Academic Programs and Services

Leadership Studies Certificate

The certificate program in Leadership Studies provides a coherent array of courses for the development of leadership knowledge and skills. The program provides valuable instruction for leaders and potential leaders among current students and other citizens who are members of neighborhood, civic, arts, and community professions.

This program allows for six credits of elective study through which students may specialize in specific areas of leadership. For students so specializing, the six credits will come from guided electives to be selected by participating departments and programs at the College.

Students successfully completing the 33 credits of work required to earn the certificate in Leadership Studies may elect to continue their education, earning the A. A. degree in Liberal Arts after completing 28 additional course hours as stipulated.

Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this program graduates will be able to:

• Develop greater insight into their past and present experiences as followers and leaders, and into their own leadership strengths, tendencies and aspirations.
• Communicate effectively through oral and written means, including supportive and critical listening, group decision making, public speaking and producing essays, research papers, press releases, grant proposals, and other written forms.
• Demonstrate ability to compare and apply major leadership theories, as well as models, styles and practices of leadership that are effective in civic, professional, business, political and other kinds of organizations.
• Understand how perceptions of race, ethnicity, class, gender and other significant social differences affect organizations and communities, and how leadership can help people modify faulty perceptions and bridge differences.
• Demonstrate enhanced ability to create or improve an organization through the use of mission statements, committee and/or team work, productive meetings, effective planning and delegation, accountability and conflict management.

Program Entry Requirements:
This program is open to interested students, assuming space is available. However, new students are normally required to take the College’s placement tests at their time of entry. Students identified as needing developmental course work must satisfactorily complete the appropriate developmental English and mathematics courses in addition to the college-level courses required by this certificate program. Students earning an Associate’s degree who have already taken the required English, math, and computer information systems courses of the program may add the Leadership certificate by taking the six credits of core leadership courses and meeting all other requirements for the certificate. It is highly recommended that new college students entering the Leadership Studies certificate program take the Freshman Orientation Seminar, FOS 101.

Program of Study and Graduation Requirements:
To complete the program successfully, students must finish the 33 credits of study with a grade point average of at least 2.0.

Download a printable degree description (PDF File) that includes a recommended course sequence grid.