Why study Leading People
The program will appeal to students with academic, civic, and professional interests in leadership and related topics. Students with backgrounds in for-profit, non-profit, civic, and military leadership realms might be especially interested.
A particular type of student who would find this program of interest is the student who has already earned an Associates degree (Applied or other) in an area such as Business or Office Administration. The Leadership Science Bachelors with either of the two Concentrations would position the student to advance their career within their current organization or industry. The Bachelors degree would serve as a complement to the Associates degree, not a redundancy.
Students looking for a grounding in the social sciences in preparation for graduate work may also find this of interest.
The program combines theory, research, and practice to equip current and future leaders.
The program is positioned as trail-blazing within the emerging Leadership discipline. The Seemiller model of student leadership development (Corey Seemiller, 2013) serves as the basis for the design of the Leadership Science Major. The two Concentrations further allow the student to pursue the avenue of most interest to them – a focus on leading in either the people or operations area.
The Bachelor of Sciences degree with a major in Leadership Science was developed around a conceptual model of leader development that is grounded in the social and behavioral sciences. The majors consists of two components- a major core and a concentration. The major core seeks to develop in all students a set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to such topics as organizational ethics, cultural diversity, organizational behavior, communications, and strategic planning as these topics relate to leadership. In addition, students will develop the ability to consume primary research articles for insights on leader effectiveness. Lastly, students will have the opportunity to learn more about their own leadership potential and areas of self-development. The department offers two concentrations withing the major in Leadership Science - Leading Operations and Leading People.
The Leading People concentration consists of courses designed to present students with content and insights related to leading individuals and teams in organizations. Students will be expose to foundational leadership concepts and an in-depth treatment of such topics of team-building, judgement and decision making, and leadership and the uses of power.
Completion of the program positions the student for a variety of leadership opportunities in for profit, non-profit, governmental, and military realms. Also, students are well-positioned to continue on to graduate programs in relevant fields including leadership, social sciences, business, and law.
Faculty include full-time and adjunct instructors with academic and/or professional backgrounds in leadership and related areas.
What Will I Learn
- Development of critical thinking skills.
- Professional development in the Leadership area.
- Grounding in the areas including strategic planning, organizational dynamics, ethics, diversity, professional communication, and research within the Leadership discipline.
Sample Course Plan and General Education Requirements
Leading People Sample 4 Year Plan