USC Rossier expands global reach with two new doctoral cohorts for Asia's senior leaders

The region’s most ambitious educators and organisational leaders are invited to apply for USC Rossier’s Fall 2026 international cohorts — applications close 10 July 2026.

USC Rossier School of Education, one of the world’s foremost graduate schools of education and consistently recognised for producing senior leaders across education, government, and organisational sectors worldwide, has announced the launch of two new international doctoral cohorts for senior professionals across Asia. The Doctor of Education in Organisational Change and Leadership (OCL) International Cohort and the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EDL) International Cohort mark a deliberate and timely expansion of USC Rossier’s global footprint — one that positions Southeast Asia not merely as a new recruitment market, but as a source of the next generation of global leadership thinking.

Singapore’s standing as one of Asia’s most advanced knowledge economies has cultivated a professional class that is highly credential-conscious, internationally orientated, and acutely aware of the link between academic rigour and institutional impact. For Singapore’s senior professionals — many of whom are already leading the organisations and schools they seek to transform — the question has never been whether to pursue doctoral-level leadership development but whether a programme exists that is worthy of, and compatible with, the careers they have already built. USC Rossier’s expansion into the region answers that question directly.

Programme overview

Both the OCL and EDL International Cohorts are rooted in USC Rossier’s conviction that the most consequential challenges facing institutions today — in education, business, government, and beyond — require leaders equipped with research-backed frameworks, cross-sector perspectives, and the capacity to drive systemic change. The OCL International Cohort is designed for senior professionals across business, government, non-profit, and education who are leading or seeking to lead large-scale organisational transformation. The EDL International Cohort is designed specifically for practising school leaders such as principals, heads of school, and curriculum directors who are ready to lead at the governance level. Both cohorts are fully online, cohort-based, and structured to integrate with the demands of a senior professional career.

“USC is a global leader in professional doctoral education, and these Doctor of Education programmes provide world-class learning and networking for ambitious people. Our organisational change and leadership programme prepares transformational leaders who can envision a goal and motivate their team to achieve it. That programme serves professionals from a wide range of sectors such as business, government, medicine, law, the military, and — of course — education. The new cohort of International School professionals in our Ed.D. in Educational Leadership programme focuses on how schools are governed, financed, and led. The international school community extends around the world, and we are excited to serve the needs of these professionals,” said Mark Robison, Vice Dean, USC Rossier School of Education.

Programme highlights

Delivered entirely online on Saturday mornings (7:30 am–12:00 pm SGT), the OCL cohort is structured around the working week of senior professionals across Asia. Both programmes are taught by USC Rossier faculty based in the United States, ensuring participants engage directly with the school’s academic expertise and receive the same rigorous doctoral education associated with USC Rossier. The programmes are not delivered by a third-party provider. Two in-person immersive weekends in Singapore, held in Terms 1 and 5, anchor the online experience in direct peer connection, bringing the cohort together in the city that sits at the heart of the region’s professional landscape. Participants learn alongside a multi-sector cohort of peers drawn from business, government, medicine, law, the military, and education — building cross-sector networks that EDL International Cohort extends well beyond the programme itself.

The EDL International Cohort is delivered online on Saturday mornings (7:30 am–12:00 pm SGT), built around the rhythm of a school leader’s professional life. Grounded in equity and social justice, the curriculum focuses specifically on how schools are governed, financed, and led — providing a depth of institutional focus that distinguishes it from broader education leadership programmes. Coursework is designed to be immediately applicable, ensuring participants can translate academic learning directly into the institutions they lead.

"Pursuing a doctoral degree at USC Rossier was one of the most transformative decisions of my life — one I made at a pivotal moment, after selling my publicly listed company. The rigour of the programme gave me the frameworks to reflect deeply, think systematically, and lead with greater purpose. What followed speaks for itself: ventures recognised by the Financial Times as amongst the fastest-growing companies in the new economy, and co-founding Junior Achievement Singapore to equip over 20,000 young people annually with 21st-century skills. In this era, the willingness to return to learning builds the foundation of everything that comes next," said Dr Patrick Liew, USC Rossier EdD Global Executive '15.

Applications for both the OCL International Cohort and the EDL International Cohort are open now. The application deadline is 10 July 2026, with both cohorts commencing on 24 August 2026.

To learn more and begin your application, click here (OCL Programme) and here (EDL Programme).

About USC Rossier School of Education

The USC Rossier School of Education (pronounced “ross-EAR”) is part of the University of Southern California, one of the world’s leading private research universities. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, USC offers students a rich urban environment in which to learn, as well as many international opportunities for research and study. At USC, students come from all 50 states and 110 countries, including more than 5,000 international students each academic year.

At USC Rossier, they work to prepare leaders to achieve educational equity through practice, research, and policy. They work to improve learning opportunities and outcomes in urban settings and to address disparities that affect historically marginalised groups.