The Institute fot Civic Leadership. Preparing tomorrow's leaders for a democratic society. The course of study combines discipline-based analysis of civic leadership and social policy with an internship in which students work on meaningful projects linked to public policy and social change. The curriculum develops their knowledge of strategies and skills needed for civic leadership as well as the intellectual foundations of civic life and democracy. Students learn to critically analyze social and political issues associated with their internships and more generally about the ways academic knowledge can inform the design of desirable public policies.
Students enroll in four courses.
The first course focuses on the historical, philosophical, and literary foundations of civic leadership. The second course examines the sociology and politics of civic participation and social change. In the third course, students participate in an internship connected to a reflective seminar where they have the opportunity to examine the convergence of theory and practice. Finally, a fourth course is an advanced seminar in the student's major with a term paper addressing the content of her internship.