The Leadership Experience Certificate

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The Leadership Experience Certificate provides students with a comprehensive, hands-on learning experience that focuses on leadership theory, practice, and development. Participants will have opportunities to learn about leadership foundational theories and their day-to-day application, explore social responsibility and citizenship, and develop a personal leadership philosophy and vision for continued development as a leader. The Leadership Experience is a great opportunity for you to enhance your existing leadership skills. You will gain critical leadership and personal development skills that will help you excel personally and professionally, both inside and outside of the classroom. At the end of the program, you’ll have a professional portfolio documenting your experiences that you can share with potential employers or graduate schools as well as an official notation on your Southern Miss transcript and the receipt of a certificate signed by the University president and provost. The Leadership Experience is open to all USM students with a desire to further develop and hone their leadership skills. Special scholarships or memberships are not required.

Academic Policies and Requirements for Minors:

See University Academic Policies for Minors

Hours to Certificate: 15 hours

Course Requirements

Choose 3 of the following courses:

DPH 101 - Personal Wellness 3 hrs.
CMS 305 - Interpersonal Communication 3 hrs.
CMS 320 - Professional Communication 3 hrs.
CMS 340 - Intercultural Communication 3 hrs.
PHI 171 - Ethics and Good Living 3 hrs.
PHI 351 - Critical Thinking 3 hrs.
PS 201 - Great Issues of Politics 3 hrs.
SOC 101 - Understanding Society: Principles of Sociology 3 hrs.
SOC 405 - Nonprofits and Social Change 3 hrs.
ANT 101 - The Human Experience: A Global Perspective on Human Diversity 3 hrs.
ECO 101 - Basic Economics 3 hrs.
PS 101 - American Government 3 hrs.
UNV 110 - University Studies 3 hrs.
IDS 110 - Citizenship Seminar in Service Learning 3 hrs.
AOS 101 - Foundation of the United States Air Force I 1 hr.
MSL 101 - Introduction to the Army 3 hrs.
MGT 480 - Leadership 3 hrs.
BA 310 - Professional Ethics 3 hrs.
HPR 323 - Recreation Leadership 3 hrs.

Three Out-of-class Leadership Activities with Reflective Essays

An approved leadership education activity will be an organized activity (on or off campus) that offers the chance for participants to do one or more of the following:

Deepen understanding of social and cultural dynamics
Learn about leadership styles
Determine how to effectively lead as a leader, follower, and/or collaborator
Develop morals and values
Gain the experience to move forward as a servant leader

Program facilitators will regularly provide participants with notifications of upcoming events that are approved experiences. Other experiences may be approved on a case-by-case basis. Students will be required to submit a 2-3 page reflective essay on each of the three leadership education activities.