Dec 04, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Leadership Minor (E, L)


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 is 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 reflection exercises 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.

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. 

REAL Curriculum


This minor fulfills the E and L areas of the REAL Curriculum. The minor in Leadership is an interdisciplinary program that allows students to acquire skills and experiences in effective and professional leadership practice, as envisioned in the “L” learning outcome for applied learning.  Through experiential learning, team exercises, case studies, and personal reflection, students will consider their own values, strategies, and skills as leaders and change-makers.  In addition, the minor allows students to reflect on issues of humanistic and cultural expression in leadership practice through the “E” learning outcome, including the study of ethical analysis and effective communication in its social context.  Students need majors and/or minors to fulfill the R and A areas to complete the REAL Curriculum requirements.

REAL Cornerstone Requirements


Writing Intensive (WI) Courses (6 credits)


Writing Intensive courses are denoted below with a (WI). Two writing intensive courses are required to graduate, with at least one at the 300- or 400-level. The Leadership minor includes 3 credits of writing intensive courses.

General Education Requirements


General Education courses will be denoted below with a (GE). Students are required to take at least 30 credit hours of general education designated courses within their degree requirements. The Leadership minor includes 6-9 general education credits.

Minor Requirements (18 credits)


Total Credit Hours for Minor 18