Leadership Minor

The Minor in Leadership is an interdisciplinary course of study meant to complement any major on campus by introducing perspectives and competencies to empower students to exercise leadership in their roles as professionals and active citizens. It contributes to Radford University’s mission, which includes a mandate that “develops students’ creative and critical thinking skills, teaches students to analyze problems and implement solutions, helps students discover their leadership styles, and fosters their growth as leaders.”

Aspiring leaders will learn to engage the complex challenges of exercising authority and managing change in their professions, communities, the nation, and the world at large. The framework of learning experiences in the Leadership Minor are designed to empower students with the knowledge, skills, and values to lead effectively and ethically in different contexts.

Students will be exposed to the theories and tools of leadership and the use of authority as well as the practical strategies for undertaking what leaders do – communicate and negotiate, build and inspire teams, manage organizations and enterprises, solve problems and produce results.

Required courses will incorporate experiential learning, team assignments and peer assessment, and reflections for students to gain an appreciation of their own styles and aspirations, strengths and weaknesses. These are steps toward greater self-awareness and personal effectiveness. Through the e-Portfolio assignment, students will reflect upon their experiences on the journey as developing leaders while at Radford University.

The Leadership Minor is administered by the Department of Political Science in the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences.  The Minor is administered by the Director of the Leadership Minor housed in the department, and its courses are taught by faculty members from multiple disciplines. 

Click HERE [PDF] to view Leadership minor flyer.

The minor consists of six courses (18 hours):

1) Two required core courses in leadership:

POSC 180 Art and Science of Leadership

POSC 180 - Art and Science of Leadership is intended as the introductory course to the minor.

POSC 410 Demystifying Leadership.

POSC 410 - The Disciplines of a Leader (PA). Interdisciplinary course focusing on leadership perspectives, strategies, and competencies that enable students to practice leadership, exercise authority, and manage change in different professional, community, and personal contexts.  It is the capstone course in the Leadership minor.

2) One Applied Learning course focusing on organizational, national, and international leadership chosen from among the following courses:

• POSC 336 Public Organization Theory and Leadership
• POSC 337 Contemporary Problems in Public Administration
• POSC 350 US Foreign Policy
• POSC 351 Model United Nations
• POSC 352 International Development
• POSC 355 Global Terrorism
• POSC 485 Internships in Political Science and Public Administration

3) One course to develop skills in written communication. The following course is required:

• ENGL 112 Critical Reading and Writing in the Digital Age

4) One course to develop skills in oral communication. Choose one of the following courses:

• COMS 414 Critical Analysis of Social Discourse
• COMS 433 Communication and Social Change

5) One course to develop strong ethical foundations in decision making. Choose one of the following courses:

• PHIL 112 Introduction: Ethics and Society
• POSC 354 Ethics in International Affairs