Leadership Studies at Aurora University
Program Description The academic field of Leadership Studies (LS) at Aurora University is designed to embody a broad, interdisciplinary range of disciplines with origins from the social sciences, humanities, and applied areas of organizational management. The academic discipline of Leadership Studies has been expanding, due to increasing research and discussion on effective leadership strategies, and students that major in Leadership Studies typically work in organizations that can operate at any logistical level – local, regional, national and international – and oftentimes are interacting within small and large group dynamics. Graduating with such a degree at the undergraduate level can lead to a variety of occupational outcomes, including careers in the business or social sector, and more specifically in the areas of nonprofit management, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community development, Foreign Service, education, hospital administration, youth/social services and international relations. The LS Major at Aurora University will be a distinctive program that connects traditional leadership theories with unique applied techniques including outdoor immersion experiences, interactive field study programs and elite internship opportunities. In developing this program to be responsive to workforce demands, the curriculum in this program is designed to partner with several external organizations that will help curriculum development, establish internship and job placement connections and advance student recruitment. The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA) and Peace Corps Prep Program (PCPP) will assist the curriculum in aligning with current industry standards and desired competencies. Learning Outcomes The undergraduate program in Leadership Studies is a multidisciplinary program that focuses overall on the following four learning outcomes: - Leadership Theory & Application - Group Work Strategies & Application
- Ethical Theory & Application - Global Competency
Concentrations International Service For students wanting to apply their leadership skills in an international/foreign service career, an International Service concentration is available that will focus on topics of globalization, humanitarian issues, diplomacy and cultural development, and foreign language. Aurora University will also partner with the Peace Corps to become a Peace Corps Prep Program (PCPP) institution. The PCPP is a formal partnership designed to better prepare students for international development fieldwork, intercultural service careers and possible placement into the Peace Corps. A highly selective program, Aurora University will be one of only 26 colleges/universities in the country to host a Peace Corps Prep Program. The partnership with the Peace Corps is intended to support a growing job demand and increasing competition for positions in the Peace Corps and other international service organizations. Additionally, this concentration is designed to assist students, with a passion for service, better build their intercultural skill sets around their vocation and what truly matters to them. Students will focus on completing four interdisciplinary learning outcomes in this concentration (to complete program and earn PCPP certificate):
- Intercultural competence - Training/experience in specific work sector
- Foreign language skills - Professional and leadership development
Nonprofit Leadership The Nonprofit Leadership concentration is designed to better prepare students for professional careers in the nonprofit industry and other social sectors. In partnership with the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA), Aurora University has built around a competency-based, contemporary curriculum that reflects current standards in the nonprofit world and provides AU students with valuable connections to the youth and social sector workforce. As the leading nonprofit career preparation organization in the country, the NLA confers upon graduating students the nonprofit industry’s most recognizable credential, the Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP). Individuals conferred with a CNP credential are seven times more likely to rise to “director-level” positions in nonprofit industries such as charitable organizations, youth/social services, higher education, education management, hospitals and health care. AU will be one of only 38 colleges/universities selected in the country to partner with the NLA and offer the competitive CNP credential, and only the third liberal-arts institution in the Midwest. This concentration is intended to support state and national occupational projections suggesting strong employment growth for social and nonprofit service leaders. Careers in the social sector and nonprofit organizations are expected to grow 13% nationally by 2022 (compared to data in 2012), while careers in social and community service are expected to grow 21% by 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. To prepare for these professional nonprofit careers, students will demonstrate mastery of learning outcomes in both course material and extensive applied learning experiences, including: 1. Completing coursework on core NLA learning objectives (ex: Financial Resource Management) 2. Nonprofit internship and field experiences totaling 300 hours 3. Attendance at nonprofit career development conferences Distinctive Programming Elite Internships By utilizing the unique partnerships with the Peace Corps and Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, AU students will have a significantly large network of organizations to intern with and engage in meaningful applied learning - increasing their professional skill sets when entering the workforce, as compared to their peers. National nonprofit partners include: Boys and Girls Club of America, Catholic Charities USA, Volunteers of America, Make-A-Wish, Feeding America, Wounded Warrior Project and the YMCA. Immersion Experience Course A core leadership course that exposes students to an experiential learning environment that will challenge them to apply theory into practice through an out-of-the-classroom immersion experience. Designed as a three week intensive study course, students engage in outdoor adventure programming, small group activities, and character development courses to distinctively develop group work strategies in practice. Field Experiences These experiences enable students to integrate their academic coursework with periods of external, experiential programming that enriches their educational pursuits. Experiences can include research projects with local legislative officials, adventure programming trips to George Williams College, participating in professional development conferences (ex: Alliance Management Institute) and observing nonprofit professionals in action.