Interdisciplinary Leadership Minor

The minor combines theory and practice. The minor helps students develop skills they need for leading people and organizations, and for reassessing, growing, and adapting their leadership style and philosophy as they work with different groups, institutions, and professional settings over the course of their careers and lives. Our minor is interdisciplinary and supplements the intellectual depth our students acquire in a major field by giving them a knowledge base concerning leadership so they can project and deploy their liberal arts academic training through work, civic engagement, and personal life.

Leadership Minor Curriculum

Students who wish to complete the Leadership Minor must

Complete 6 credits from the “Leadership & Human Behavior” category (below) and
Complete 6 credits from the “Leadership: Context and Application” category (below) and
Complete a 4000 level, cross-listed Leadership Practicum course (NOTE: students must complete at least 3 classes/9 credits in the Minor before taking the Practicum course) and
Complete no more than six credits in any one discipline (as identified by a unique Prefix) not including the Practicum.

Leadership Practicum (COMM4905/GOVT4905/PSYC4905)*

This capstone course provides students with the opportunity to integrate their prior course work and apply it to practice as they engage in leadership in a setting selected with their faculty supervisor. By the end of the course, students will complete a hands-on leadership experience, applying their coursework and creating a final project such as a paper, journal, or portfolio. Students will practice their leadership skills in one of the following settings:

Internship in a community-based or other organization
Service-learning in a nonprofit organization
A leadership role in a campus organization
Some other suitable setting identified in consultation with the supervising faculty member.

Notes:

This course will be cross-listed in COMM, GOVT, AND PSYC
Students must complete at least 3 classes/9 credits in the Minor before taking the Practicum course

Elective Leadership Electives: Course Categories**

In addition to the required Practicum, students completing the minor must complete 6 credits from each of these two categories (A & B) for a total of 12 credits:

Category B: Context and Application courses

GOVT2400 Political Ethics
GOVT2300 Citizenship, Service & Civic Education
GOVT2071 Gender and Public Policy
GOVT3123 Democratic Erosion
GOVT3250 Racial Justice & Social Policy
MGMT3620 Leadership & Personal development
PADM1115 Latino Leadership Seminar (1 credit)
PADM1116 Latino Promise Leadership Seminar II (1 credit)
PADM1117 Sophomore Latino Leadership Seminar I (1 credit)
PADM1119 Junior Latino Leadership Seminar I (1 credit)
PADM4564 Managing Culture, Diversity, and Change in Global Organizations
PADM4545 Effective Risk Management for Leadership
PADM4598 Public Policy for Not-for-Profit Organizations

*NOTE: Students who wish to complete the Interdisciplinary Leadership Minor can take an Independent Study as a substitute for the Leadership Practicum while we build a sufficient number of students to offer the Practicum on a regular basis.

**NOTE: Other courses will be accepted as substitutions or waivers upon the approval of the Leadership Minor Chair or Co-Chairs.