Leadership Studies

Leadership Studies Undergraduate Minor

About the Leadership Studies Minor

Take the initiative. Stand out as a leader.

Every career field needs leaders - confident individuals who can address problems, find creative solutions and motivate others in an ever-changing world.

Explore leadership in depth, and develop the skills that every leader needs, with PennWest California's interdisciplinary minor in leadership studies.

This 21-credit, on-campus leadership studies program is open to PennWest California students in any major. The minor program consists of four required leadership courses (12 credits) plus nine credits of elective courses, so you can explore leadership issues within your area of interest.

Gain a competitive edge with a program that's valued in the workplace.

Employers seek out job candidates who have the educational tools and social skills to make a positive difference within their organizations.

This minor introduces you to leadership theories and case studies, and expands your ability to understand the dynamics of local, national and world events. Studying historical and emerging issues in leadership has both professional and personal benefits, making you a more responsible citizen of the world.

The internship required to complete the leadership studies minor provides opportunities to apply what you've learned in a real-world setting. And students in the minor program are connected to the Harry and Linda Serene Leadership Institute,  which sponsors a speaker series, leadership scholarships, internship opportunities and conferences at PennWest California.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Leadership Studies Minor

Interdisciplinary learning: Leaders are found in all career fields, making the leadership studies minor appropriate for PennWest California students in every academic discipline. Students in programs ranging from environmental science and criminal justice to psychology, sport management and political science find that leadership can be a solution to issues within their academic field. The program takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing electives from across the curriculum. Students can enter the minor program at any time.

Real-world experience: The leadership studies program and the Serene Leadership Institute work closely with the University's Internship Center and The Washington Center, which provides opportunities for students to live and work in Washington, D.C. Through the center, students have been placed in internships at the U.S. Senate, the Federal Reserve, the Kennedy Institute, the Center for Democracy and Technology, and other D.C.-area organizations. Students in the minor also can request an internship with the Serene Institute to complete their program requirements.

Learn about applying

21 
Credits required for the leadership studies minor at PennWest California.
2009 
Year the Harry and Linda Serene Leadership Institute was founded at PennWest California.
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Benefits of the Minor

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that leadership "consists of a set of skills that can be taught. … Leadership programs teach important life skills, such as introspection, cultural sensitivity, moral acuity, people skills and decision-making acumen." PennWest California's interdisciplinary leadership minor is unique within Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education.

 
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Graduate Outcomes

By examining case studies and exploring leadership theories, students learn to apply similar processes to challenges they face within their organizational environments. Many students in the leadership studies minor have gone on to graduate school. Others are working in areas such as corporate security, victim services, education and government.

 
Leadership Studies Minor in Leadership Studies
A business person leads a conference.

A program graduate says ...

"We studied different styles of leadership that help to enhance our everyday leadership strategies. Examining these different styles of leadership allow you to use the best style in any leadership situation."

- Dalton Leedy '17, political science major, leadership minor 

A portrait of a women in a business setting.

Added value

A minor in leadership studies can add to your college experience and help your resume stand out. It demonstrates your commitment to excellence and lets employers know that you are serious about advancing within your career.

Leadership Studies Courses

Curriculum
Course Credits
Required Courses 12
LEA 100  Introduction to Leadership   3
LEA 397  Internship*  3 or 6
LEA 399  Selected Topics in Leadership  3
LEA 400  Capstone: Seminar in Leadership  3
   
Leadership Electives 9
Students must select one course from each of the designated areas below, with at least two courses at the 300- or 400-level. Two of the three courses below must be outside the student’s major.  
   
Theory and Institutions Area  
BUS 342  Business/Society/Government 3
CDC 303  Organizational Com 3
CDC 330  Intro Public Relations 3
ECO 304  Money and Banking  3
FIN 311  Financial Markets and Institutions 3
GEO 360  Emergency Management 3
HIS 320  History of a Dictator 3
HON 201  Quant Problem Solving 3
HON 320  Topics in Culture and Soc 3
JUS 101  Intro to Criminal Justice 3
JUS 361  Court Systems 3
JUS 496  Criminological Theories 3
MGT 300  Principles of Management 3
MGT 301  Organizational Behavior 3
MGT 311  Organizational Theory/Design 3
POS 300  Public Policy 3
POS 306  Congress 3
POS 310  The American Presidency 3
POS 355  Public Administration 3
SOC 240  Social Institutions 3
SOC 410  Social Theory/Policy 3
WST 100  Intro to Women's Studies 3
   
Applied Area  
ARB 101/102  Elementary Arabic 3
ARB 203/204  Intermediate Arabic 3
CDC 201  Argument and Advocacy 3
CDC 230  Strategic and Prof Comm 3
CDC 320  International Comm 3
CSC 150  Intro to Database Comm 3
ECO 322  Managerial Economics 3
ECO 360  International Economics 3
FIN 301  Financial Management 3
FIN 302  Advanced Financial Management  3
TOU 330  Meetings, Expositions and Conventions Operations 3
GEO 474  Developing Master Plan 3
GMS 201  General Military Science 3
JUS 305  International Criminal Justice 3
JUS 335  Corporate Security Law 3
JUS 365  Mock Trial Concepts 3
POS 318  Parties/Groups 3
POS 319  Campaign Management  3
PSY 208  Educational Psychology 3
PSY 211  Social Psychology 3
PSY 305  Psychology of Personality 3
REC 378  Recreation/Industry Management 3
SOC 378  Charismatic Leaders 3
SOC 400  Structural and Inst Violence 3
SPN 101/102  Elementary Spanish 3
SPN 203/204  Intermediate Spanish 3
   
Ethics Area  
BUS 343  Corporate Social Resp 3
EDU 310  Teaching Multicultural Society 3
ENG 306  Press Law and Media Ethics 3
HIS 379  Special Problems in History 3
JUS 394  Problems in Policing 3
JUS 415  Multiculturalism in CRJ 3
JUS 466  Leadership and Ethics 3
JUS 470  Crimes Against Children 3
PHI 220  Ethics 3
PHI 307  Medical Ethics 3
PHI 320  Ethical Theory 3
PSY 340  Psychological Measurements 3
SOC 315  Social Minorities 3
SPT 305  Ethics in Sport 3
WST 340  Violence Against Women 3
   
Total 21

* If 6 credits of internship are completed, the student need not take LEA 399.

Program Notes: The leadership minor requires 21 credit hours, including an internship. Students must obtain permission prior to enrolling in the internship. The chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Psychology must approve course substitutions and internships.