Leadership Development Minor
Why the Leadership Development Minor?
Numerous industry articles from USA Today, Time Magazine, Monster, and Forbes, as well as research published in the Harvard Business Review and the Academy of Management point to the importance of leadership and soft skills in the workforce. Those articles also point to an increasing shortage of these fundamental skills from recent college graduates across the United States.
The Leadership Development Minor, one of the largest minors on LSU’s campus, addresses this growing concern. Utilizing several validated assessments; our students learn not only the science of effective leadership but also have the opportunity to apply those skills in our capstone internship course. Whether you’re studying Environmental Engineering, Journalism, or Accounting, LSU’s School of Leadership and Human Resource Development can provide the student with the tools they will need to successfully navigate an ever changing workforce.
Overview of the Leadership Development Minor
The Leadership Development Minor is available to ANY undergraduate student at LSU. The leadership skills developed in this minor are applicable to any profession and any context including business, government, non-profits, healthcare, politics and churches.
The minor consists of three components totaling 15 semester hours:
- Leadership core courses – 9 hours
- Leadership internship – 3 hours
- Leadership electives – 3 hours
The 6 hours of electives allow students to utilize a variety of electives from around campus to supplement the core curricula. The electives also allow them to take courses within their major curricula that are appropriate for a leadership development minor. We will collaborate with any department that has suitable elective courses so the minor will work for their students.
The leadership development internship provides a strong mechanism for integrating academic coursework with practical leadership experience. The overarching goal of the internship is to encourage students to obtain meaningful and realistic experiences in which they take on the roles and responsibilities of leadership. The nature of the internship can be quite varied including paid or unpaid positions with placements on-campus or off campus. The most acceptable internship positions are perhaps those that relate to a student’s major, career interests, or goals and that promise to be challenging in terms of difficulty and responsibility. Internship credit is not available for an experience that has occurred in the past or in a self-employed internship position.
Sample Syllabus for the Leadership Development Internship
Required Courses
The minor consists of three components totaling 15 semester hours:
- Leadership core courses – 9 hours (LHRD 2723, LHRD 3723, LHRD 4723) or (LHRD 2724, LHRD 3724, LHRD 4724)
- Leadership internship – 3 hours (LHRD 4804)
- Leadership electives – 3 hours
LHRD 2723 – Introduction to Leadership Development (3) An introduction to leadership and leadership development. Emphasis is placed on students understanding their personal traits, values, characteristics and developmental tasks as a foundation for leadership development.
LHRD 2724 – Introduction to Leadership Development (3) Honors An introduction to leadership and leadership development. Emphasis is placed on students understanding their personal traits, values, characteristics and developmental tasks as a foundation for leadership development.
LHRD 3723 – Leadership Concepts and Principles (3) This course is a survey course of leadership theory, concepts and research. Emphasis will be on understanding the foundational concepts of modern leadership.
LHRD 3724 – Leadership Concepts and Principles (3) Honors This course is a survey course of leadership theory, concepts and research. Emphasis will be on understanding the foundational concepts of modern leadership.
LHRD 4723 – Advanced Leadership Development (3) Prerequisite: LHRD 2723 and 3723. This advanced course focuses on developing the leadership skills students need to effectively lead organizations and communities to achieve their vision and goals.
LHRD 4724 – Advanced Leadership Development (3) Honors Prerequisite:: LHRD 2724 and 3724. This advanced course focuses on developing the leadership skills students need to effectively lead organizations and communities to achieve their vision and goals.
LHRD 4804 – Internship (3) Prerequisite:: LHRD 4723/4724 or Concurrent Enrollment in 4723/4724. Students in this minor will be expected to engage in leading some type of organization, initiative or project to practice and demonstrate mastery of leadership skills.
The leadership internship will provide a strong mechanism for integrating academic coursework with practical leadership experience; students will be asked to engage in some type of leadership activity.
Approved Electives
The 3 hours of electives will allow students to utilize a variety of electives from around campus to supplement the core curricula. The electives will also allow them to take courses within their major curricula that are appropriate for a leadership development minor. We intend to collaborate with any department that has suitable elective courses so the minor will work for their students.
Program Coordinator
Edward Gibbons, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor of
Professional Practice
225-578-0102