The Minor in Leadership Studies prepares students for a lifelong process of leadership development and action with an eye toward positive social change. For students interested in leadership, the minor is a perfect addition to any major, and it complements leadership experience through myriad opportunities for involvement at the university.
Housed in the Department of Political Science, this interdisciplinary program introduces students to a range of perspectives and models of leadership. The minor includes courses about leadership development, public speaking, communications, ethics, management and more. Students have flexibility to tailor their course selections to specific interests with approval from the advisor for the minor.
We strongly recommend that students in this minor pursue Graduation with Leadership Distinction, offered by the Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning.
A minimum of 18 credit hours is required from the following curriculum, which includes an introductory course, a second course (chosen from one of three core areas: public speaking, organizational/group dynamics, or management), an experiential course, and three courses from at least two of the following four categories: ethics, communication, diversity, and advanced leadership training. Coursework in at least two disciplines is required for the minor. Students must complete minor courses with a grade of ‘C’ or higher. The content of each minor should reflect the student’s interests and be developed in consultation with the student’s academic advisor. To this end, courses with appropriate content may be substituted with approval from the advisor for the minor. Students may not count a course toward both their Carolina Core requirements and the minor. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in USC Connect and to develop an e-portfolio reflecting their Carolina leadership experience.
Minor Requirements (18 Hours)
Hours Required for the Minor: 18
Introductory Course
Select one:
Second Course (3 hours)
Select a course from one of the following three (Public Speaking, Organizational/Group Dynamics, or Management) areas:
Public Speaking
Course List | Course | Title | Credits |
| MGMT 250 | Professional Communication | 3 |
| SPCH 140 | Public Communication | 3 |
| SPCH 201 | Popular Communication and Public Culture | 3 |
| SPCH 230 | Business and Professional Speaking | 3 |
| SPCH 330 | Small Group Communication | 3 |
| SPCH 331 | Organizational Communication | 3 |
| SPCH 380 | Persuasive Communication | 3 |
| SPCH 464 | Speechwriting | 3 |
Organizational/Group Dynamics
Course List | Course | Title | Credits |
| POLI 368 | Interest Groups and Social Movements | 3 |
| PSYC 430 | Survey of Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 487 | Community Psychology | 3 |
| SOCY 311 | Ecology of Human Social Systems | 3 |
| SOCY 312 | Bureaucracy and Modern Society | 3 |
| SOCY 354 | Collective Behavior | 3 |
| SOCY 355 | Race and Ethnic Relations | 3 |
Management
Course List | Course | Title | Credits |
| POLI 370 | Introduction to Public Administration | 3 |
| MGMT 371 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| MGMT 374 | Strategic Human Resource Management | 3 |
| MGMT 376 | Employee Engagement | 3 |
| MGMT 401 | Negotiation and Conflict in the Workplace | 3 |
| MGMT 402 | Managing Teams in the Workplace | 3 |
| MGMT 403 | Leadership in Organizations | 3 |
Experiential Coursework (3 Hours)
3 hours from a course approved by advisor that incorporates study abroad, service-learning (minimum of 8 hours of community service), internship, National Student Exchange, extensive reflection on a leadership experience (e.g., EDLP 520 for U101 peer leaders), or domestic “study away.” For students enrolled in a ROTC program, the required ROTC leadership lab satisfies the experiential coursework requirements.
Additional Courses (9 Hours)
Select three courses from at least 2 of the following 4 groups:
Group 1 - Ethics
Group 2 - Communication
Course List | Course | Title | Credits |
| AERO 301 | Leading People and Effective Communication | 3 |
| AERO 302 | Leading People and Effective Communication II | 3 |
| ANTH 355 | Language, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| LING 340 | Language, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| ANTH 371 | Ethnography of Communication | 3 |
| ANTH 555 | Language and Gender | 3 |
| LING 541 | Language and Gender | 3 |
| WGST 555 | Language and Gender | 3 |
| ANTH 556 | Language and Globalization | 3 |
| LING 556 | Language and Globalization | 3 |
| ANTH 586 | Discourse, Gender, and Politics of Emotion | 3 |
| LING 543 | Discourse, Gender, and Politics of Emotion | 3 |
| ARMY 201 | Leadership and Decision Making | 2 |
| ARMY 301 | Training Management and War Fighting Function | 3 |
| ENGL 370 | Language in the USA | 3 |
| LING 345 | Language in the USA | 3 |
| ENGL 455 | Language in Society | 3 |
| LING 440 | Language in Society | 3 |
| ENGL 462 | Technical Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 463 | Business Writing | 3 |
| ITEC 143 | Advanced Business Document Preparation | 3 |
| JOUR 311 | Minorities, Women, and the Mass Media | 3 |
| WGST 311 | Minorities, Women, and the Mass Media | 3 |
| JOUR 203 | Principles of Visual Communications | 3 |
| JOUR 436 | Public Relations Writing | 3 |
| JOUR 536 | Crisis Communications | 3 |
| MGMT 250 | Professional Communication | 3 |
| MGMT 401 | Negotiation and Conflict in the Workplace | 3 |
| MUSC 100A | Music Advocacy I: Understanding the Power of Your Music | 0 |
| SCHC 480 | HNRS: Interdisciplinary Proseminar | 3-4 |
| SPCH 140 | Public Communication | 3 |
| SPCH 201 | Popular Communication and Public Culture | 3 |
| SPCH 230 | Business and Professional Speaking | 3 |
| SPCH 330 | Small Group Communication | 3 |
| SPCH 331 | Organizational Communication | 3 |
| SPCH 380 | Persuasive Communication | 3 |
| SPCH 387 | Introduction to Rhetoric | 3 |
| ENGL 387 | Introduction to Rhetoric | 3 |
| SPCH 464 | Speechwriting | 3 |
Group 3 - Diversity
Course List | Course | Title | Credits |
| |
| ANTH 349 | Anthropology of Work | 3 |
| ANTH 371 | Ethnography of Communication | 3 |
| ANTH 381 | Gender and Globalization | 3 |
| ANTH 555 | Language and Gender | 3 |
| LING 541 | Language and Gender | 3 |
| |
| ARAB 280 | Introduction to Modern Arab Culture | 3 |
| ARMY 401 | The Army Officer and the Profession of Arms I | 3 |
| ARMY 402 | The Army Officer and the Profession of Arms II | 3 |
| CHIN 240 | Chinese Culture, Tradition, and Modern Societies | 3 |
| CPLT 270 | World Literature | 3 |
| CPLT 300 | What is Comparative Literature | 3 |
| CPLT 301 | Great Books of the Western World I | 3 |
| CPLT 302 | Great Books of the Western World II | 3 |
| CPLT 415 | Topics in Comparative Literary Relations | 3 |
| ENGL 455 | Language in Society | 3 |
| LING 440 | Language in Society | 3 |
| FREN 295 | Topics in French Culture | 3 |
| GEOG 121 | Geographies of Global Change | 3 |
| GEOG 210 | Peoples, Places, and Environments | 3 |
| GERM 280 | German Culture and Civilization | 3 |
| HIST 329 | Modern and Contemporary Britain | 3 |
| HIST 338 | Modern Germany | 3 |
| HIST 347 | The Middle East in Modern Times | 3 |
| HIST 349 | The Contemporary Middle East and North Africa | 3 |
| HIST 354 | Modern East Asia | 3 |
| HIST 379 | Women in Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST 386 | Islamic Institutions and Traditions | 3 |
| RELG 354 | Islamic Institutions and Traditions | 3 |
| HIST 421 | Modern Latin America | 3 |
| LASP 342 | Modern Latin America | 3 |
| IBUS 423 | Cross-Cultural Behavior and Negotiations | 3 |
| ITAL 400 | Contemporary Italian Civilization | 3 |
| JAPA 240 | Introduction to Japanese Culture | 3 |
| JAPA 340 | Introduction to Japanese Culture and Literature | 3 |
| JOUR 311 | Minorities, Women, and the Mass Media | 3 |
| LASP 311 | Latin American Cultures | 3 |
| LASP 315 | South American Indian Cultures | 3 |
| LASP 351 | Politics and Governments of Latin America | 3 |
| POLI 488 | Politics and Governments of Latin America | 3 |
| LING 140 | Linguistic Diversity Awareness | 2 |
| NURS 313 | Nursing Care of the Older Adult | 3 |
| POLI 305 | Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality | 3 |
| SOCY 304 | Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality | 3 |
| POLI 307 | Feminist Theory | 3 |
| POLI 352 | Gender and Politics | 3 |
| POLI 353 | Introduction to U.S. Racial and Ethnic Politics | 3 |
| POLI 364 | African-American Politics | 3 |
| POLI 402 | African American Political Thought | 3 |
| POLI 432 | Nationalism and Ethnicity in World Politics | 3 |
| POLI 454 | Women and the Law | 3 |
| POLI 476 | Black Activism | 3 |
| PSYC 440 | Survey of Personality | 3 |
| RELG 207 | Introduction to African American Religions | 3 |
| RELG 343 | Religions of the African Diaspora | 3 |
| RELG 351 | Yoga: The Art of Spiritual Transformation | 3 |
| RELG 352 | Religions of East Asia | 3 |
| RELG 210 | Introduction to Hinduism | 3 |
| RELG 220 | Introduction to Buddhism | 3 |
| RELG 250 | Introduction to Islam | 3 |
| RELG 201 | Religion and Culture | 3 |
| RUSS 280 | Introduction to Russian Civilization | 3 |
| SOCY 301 | Sex and Gender | 3 |
| SOCY 309 | An Introduction to Social Inequality | 3 |
| SOCY 355 | Race and Ethnic Relations | 3 |
| SOWK 331 | Diversity and Social Justice in Contemporary Society | 3 |
| SPAN 375 | Special Topics in Hispanic Literature | 3 |
| SPCH 485 | Women’s Rhetoric | 3 |
| SPCH 486 | African-American Rhetoric | 3 |
| SPTE 570 | Special Topics in Global Sport | 3 |
| |
| Total Credit Hours | 206 |
Group 4 - Advanced Leadership Development
Course List | Course | Title | Credits |
| AERO 301 | Leading People and Effective Communication | 3 |
| AERO 302 | Leading People and Effective Communication II | 3 |
| ARMY 302 | Adaptive Leadership and Tactical Operations | 3 |
| ARMY 401 | The Army Officer and the Profession of Arms I | 3 |
| ARMY 402 | The Army Officer and the Profession of Arms II | 3 |
| IBUS 423 | Cross-Cultural Behavior and Negotiations | 3 |
| JOUR 303 | Law and Ethics of Mass Communications | 3 |
| MGMT 250 | Professional Communication | 3 |
| MGMT 371 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| MGMT 374 | Strategic Human Resource Management | 3 |
| MGMT 376 | Employee Engagement | 3 |
| MGMT 401 | Negotiation and Conflict in the Workplace | 3 |
| MGMT 402 | Managing Teams in the Workplace | 3 |
| MGMT 403 | Leadership in Organizations | 3 |
| MUED 568 | Organization and Administration of Music Programs | 2 |
| MUSC 580 | Music & Arts Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| MUSC 591 | Music Leadership Practicum | 3 |
| NAVY 401 | Naval Leadership and Management I | 3 |
| NAVY 402 | Naval Leadership and Ethics | 3 |
| NURS 428 | Nursing Leadership and Management | 4 |
| POLI 370 | Introduction to Public Administration | 3 |
| PUBH 499 | Foundations of Public Health Leadership | 3 |
| SCHC 390 | HNRS: Proseminar | 1-3 |
| SOCY 308 | Community Organization | 3 |
| SOCY 311 | Ecology of Human Social Systems | 3 |
| SOCY 312 | Bureaucracy and Modern Society | 3 |
| SOCY 354 | Collective Behavior | 3 |
| SOCY 355 | Race and Ethnic Relations | 3 |
| SOWK 331 | Diversity and Social Justice in Contemporary Society | 3 |
| SOWK 422 | Advocacy for Social and Economic Justice | 3 |
| SPCH 230 | Business and Professional Speaking | 3 |
| SPCH 330 | Small Group Communication | 3 |
| SPCH 331 | Organizational Communication | 3 |
| SPCH 380 | Persuasive Communication | 3 |
| SPCH 464 | Speechwriting | 3 |
