Leadership Studies
The role of the Department of Leadership Studies, with its Leadership Studies major and minor, is to provide content and expertise to other academic disciplines in the areas of leadership and followership, while recognizing that other majors and minors provide the very context for leadership/followership to occur.
MISSION
The mission of the Leadership Studies program is to enhance Christ-like leadership and followership knowledge, skills, and disposition among the students at Indiana Wesleyan University to change the world.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Elaborate the key components essential to effective leading and following in the context of personal, team, and organizational dynamics.
- Clearly articulate leadership and followership theories and models developed throughout history, impacted by globalization, and enhanced by liberal education.
- Exhibit leadership and followership skills in organizational contexts to effect change by mobilizing others to accomplish shared vision.
- Express commitment to servanthood, stewardship, and Christlikeness in leadership and followership grounded in the servant-minded paradigm and Christian ethics with the intent of bringing positive change to the world.
- Demonstrate competences in context assessment for personal and organizational development and transformation.
ADMISSION
Students enter the Leadership Studies major as freshmen or sophomores and have the opportunity to integrate various core elements of the leadership curriculum into their general education requirements and other major. Thus, to major in Leadership Studies, students are required to double major.
Students entering the Leadership Studies minor have the opportunity to strengthen their academic, ministry and professional pursuits by applying leadership into their chosen major or minor.
This program is for you, if you are passionate about leading and following like Christ through servanthood and love. You will learn about how to become an effective servant-leader and exemplary follower in organizational and community contexts to affect positive change in the world.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The three main components of Leadership Studies are:
- Leader
- Follower
- Context/Situation
CURRICULUM THEMES
- Leadership competencies: knowledge, skills, and disposition
- Leadership through value-based and servant-minded paradigms
- Leadership for the multicultural world
- Leadership and followership through interdisciplinary lenses
- Leadership and faith integration
- Leadership development and Christ-likeness
Courses
Preview Your Classes
Leadership Studies - B.S.
The Leadership Studies major, as an interdisciplinary study program, must be studied in the context of another major as a way of maximizing the students' potential to either further their education or acquire the necessary leadership knowledge, experiences and basic skills for future employments. Students pursuing the Leadership Studies major must also select Interdisciplinary Leadership Electives as a context where leadership theories, models and concepts should apply toward the fulfillment of their career goals, ministry passions and professional development.
Total Requirements (45 Credits) Consisting of:
Leadership Core (27 Credits)
Integrative Courses (6 Credits):
Interdisciplinary Leadership Electives (12 Credits)
Students will select 12 credit hours from the following:
OR from the context majors:
- Arts & Music
- Behavioral Sciences
- Business
- Communication
- Nursing
- Physical and Applied Sciences
- Social Sciences
- Teacher Education
- Theology & Ministries
- Others
LEADERSHIP MINOR
The Leadership Studies minor is designed to help students from other majors gain leadership knowledge and basic skills to make them qualified candidates for career opportunities in the areas of their respective majors. The Leadership Studies minor must be studied in the context of another major to enable students to apply leadership theories, models and concepts in the area of that major.
TOTAL REQUIREMENTS (24 Credits) consisting of:
Leadership Core (15 Credits)
Interdisciplinary Leadership Electives (9 Credits)
Students will select 9 credit hours from the following:
OR from the context majors:
- Arts & Music
- Behavioral Sciences
- Business
- Communication
- Nursing
- Physical and Applied Sciences
- Social Sciences
- Teacher Education
- Theology & Ministries
- Others
Faculty
At Indiana Wesleyan University, we view leadership as both leading and following in the spirit of love and servanthood to fulfill the University's mission: "developing students in character, scholarship and leadership." Each faculty member in this program has a rich background in the fields of interdisciplinary studies of leadership. Working with these instructors, you will be able to explore and develop your personal, interpersonal, group and organizational leadership abilities. You will also discover how you can use them to make a positive difference in the world in whatever field you work.
Click on a faculty member's name below to learn more about that individual.

