Leadership Education and Development Minor

Leadership Education and Development Minor

Whether you aspire to run a company, lead teams or excel in your chosen field, Drake’s hands-on undergraduate minor in leadership studies will bring you the skills you need to succeed. The undergraduate, interdisciplinary minor in leadership education and development (LEAD) is open to students in any academic major.

The LEAD minor will elevate your ability to make significant contributions in whatever career path you choose. Through the program you will learn to challenge yourself and others to develop a shared vision; influence individuals or groups toward the ethical achievement of common goals; improve your ability to manage change; deal with conflict toward a positive end; and gain essential skills that are key to elevating yourself in your profession and community.

The LEAD minor includes 20 credit hours of traditional and experiential courses that combine instruction and skill development. The capstone experience, LEAD 190, is an immersion experience that places you in a new organization, community or association locally or internationally where you will add value by influencing individuals or groups toward common, attainable goals.

Careers and Internships

Experiential opportunities are customized and varied. These include projects on campus and in the community as well as projects around the world with non-governmental organizations, orphanages, schools, and other entities. These offerings as part of LEAD are not intended to replace traditional internships, but to serve as an additional enhancement to them. Careers and internship possibilities are as varied as the students who take the minor.

Course Requirements

The minor in Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) is a 20 credit-hour minor open to all students from any academic major.

LEAD Minor Curriculum

  • LEAD 001: Foundations of Leadership (1 credit)
  • LEAD 050: Leadership: Theory to Practices (3 credits)
  • LEAD 060: Leadership Experience (Prerequisite or taken concurrently with LEAD 050) (1 credit)
  • LEAD 100: Leadership: Influence and Change (Prerequisite: LEAD 50) (3 credits)
  • LEAD 190: Capstone Practicum with Reflection (Prerequisite: LEAD 100) (3 credits)
  • Ethics or Global elective
  • LEAD elective (3-6 credits)
  • Leadership elective (0-6 credits)


Students admitted to the minor will adhere to the following criteria:

  • Any student may enroll in the one credit hour leadership foundations course (LEAD 001) and the three-credit-hour class LEAD 50 to be introduced to the requirements and expectations of the minor and as a means of testing his/her interest in enrolling in the LEAD minor.
  • Admission to LEAD will follow the requirements of each college. A student may be admitted into the minor by completing the existing major/minor/concentrations form used for academic programs.
  • A student will be admitted into the program if s/he is in good academic standing within the College s/he is enrolled and has declared a major. Students on academic probation will be ineligible from enrolling in the minor until they are in good academic standing.
  • For planning purposes, it is advised that students be admitted to the minor prior to the start of their junior year.
  • A student must declare the minor prior to the first semester of his/her senior year.

For More Information

To discuss your possible interest in adding this minor please contact Professor Tom Buckmiler at thomas.buckmiler@drake.edu or phone 515-271-4989. For more general information, visit the LEAD minnor website at www.drake.edu/lead

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