The SDSU Leadership Minor is a cross-departmental collaboration that allows students to understand the true value and skills associated with proper leadership styles while earning a minor in the process. The program was formed after the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) stated that proficient leadership skills were one of the top sought-after attributes of today’s employers.
“A lot of times, you have these college graduates and graduate students interviewing for management or middle-management jobs that they are just simply under-prepared for,” program head Dr. Lisa Gates says. “Our goal is to help students develop an understanding of critical leadership theories.”
The minor consists of a 15-unit schedule of classes that includes the science and art of leadership, as well as elective units from the Communication, Philosophy, Political Science, and Public Affairs departments. The minor is completed with a capstone class that allows students from different colleges and departments to work together toward completion of the class.
“We want to help students work effectively with others,” Gates says. “We are currently in the process of collaborating with other colleges to figure out elective tracks so that our students can widen their opportunities to learn what it means to be a leader.”
The minor will consist of on-campus leadership requirements, service learning within the community, and internship opportunities to give students every opportunity to hone their leadership skills.