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Leadership Studies Minor

What does leadership mean to you? What is your passion, and how do you want to make an impact in the world? These are the types of questions you will explore in the Leadership Studies minor at UNC—an innovative, experience-based program that emphasizes ethical leadership and social justice. A strong complement to any major area of study, the Leadership Studies minor examines what it means to be an everyday leader, focusing on community engagement and leadership in a global context. You’ll put theory into practice through diverse experiential learning opportunities that allow you to focus on issues that are important to you. These include internship programs, research opportunities and many different forms of applied course work, such as a community awareness campaign you get to lead.

Minor Option

Leadership Studies Minor

The Leadership Studies minor curriculum fosters leadership development through both theory and experiential learning. You’ll be required to take six credits in core leadership courses, nine elective credits, one internship or practica credit and a two-credit senior seminar. Through this curriculum, you’ll identify and understand contemporary leadership theories and research and will develop a critical consciousness of self and apply social and ecological justice, globalism and ethics to leadership practices.

MINOR Requirements

Your Future in Leadership Studies

Join an active community of leader-scholars who practice advocacy through experiential learning, and work to foster equity and inclusion while challenging injustice.

Consider UNC’s Leadership Studies Minor if you:

  • Want to make a positive impact in the local and global community
  • Want opportunities to apply leadership skills in real world settings
  • Thrive in small classes with close faculty mentorship

You’ll learn:

  • How to take initiative, think critically and solve problems
  • Ways to apply social and ecological justice, globalism and ethics to leadership practices
  • Contemporary leadership theories and research

Sample courses:

  • Contemporary Leadership
  • Risk and Change in Leadership
  • Leadership and Community Building
  • Globalization of Ethics
  • Communication and Leadership
  • Coming of Age in the Twenty-First Century
  • Social Change in a Global Context
  • Ethics in Theory and Practice
  • Intercultural Communication

Beyond the Classroom

UNC’s Leadership Studies minor focuses on everyday leadership in your local community and the global stage. The skills and experience you gain will help empower you to drive positive change, lead ethical change in service to others and find personal fulfillment by pursuing your passion.

Where can your minor take you?

One of the advantages of the Leadership Studies minor is that everything you learn in the program can be applied to the real world. While course work and applied experiences focus primarily on community engagement, these are also skills that will enrich your professional life. For example, many studies in business show that ethical leaders who treat people with dignity and respect often achieve more sustainable organizational success. As a result, many companies value a background in the kind of leadership ethics training you will gain in this program.

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