Northwestern University :: Undergraduate Leadership Program

Overview
The Field Study in Leadership (CRDV 396) is a required component of Northwestern University's Academic Certificate in Leadership. Successfully completing this course is a demonstration of your ability to positively affect the success of a group, organization or community – to leave a “leadership footprint.”

Your field study should critically explore and engage leadership outside the classroom. Specifically, the goals are for you to:

Experience leadership that matters to you and others
Explore leadership models and concepts through application
Describe your leadership abilities to scholars and practitioners
Help set you on a path to routinely solve leadership problems and step forward when opportunities present themselves.

As you consider the field study you will propose for ULP's approval, keep in mind that we expect you to demonstrate your ability to:

Act as a change agent
Influence others
Solve problems
Take risks
Put your values into action
Work with and lead diverse teams

Your field study is the pursuit of a question about leadership that is compelling to you. It might place you in a new leadership role, be an internship or externship, or engage you in a community service experience on- or off-campus. In general, you should plan to be in this role for a minimum of 16 hours.

Learning Contract
Either individually or in small groups, your field study will simultaneously meet your desires and our expectations for your learning about leadership. As a result, we will use a learning contract.

A learning contract is an agreement between the Undergraduate Leadership Program (ULP) and you that sets out our joint expectations for you to achieve the field study's goals. It is intended to maintain clear and high standards for successful completion of your project while also providing you with significant flexibility on how those goals are achieved.

Click here for a sheet to guide you through writing your learning contract. You must meet with a ULP faculty or staff member in person at least once in advance of our agreeing to a final learning contract. Our goal is to be an enthusiastic partner during the drafting process, once your field study is underway, and as you complete the requirements. As a result, we strongly encourage you to meet with us throughout your field study. We are here to not only evaluate your finished product but to also coach you in achievement of a personally significant leadership study.