Exploration of Leadership Undergraduate Curricula: A Practical and Critical Review

With differences in names, department affiliations, and course offerings, it has become important to know if undergraduate leadership programs across colleges and universities offer a standard core curriculum that recognizes leadership core competencies. Analysis of the curricular design of 26 undergraduate organizational leadership programs in the United States using an approach suggested by Brungardt et al. (2006) suggests that there are still major differences in courses offered by organizational leadership programs. This research demonstrates that while there is a great diversity in program designs, there is a slow trend toward a greater standardization of leadership program curriculum through “topic areas” covered by different programs. This standardization will hopefully facilitate a greater recognition and legitimacy of a leadership degree within academics and society in general.