophies, Theories and Methods of Research	TGM 715 The Dynamics of Global Markets and Policy or TGM 730 System Change and Transformation	TGM 792 Research: Project Validation
Fall B	TGM 740 Leading and Managing Global Organizations: Advanced Topics	Elective	TGM 792 Research: Applied Field Research
Spring A	TGM 745 Data Analysis for Global Leaders	Elective	TGM 792 Research: Applied Project Draft
Spring B	TGM 720 Qualitative Analysis for Systems Thinkers: Learning from the Field	Elective	TGM 792 Research: Applied Project Refinement
Summer	TGM 710 Shaping the Future: Digital Transformation in a Global Economy	TGM 790 Reading and Conference: Problem Identification, Research Design and Review of Literature	TGM 793 Applied Project – Final Project & Oral Presentation

Explore doctoral applied projects

The Doctor of Professional Practice program curriculum culminates in an applied project that addresses real challenges facing organizations and communities around the world.

Browse completed projects to see the breadth of work and research across industries and global contexts.

View projects

2026-27 Program calendar

Class schedule

Course	Course Name	Weekend 1	Weekend 2	Weekend 3	Weekend 4
Orientation		August 20
Fall 2026
TGM 705	Philosophies, Theories and Methods of Research	August 21, 22, 23	September 11, 12, 13	September 25, 26, 27	October 9, 10, 11
TGM 740	Leading and Managing Global Organizations	October 23, 24, 25	November 6, 7, 8	November 20, 21, 22	December 4, 5, 6
Spring 2027
TGM 720	Qualitative Analysis for Systems Thinkers: Learning from the Field	January 15, 16, 17	January 29, 30, 31	February 12, 13, 14	February 26, 27, 28
TGM 745	Data Analysis for Global Leaders	March 19, 20, 21	April 2, 3, 4	April 16, 17, 18	April 30, May 1, 2
Summer 2027
TGM 710	Shaping the Future: Digital Transformation in a Global Economy	May 14, 15, 16	May 28, 29, 30	Jun 11, 12, 13	Jun 25, 26, 27

Financial aid and costs

There are many different options available to help you finance your education at Thunderbird. More than 96% of Thunderbird students receive financial assistance through loans, scholarships, or other awards. Arizona State University's Financial Aid team works with you hand-in-hand to find the financing solutions for your unique situation.

Scholarships are available for this program.

Program costs

Over 96% of Thunderbird students receive financial assistance.

*Fees	USD$
Application fee (domestic)	$70
Application fee (international)	$115
Program deposit	$250
Program cost (per credit)	$2,592
Program cost - 45 credits	$116,640
Program cost - 60 credits	$155,520

*Tuition rates are based on 2026-2027 tuition which is subject to change.

DPP Information Session

06/12/26
8:00 am - 9:00 am
MST

Info session

Program FAQ

This program is not eligible for F1 visa issuance.

The DPP’s ASU Sync is delivered fully online with synchronous classes held every other Friday, Saturday and Sundays. Classes are not held in person.

Graduates of Thunderbird’s Doctorate of Professional Practice will not receive a Ph.D.

ASU Sync

ASU Sync provides students with technology-enhanced, fully interactive remote learning with classes delivered live online. This format provides working professionals the greatest convenience and flexibility while still benefiting from the live delivery of courses by Thunderbird's world-class faculty.

A Thunderbird students participates in an online learning course on her taptop

Application requirements

Graduate admissions application and application fee
Personal statement
Official transcripts
Professional resume
Two letters of recommendation
Select interview(s) with Thunderbird faculty and staff
Proof of English proficiency

Applicants to the DPP program are expected to have earned an accredited master’s degree. Exceptional individuals with a bachelor’s degree may also be considered.
Applicants should possess a global perspective and a desire for an applied focus in their program. This information should be reflected in their application personal statement.
Eight years of senior-level work experience is preferred for admission to the program. This information should be reflected in the applicant's professional resume.
Although students holding degrees in any field may be accepted, all applications are reviewed to ensure that students have the optimal academic background required to be productive in the program. Deficiency courses may be added if the committee deems this necessary for student success.

*15 credit hours from an accredited masters program, graduate certificate, or graduate level course work are required and must be approved as part of acceptance into the program.

Applicants are required to meet certain English proficiency standards for acceptance. If your English proficiency scores are below acceptance standards, you may be required to take pre-degree English instruction to ensure you meet the level of English proficiency needed to succeed in your graduate studies. Learn more. View the minimum and direct entry scores here.

Application deadlines

The DPP offers three application deadlines. Applicants are encouraged to apply by the priority decision deadline of January 30 in order to receive priority admission and scholarship consideration. Two additional deadlines are offered as well.

Deadline

Dates

August start

Early consideration

October 30

First-round

November 30

Second-round

January 30

Third-round deadline

March 30

Final deadline

July 30

Mary Teagarden

Executive Director and Professor of Global Strategy

Lena Booth

Deputy Dean, Thunderbird Academic Enterprise and Finance Professor

Mansour Javidan

Najafi Chair Professor in Global Mindset and Digital Transformation and Executive Director of Najafi Global Mindset Institute

Seigyoung Auh

Professor of Global Marketing

Charla Griffy-Brown

Director General, Dean, and Professor of Global Digital Transformation

Joshua Ault

Assistant Professor of Global Management

Monica Kerretts-Makau

Professor of Practice

Marco Serrato

Vice President Learning Enterprise

Christine Pearson

Professor of Global Leadership

Apply to this program

Why Thunderbird for a degree?

Thunderbird is a global network of future-ready leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs innovating across the private and public sectors to advance inclusive and sustainable prosperity worldwide.

Learn More

Image of an Undergraduate student wearing headphones and smiling up at the camera while holding a tablet.

"My DPP experience at Thunderbird has been a transformative journey—grounded in systems thinking, strategic innovation, and global leadership. The program's high-tech, high-touch approach equipped me to navigate complexity with clarity and purpose, translating cutting-edge theory into practical solutions that drive meaningful change across industries and sectors."

— Jarrod Combs-Harris, HR Consulting Executive, Accenture

"What inspires me most in consulting is the opportunity to help leaders turn vision into reality — building solutions that are both deeply human and strategically sound."

— Sara Zaini, Partner, Global Consulting Firm

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