Public Leadership
Changing the world through effective, ethical leadership
Introduction
Leadership is essential across all professions and careers. Whether in medicine, finance, or any other field, effective leaders are the driving force behind progress and purpose for any industry. The Public Leadership Scholars Program exists to develop students into leaders and equip them with the necessary skills to become successful in their chosen path.
Public Leadership (PL) explores the theory and practice of leadership with a focus on strengthening students’ leadership and life skills. Throughout the course, PL Scholars will explore topics beneficial to students across a range of different majors, including:
- Different models of leadership, citizenship and social change;
- Forms of persuasion and power and how to use them effectively;
- Ethical approaches to decision-making and negotiation; and
- Life and career development skills.
Through panels, debates, simulations, case studies, group discussions, long-term projects, and dialogue with guest speakers, PL students become informed citizens able to engage in a healthy discussion of issues and reason critically and persuasively about community matters. Personal and professional development are also integrated into the curriculum: Students will advance their writing, communication, and presentation skills; practice negotiation fundamentals; and discover and develop their own leadership styles and strengths. These skills will serve students with a variety of majors who seek careers in a wide range of professions.
By the end of the PL Scholars program, students will be able to:
- Facilitate and lead group meetings
- Speak confidently in public settings.
- Practice effective negotiation tactics
- Create requests for grant proposals
- Review grant requests
- Write succinctly, professionally, and persuasively
PL welcomes students of all majors who are committed to developing their leadership skills in pursuit of the common good.
Colloquium and Lecture Topics
- Understanding leadership strengths in yourself and others
- Leadership and social change application
- Communicating across differing values and identities
- Time management and coping with stress
Joining the PL program was one of the best decisions I made at Maryland. Because of PL, many career opportunities opened for me that otherwise would have been a long shot, and the floormates I lived with in the PL dorms are some of the best friends I've made at UMD.
Other Learning Opportunities
Located near the nation's capital, the state capital and a large international diplomatic community, the University of Maryland is an ideal setting for examining and growing public leadership. Students:
- Take engaging field trips, such as to the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts;
- Experience professional development seminars and speaker events; and
- Engage in a team-based grant-making experience, where they seek grant proposals from nonprofits in the capital region serving an identified social issue, evaluate proposals and award grants with actual funding from the Do Good Institute.
Finally, through the program’s practicum requirement, students gain valuable professional experience that allows them to leverage their newly learned communications and leadership evaluation skills in their field of choice. Past students have interned in a wide variety of career fields including: on Congressional committees; for local nonprofits; in the Student Legal Aid office; for large tech and finance organizations; and even engaged in research in labs on and off campus. Our students are also entrepreneurs, creating their own companies and formulating their own research while still at the beginning of their college career.
Curriculum Overview
Over the two-year program experience (four semesters), students will complete a 3-credit oral communication course that will count toward their PL Scholars citation and General Education requirements. Note that your Scholars courses will generally be in addition to any courses you take to satisfy major requirements.
The following table represents a typical two-year curriculum, but individual schedules may vary. Details about courses and requirements can be found on the PL Citation Checklist.
| SEMESTER | COURSE | CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | CPPL 100: Colloquium I (DVCC) | 1 credit |
| PLCY 201S: Public Leaders and Active Citizens (SCIS, DSHS or DSSP) | 3 credits | |
| Semester 2 | CPPL 101: Colloquium II | 1 credit |
| Semester 3 | CPPL 200: Colloquium III | 1 credit |
| Semester 3 or 4 | Practicum (var. Gen Ed) | 3 credits |
| Semester 1, 2, 3, or 4 | Oral Communication Course (FSOC) | 3 credits |
Sponsoring College
Office Address
1122 Cumberland Hall
Office Phone
Faculty
News and Notes, Etc.
School of Public Policy: Washburn Honored with Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, June 2024
Do Good Institute: Public Leadership Students Award Grants to Local Nonprofits, May 2022
School of Public Policy: How Networking Landed Public Leadership Student Lexi Naskiewicz an Internship at the National Police Foundation, December 2021
Do Good Institute: Five Social Impact Groups Awarded $1,000 by Freshman Public Leadership Students, May 2021
Public Leadership News
‘All-in’ Public Leadership Alum Offers Lessons for Other Scholars
Katie Bemb hadn’t intended on becoming a Terp. As a high school senior, she applied to the University of Maryland (UMD) regular decision but was strongly considering another university in the Washington, DC, metro area. That inclination began to change after her best friend—who had applied early action to UMD—got accepted into College Park Scholars. Students who apply early action are automatically considered for the living–learning program. “Once my friend told me about Scholars, I started to look more into it,” Bemb says. “And once I read more about the different Scholars programs, I started to get excited about UMD. When I read the description for Public Leadership Scholars, I felt like I was meant to be in the program.”
Scholars Recognized at 2017 University Awards
Scholars students took home several top awards at the 36th University Student Leadership Awards on Sunday, May 7. University Awards recognized Maryland Medallion Society members and Byrd/Elkins Finalists who have contributed significantly to the general advancement of this university’s interests and displayed outstanding involvement and leadership in campus activities. These students are the university’s top 20 senior students; two Scholars alumni were recognized by the Maryland Medallion Society:
Public Leadership Alum Jazz Lewis Elected to Maryland State Legislature
Jazz Lewis, a 2009 alumnus of Public Leadership Scholars, is currently serving as the second youngest delegate in the Maryland General Assembly. "[Public Leadership] was pivotal to me, I got my first job in politics because of Public Leadership. I interned in the [Prince George’s County] councilman’s office as part of my practicum project," Lewis said. This internship provided him with a "feel for change on the local level," especially in Prince George’s County, where Lewis grew up. Lewis was introduced to this internship opportunity when former Public Leadership Director David Crocker brought in a Prince George’s County council member to speak to their class.