The undergraduate Certificate in Leadership Studies requires 20 s.h. of credit. Students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.00 in work for the certificate.
The certificate may be earned by any student admitted to the University of Iowa who is not enrolled in a UI graduate or professional degree program. Undergraduate to Graduate (U2G) students may earn the certificate when the undergraduate classification is primary.
Students must declare their intent to earn the certificate to a leadership studies advisor in the Pomerantz Career Center; see Leadership Studies Certificate on the center's website for information on how to enter the certificate program.
The certificate program provides a structure for involvement and commitment to leadership. It introduces students to leadership concepts and offers them hands-on leadership experiences they will need in order to begin the lifelong development of these skills. Certificate students complete two interdisciplinary core courses (6 s.h.), area electives (12 s.h.), and an experiential learning course (2 s.h.). A course may not be used to satisfy more than one certificate requirement. Students also have the opportunity to complete the certificate online.
The Certificate in Leadership Studies requires the following coursework.
Interdisciplinary Core Courses
All certificate students are required to complete two interdisciplinary core courses. In order to enroll in either course, students must have sophomore or higher standing and be in good academic standing as defined by University College (cumulative GPA of at least 2.00).
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LS:3004 | Perspectives on Leadership: Principles and Practices | 3 |
| LS:3012 | Leadership Theory to Practice | 3 |
Perspectives on Leadership: Principles and Practices (LS:3004) provides students with a broad foundation of leadership knowledge. It introduces diverse approaches to studying and practicing leadership and gives students a structure for organizing knowledge and skills from other leadership courses and experiences. The course features presentations by guest instructors from across the university, offering students an interdisciplinary perspective on leadership.
With the world changing at an accelerating rate, Leadership Theory to Practice (LS:3012) examines leadership effectiveness and the demand of a high-level ability to work with others and respond to change. Foundational concepts of major theories and behaviors of leadership models are covered, and practical challenges of leadership are analyzed.
Area Electives
Area electives are drawn from four developmental areas central to effective leadership: self and group leadership, communication, cultural competence, and ethics and integrity. Students must complete 3 s.h. from each of these areas (total of 12 s.h.).
Self and Group Leadership
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| At least 3 s.h. from these: | ||
| LS:1020 | Introduction to Leadership | 3 |
| LS:1022 | President's Leadership Class | 3 |
| LS:2002 | Career Leadership Academy Part 1: Leadership in Practice | 3 |
| LS:2020 | Women in Leadership | 3 |
| LS:3002 | Career Leadership Academy Part 2: Leadership in Action | 3 |
| AERO:3100 | Leadership Studies: Leading People and Effective Communication I | 3 |
| AERO:3200 | Leadership Studies: Leading People and Effective Communication II | 3 |
| COMM:1819 | Organizational Leadership | 3 |
| COMM:2011 | Group Communication | 3 |
| LLS:1150 | Leadership in the Outdoors | 4 |
| MGMT:2100 | Introduction to Management | 3 |
| MGMT:3200 | Individuals, Teams, and Organizations | 3 |
| MGMT:3999 | CIMBA Italy Experiential Leadership | 1-3 |
| MGMT:4300 | Leadership and Personal Development | 3 |
| MILS:1010 | Leadership and Personal Development MSL101 | 1 |
| MILS:1020 | Introduction to Tactical Leadership MSL102 | 1 |
| MILS:2010 | Innovative Team Leadership MSL201 | 2 |
| MILS:2020 | Foundations of Tactical Leadership MSL202 | 2 |
| PSY:2501 | Introduction to Social Psychology | 3 |
| SOC:1220 | Principles of Social Psychology | 3-4 |
| SOC:3610 | Organizations and Modern Society | 3 |
| SOC:4225 | The Social Psychology of Leadership | 3 |
| SSW:3600/MGMT:3600/NURS:3600/RELS:3701 | Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness II | 3 |
Communication
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| At least 3 s.h. from these: | ||
| BUS:3000 | Business Communication and Protocol | 3 |
| BUS:3800 | Business Writing | 3 |
| CNW:3640 | Writing for Business | 3 |
| COMM:1112 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| COMM:1117 | Advocacy and Argument | 3 |
| COMM:1130 | The Art of Persuading Others | 3 |
| COMM:1170 | Communication Theory in Everyday Life | 3 |
| COMM:1818 | Communication Skills for Leadership | 3 |
| COMM:1819 | Organizational Leadership | 3 |
| COMM:2091 | Organizational Communication | 3 |
| MGMT:4100 | Dynamics of Negotiations | 3 |
| WRIT:3005/CW:3005/INTD:3005 | Professional and Creative Business Communication | 3 |
Cultural Competence
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| At least 3 s.h. from these: | ||
| AFAM:3459/ENGL:3459 | African American Literature Before 1900 | 3 |
| AMST:1074/GWSS:1074/SPST:1074 | Inequality in American Sport | 3 |
| ASP:3135/GHS:3050/SSW:3135 | Global Aging | 3 |
| CCCC:2220 | Foundations of Critical Cultural Competence | 3 |
| CSED:4197 | Citizenship in a Multicultural Society | 3 |
| EPLS:4150-EPLS:4151 | Leadership and Public Service I-II (both courses are required) | 5 |
| GWSS:1002 | Diversity and Power in the U.S. | 3 |
| GWSS:1310/SOC:1310 | Gender and Society | 3 |
| GWSS:3154 | Sexuality in the United States | 3 |
| HHP:1045 | Diversity and Inclusion in Healthy Living | 3 |
| HHP:2280 | Cultural Competency and Health | 3 |
| HIST:1040 | Diversity in History | 3 |
| JMC:1200 | Introduction to Media and Culture | 3 |
| LS:2022 | Leading from the Margins | 3 |
| MUS:1310 | World Music | 3 |
| NURS:3111 | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Health Professions | 3 |
| SOC:2810 | Social Inequality | 3 |
| One elective approved for the Certificate in Critical Cultural Competence; see an advisor for approved electives 1 | 3 | |
- 1
Students who use an elective approved for the Certificate in Critical Cultural Competence to satisfy this requirement must notify the advisor for the Certificate in Leadership Studies via email.
Ethics and Integrity
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| At least 3 s.h. from these: | ||
| CSED:4195 | Ethics in Human Relations and Counseling | 3 |
| HMP:6315 | Healthcare Ethics | 1-2 |
| HRTS:2115/IS:2115 | Introduction to Human Rights | 3 |
| JMC:2600 | Freedom of Expression | 3 |
| JMC:2700 | Media Ethics and Diversity | 3 |
| MGMT:2000 | Introduction to Law | 3 |
| MGMT:3400 | Employment Law | 3 |
| PHIL:1034 | Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness | 3 |
| PHIL:1401 | Matters of Life and Death | 3 |
| PHIL:1636 | Principles of Reasoning: Argument and Debate | 3 |
| PHIL:1861 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL:2402 | Introduction to Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL:2432 | Introduction to Political Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL:2435 | Philosophy of Law | 3 |
| PTRS:5100 | Professional Issues and Ethics | 1 |
| SRM:3700 | Ethics in Sport | 3 |
Experiential Learning
Certificate students must earn at least 2 s.h. in a course focused on experiential or hands-on learning. An experiential learning course may take different forms, such as a service learning experience, an internship, or an on-campus leadership practicum. To satisfy the experiential learning requirement, they must complete one of these options: LS:1024, LS:3002, or LS:3011.
Service Learning Courses
Service learning courses incorporate community engagement with academic coursework. They allow students to gain hands-on experience along with a deeper understanding of course content while responding to real community needs.
Students may satisfy the certificate's experiential learning requirement by earning a minimum of 2 s.h. in service learning courses from the following.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| May select one of these two options: | ||
| Option A | ||
| LS:1024 | Hawkeye Service Breaks | arr. |
| Option B | ||
| LS:3002 | Career Leadership Academy Part 2: Leadership in Action | 3 |
Internship or On-Campus Leadership Practicum
Students may register for the following course earning a minimum of 2 s.h. in order to receive certificate credit for the internship or on-campus leadership practicum. Certificate students must complete LS:3004 Perspectives on Leadership: Principles and Practices and at least 6 s.h. of additional leadership coursework in the certificate before they may enroll in LS:3011. They must complete all course assignments in order to fulfill the experiential learning requirement. Students who want to count LS:3011 toward the Tippie RISE requirement must register for an internship; registering with an on-campus leadership practicum will not satisfy Tippie RISE.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LS:3011 | Leadership Certificate Capstone | 2 |
Internships consist of preapproved, supervised on-the-job learning; they may be paid or unpaid.
To meet the certificate's experiential learning requirement, an internship must consist of professional experience that relates to a student's major field of study or career interest area and allows the student to build on the academic coursework already completed in the certificate program. At least 80% of a student's internship duties must be professional-level work, and a student must receive continuous supervision by a professional (not a student) in the internship field. The internship must last a minimum of 15 weeks in fall or spring semester or six weeks in the summer and requires 150 hours of work.
Internships that fulfill the certificate's experiential learning requirement must be approved in advance by one of the certificate program's advisors, and the internship site supervisor must agree to the terms of the internship and must complete the required form before the internship may be approved. Students may work with staff at the Pomerantz Career Center to find an approved internship opportunity, or they may secure their own internship.
For more information about internships, see Jobs and Internships on the Pomerantz Career Center website.
Students who wish to fulfill the experiential learning requirement with an on-campus leadership practicum must engage in a formal, approved experience that is meaningful, educational, and cocurricular. It requires a student to take initiative and pursue active leadership roles and responsibilities. Examples include positions as student organization leaders, student government leaders, University Housing resident assistants, student orientation advisors, peer educators, and fraternity and sorority leaders. Practicums may be paid or unpaid.
To meet the certificate's experiential learning requirement, a practicum must last a minimum of 15 weeks in fall or spring semester or six weeks in the summer and requires 150 hours of work.
Practicums that fulfill the certificate's experiential learning requirement must be approved in advance by one of the certificate program's advisors. Students must submit a list of goals and assignments and/or duties they will complete during the practicum in order to demonstrate that the practicum provides substantive work assignments and opportunities to build on the academic coursework they have completed in the certificate program.
Each student also must identify a practicum mentor and demonstrate that the mentor is willing to guide and evaluate the student's work and development of leadership skills, and intends to participate in reviewing the student's goal-setting assignment and the final review of the student's performance.
Sample Plan of Study
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.
Leadership Studies, Certificate
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Any Semester | Hours | |
| JMC:3710 | Fundraising Fundamentals | 3 |
| MGMT:3500 | Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness I | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| MGMT:4600 | Nonprofit Ethics and Governance | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Summer | ||
| JMC:3700 | Nonprofit Internship a | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Any Semester | ||
| JMC:3720 or MGMT:3600 |
Nonprofit Communications b or Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness II |
3 |
| JMC:3720 or MGMT:3600 |
Nonprofit Communications b, c or Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness II |
3 |
| Certificate: Elective course b, c | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 21 | |
- a
- It is recommended that students complete at least 9 s.h. in foundation courses before taking the nonprofit internship course.
- b
- Students must take at least one of JMC:3720 or MGMT:3600, but may take both to count toward the certificate.
- c
- Students select elective coursework to total at least 21 s.h. for the certificate. See General Catalog for list of approved courses.