Leadership Minor
- Overview
- Program Requirements
- Track 1: Ethnic Studies Concentration
- Track 2: Humanities Concentration
- Track 3: Leadership Topics Menu
Overview
The undergraduate Leadership Minor capitalizes upon the university’s intention to develop disciples and scholars who seek to advance the work of God in the world. This minor does so by encouraging students to pursue excellence in their chosen major while also seeking proficiency as strengths-driven leaders. Courses are thoughtful, challenging, and relationally focused while providing opportunities for reflection, conversation, and research.
Students in the minor learn about whole-person development, leadership and virtue, the role of personal strengths and skills in good leadership, and how to lead as agents of change. Disciplined self-leadership, combined with the knowledge of how to facilitate effective collaboration, make Leadership Minor graduates an asset to any context in which they may serve. Even as they are encouraged toward life-long development (both as persons and leaders), students have the opportunity to create, articulate, and practice their own philosophy of Christian leadership.
Program Requirements
The Leadership Minor comprises 26-27 units, 15 of which are required from the core and 11-12 units from one of the 3 elective tracks.
| Total | 26-27 units | |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 15 units | |
| LDRS 201 | Foundations for Leadership | 3 |
| LDRS 311 | Leadership Values and Virtues | 3 |
| LDRS 322 | Leadership Strengths and Skills | 3 |
| LDRS 333 | Leadership Influence and Impact | 3 |
| LDRS 401 | Leadership Practicum | 3 |
| Track Electives | 11-12 units | |
In order to deepen the value of their Leadership Minor, students are asked to select 11-12 additional elective units. This can be accomplished by taking classes in one of three different tracks. The first two options deepen students’ knowledge through intensified focus while the third option provides a wider range of choices.
Track 1: Ethnic Studies Concentration
The core courses in the ethnic studies minor are a great addition to the Leadership Minor. Many careers in which Christian leaders decide to serve call for loving sensitivity, awareness of personal prejudice, and the ability to use appropriate forms of communication. Understanding alternative perspectives helps leaders to be others-oriented and thoughtful in their relationships and work. Christlike leaders, having hands and hearts equipped to enter a diverse world, will be prepared to appreciate and empower cultural distinctives.
| Ethnic Studies Concentration | 12 units | |
|---|---|---|
| ETHN 150 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| ETHN 355 | The Asian American Experience | 3 |
| ETHN 356 | The African American Experience | 3 |
| ETHN 357 | The Chicano(a)/Latino(a) Experience | 3 |
Track 2: Humanities Concentration
Many of the nation’s leaders have learned about truth, beauty, and goodness from the great works of Western history. Those who lead with wisdom are those who are informed by humankind’s perennial questions and have knowledge of the numerous answers that have been proposed. Good leadership combined with good thinking and a Christian worldview is desperately needed in today’s confused and disoriented world. The Humanities Core Courses provide guidance for leaders who are committed to a life well-lived.
Students may work on a humanities concentration through participation in APU’s on-campus Humanities Program or while attending the High Sierra Semester. Humanities courses are also part of at least three categories of the General Studies curriculum.
| Humanities Concentration** | 12 units | |
|---|---|---|
| HUM 221 | Humanities Seminar I: Great Works* | 3-4 |
| HUM 321 | Humanities Seminar I: Great Works* | 3-4 |
| HUM 222 | Humanities Seminar II: Literary Masterpieces* | 3-4 |
| HUM 322 | Humanities Seminar II: Literary Masterpieces* | 3-4 |
| HUM 223 | Humanities Seminar III: Aesthetics* | 3-4 |
| HUM 323 | Humanities Seminar III: Aesthetics* | 3-4 |
| HUM 224 | Humanities Seminar IV: Great Ideas* | 3-4 |
| HUM 324 | Humanities Seminar IV: Great Ideas* | 3-4 |
| HUM 325 | Humanities Seminar V: Christian Classics* | 3-4 |
Track 3: Leadership Topics Menu
APU offers numerous classes that are well-suited to the study of good leadership. One class from approved courses in the areas of (1) Communication, (2) Ethics, (3) Diversity, and (4) Applied Leadership completes the elective requirements for the Leadership Minor.
| Leadership Topics Concentration | 11-13 units | |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 3 units | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| COMM 112 | Oral Interpretation | 3 |
| COMM 115 | Essentials of Argumentation and Debate | 3 |
| COMM 211 | Presentational Speaking | 3 |
| COMM 330 | Small-Group Communication** | 3 |
| COMM 430 | Organizational Communication | 3 |
| COMM 440 | Persuasion and Attitude Change | 3 |
| Ethics | 3 units | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| ART 496 | Senior Seminar: Art Ethics* | 3 |
| BIOL 496 | Senior Seminar: Ethics and the Sciences* | 3 |
| BUSI 496 | Senior Seminar* | 3 |
| COMM 496 | Senior Seminar: Ethics in Human Communication* | 3 |
| CS 496 | Senior Seminar: Ethics in Computer Science* | 3 |
| EDLS 496 | Senior Seminar: Education and Professional Ethics* | 3 |
| ENGL 496 | Senior Seminar: English and the Professions* | 3 |
| GLBL 496 | Senior Seminar: Global Issues and Prospects* | 3 |
| MUS 496 | Senior Seminar: Ethics in Music* | 3 |
| PE 496 | Senior Seminar: Ethics in Physical Education and Sport (F, S)* | 3 |
| PHIL 496 | Senior Seminar* | 3 |
| PHIL 496 | Senior Seminar* | 3 |
| PHIL 496 | Senior Seminar* | 3 |
| POLI 496 | Senior Seminar: Religion and Politics* | 3 |
| SOC 496 | Senior Seminar: Faith and Social Issues* | 3 |
| SOCW 496 | Senior Seminar: Ethics in the Helping Professions* | 3 |
| TFT 496 | Senior Seminar: Ethics in Theater, Film, and Television* | 3 |
| THEO 496 | Senior Seminar: Theology and Social Issues* | 3 |
| UBBL 330 | Life and Teachings of Jesus* | 3 |
| UNRS 496 | Ethics and Issues in Professional Nursing* | 4 |
| Diversity | 3 units | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| ETHN 150 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| ETHN 355 | The Asian American Experience | 3 |
| ETHN 357 | The Chicano(a)/Latino(a) Experience | 3 |
| ETHN 356 | The African American Experience | 3 |
| GLBL 301 | Anthropology for Everyday Life**/*** | 3 |
| GLBL 305 | Peoples and Places | 3 |
| GLBL 310 | Intercultural Communication* | 3 |
| GLBL 315 | Urban Explorations | 3 |
| GLBL 355 | Principles and Practice of Community Engagement | 3 |
| PSYC 400 | Cultural Psychology** | 3 |
| SOC 358 | Human Diversity** | 3 |
| UNRS 410 | Community Health Nursing | 6 |
| Applied Leadership | 3 units | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| AT 469 | Health Care Administration (S) | 3 |
| COMM 420 | Conflict Management**/*** | 3 |
| LDRS 103 | Calling, Major, and Career Exploration: A Strengths-Based Approach to Life Planning | 3 |
| LDRS 303 | Career and Life Planning | 3 |
| LDRS 350 | Deans' Leadership Class^ | 3 |
| LDRS XXX | One selected graduate course in Organizational Leadership^^ | 3 |
| GLBL 335 | International Internship | 3-6 |
| MUS 337 | Music Business I | 2 |
| PE 321 | Organization and Administration of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation (S) | 3 |
| POLI 340 | International Relations** | 3 |
| POLI 360 | Classical Political Thought | 3 |
| POLI 363 | Modern Political Thought** | 3 |
| POLI 405 | The American Presidency | 3 |
| PSYC 370 | Industrial/Organizational Psychology | 3 |
| REC 366 | Leadership Skills through Wilderness Experiences^^^ | 2 |
| TFT 423 | Directing | 3 |
| UNRS 403 | Leadership and Management in Professional Practice | 3 |
*Meets a General Studies Core (or elective) requirement.
**Meets a General Studies Elective requirement.
***Meets the Upper-Division Writing Intensive requirement.
^The Deans' Leadership Class (LDRS 350) can substitute for LDRS 311 or LDRS 322, or LDRS 333 in the Leadership Minor Core. (Only one course in the five courses may be substituted.)
^^One class in the Master's of Organizational Leadership (MAOL) Program may be taken by seniors. This class may be counted as an elective in the Applied Leadership section of Option 3 and if, as a graduate, the student is accepted into the MAOL Program, it will count toward that degree as well. Contact the MAOL office for more details at (626) 815-5483.
^^^Leadership Skills through Wilderness Experience (REC 366), offered only through the High Sierra Semester, may substitute for LDRS 322 or be used as an Applied Leadership elective. (Only one course in the five core courses may be substituted.)
