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    Mar 29, 2024  
American University Catalog 2014-2015 
    
American University Catalog 2014-2015 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Leadership and Ethical Development (Undergraduate Certificate)


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Taken concurrently with a College of Arts and Sciences  major, this 21 credit hour, four year undergraduate certificate program nurtures a select number of talented students in the skills and knowledge required to be effective leaders in the arts and the sciences and whatever endeavour they undertake. Director: Meg Weekes (mweekes@american.edu); website: www.american.edu/cas/lead/

Admission to the Program


Incoming first year students in the College of Arts and Sciences are invited to apply for the certificate program.

Certificate Requirements


  • 21 credits of approved coursework with at least 12 credit hours at the 300-level or above with grades of C or better. Grades of C- or D in certificate program courses will not be accepted toward the fulfillment of certificate requirements although these grades will be included in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average. Students must have at least a 2.0 grade point average in certificate courses in order to be awarded a certificate. Students in certificate programs must take a minimum of 6 credit hours in the university during each 12-month period after they are admitted. International students must enroll in 12 credit hours each semester (except for summer). A maximum of 3 credit hours earned at an accredited college or university may be applied toward the certificate as transfer credit.

Course Requirements


Required (12 credit hours)


  • 2 credit hours of First Year LEAD Seminar (taken for 1 credit hour in both fall and spring of first year for a total of 2 credit hours)
  • 4 credit hours of Second Year LEAD Seminar (taken for 2 credit hours in both fall and spring of second year for a total of 4 credit hours)
  • 3 credit hours of LEAD Internship
  • 3 credit hours of LEAD Capstone

Disciplinary Courses (9 credit hours)


  • 9 credit hours from courses in the student’s discipline or related disciplines as approved by the program director, including an independent study project or Community Service Learning project. These electives enable students to explore leadership through the lens of their discipline, theoretically and experientially. Using the learning objectives associated with these requirements, the program director helps students identify appropriate classes and work with their faculty to design/modify assignments such that they provide a meaningful addition to the leadership curriculum.

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