Leadership
Northwestern’s Center for Leadership offers the Undergraduate Leadership Program (ULP), a certificate program open to all Northwestern undergraduates. The inter-school program helps students understand the nature of leadership and prepares them to become leaders on campus, in the community, and in their professions. ULP participants explore key leadership themes and issues, build and refine a personal leadership model, and develop foundational leadership assets.
Certificate Steps and Requirements
To earn the Undergraduate Leadership Certificate, students are required to complete the following three courses in the following order:
1: Paradigms & Strategies of Leadership (LDRSHP 204-0)
The Paradigms & Strategies of Leadership course is offered each Fall and Spring.
2: Leading from Design (LDRSHP 304-0)
The Leading from Design course is offered each Fall and Winter.
3: Field Study in Leadership LDRSHP 396-0)
The Field Study in Leadership course is offered every quarter.
As stated above, LDRSHP 204-0 Paradigms and Strategies of Leadership is a prerequisite for LDRSHP 304-0 Leading From Design. LDRSHP 204-0 Paradigms and Strategies of Leadership and LDRSHP 304-0 Leading From Design are prerequisites for LDRSHP 396-0 Field Studies in Leadership. The classes must be taken in this order, but students are not required to take them in consecutive quarters.
LDRSHP 204-0 Paradigms and Strategies of Leadership (1 Unit) ULP students' introduction to essential leadership capacities such as mobilizing others, teaming and resilience. Components include weekly lectures, small group discussions and small group assignments.
LDRSHP 304-0 Leading From Design (1 Unit) Through readings, small group discussion, self-assessment and reflecting on leadership and other life experiences, this course builds on the themes, models and concepts introduced in LDRSHP 204-0 (Paradigms and Strategies of Leadership), to help students develop a deeper self-awareness that serves as the foundation for the construction of their own individual leadership model.
LDRSHP 395-0 Special Topics in Leadership (0-1 Unit) Topics suggested by students or faculty members and approved by the department.
LDRSHP 396-0 Field Studies in Leadership (2 Units) The Field Study in Leadership is built around a practical leadership experience the student attains or creates. The student must receive instructor approval beforehand. The minimum requirements for a field study experience to be approved are as follows: 1) The endeavor must be one where the student doing the field study is mobilizing and collaborating with a group of at least 3 people (other than the student themselves) to accomplish a common purpose, goal, or objective. 2) The student must spend at least 160 hours leading the endeavor. Through readings, written assignments, and small group discussion the course helps students process their experience and better understand the perspective of those they hope to lead.
LDRSHP 399-0 Leadership Independent Study (1 Unit) Independent study on a Leadership subject supervised by a faculty member and concluding with a final report or project.