Leadership Certificates

At Rowan University, students have the opportunity to earn three Leadership Certificates.  The Certificates follow the Social Change Model of Leadership in order to allow students to explore different aspects of leadership development through their college experience.

The Leadership Certificates are always:

• Co-Curricular:  The Certificates are not for-credit classes, but the material covered in Certificate Seminars & leadership experiences will give students tools to be successful in the classroom.
  
  
• Universally Accessible:  The Leadership Certificate program is offered equally to every student at Rowan University.  We are open to students of any class status, part-time students, full-time students, Rowan Choice students, transfer students, students of any major.  The Certificates are always free for students.
  
  
• Competency-Based: Every single student has the capacity for leadership--there is no such thing as a “natural-born leader”.  The Certificates allow students to hone in & improve specific areas of leadership, rather than focusing on obtaining a position of authority.

Each Certificate takes one academic year to complete.  If a student completes all three Leadership Certificates before they graduate, Leadership Rowan will pay for their cap & gown for graduation!  If you’ve taken this time to prepare yourself for graduation, we’ll prepare you for graduation day.

Find out more about each Certificate:

Bronze Leadership Certificate

All students start at the Bronze Certificate.  The Bronze focuses on Individual Values of Leadership.  Leaders must first understand how they themselves grow and thrive before they want to help others do the same.  As part of the Bronze Certificate, students will be challenged to find a mentor on campus & branch out into different aspects of campus involvement.

Silver Leadership Certificate

Students who complete the Bronze Certificate can move on to the Silver Certificate.  The Silver moves from Individual Values to Group Values of Leadership.  Team dynamics are at the heart of the Silver Certificate.  Teamwork, collaboration, and civil disagreement are all necessary parts to the success of any group.  After completing the Silver Certificate, you might find that group projects & papers are more enjoyable!

Gold Leadership Certificate

After completing the Silver Certificate, students can enroll in the Gold Certificate, the third level of the program.  The Gold Certificate focuses on Societal & Community Values of Leadership.  In addition to being connected to themselves and their teams, leaders are connected to their communities.  Leaders improve the communities around them. This Certificate will challenge students to think of leadership in a larger context & prepare for possible career paths after college.  Students in this certificate will act as mentors for the newer Rowan students in the program.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start my Certificate?

Come to an Interest Meeting--we have a bunch of them!  There are separate Interest Meetings for the Bronze, Silver, and Gold.  You can find out about all of them on the OSLP ProfLink page. If you are unable to attend a meeting email Leadership Rowan as soon as possible in order to find a time to meet.

Wait, this is different than last year.  What happened?

Yeah--we’ve changed it up a little!  Leadership Rowan overhauled the Certificate program for the 2018-2019 academic year.  Prior to September 2018, the Leadership Certificates did a very good job in tracking all of the stuff students were already doing on campus.  The new Certificates seek to deliver a more active experience for students looking to hone in on leadership development skills. Not to worry--your work with the old leadership certificates hasn’t gone to waste!  The new Certificates correspond with the old ones & you can continue where you left off.

For example, if you completed the Level 1 Leadership Certificate during the 2017-18 academic year, you are now eligible for the Silver Certificate.  If you have any questions about this, email Leadership Rowan & we can clear it up.

What’s the time commitment for the Certificates?

Each Certificate takes one academic year to complete.  Because of the different kinds of events & programs that students could choose inside of each certificate, it’s hard to say the exact time commitment.  But the certificates are built with the assumption that they will take about 30 hours through the academic year to accomplish. That’s all--just 30 hours inside of 10 months.

Wait--I’m a transfer student & I’m only going to be here two years.  Can I participate in the Leadership Certificates?

Yes!  Typically, the entire Leadership Certificate program takes 3 years to complete.  But for transfer students, there is the option to enroll in both the Bronze & the Silver Certificates at once.  This is done on a case-by-case basis. For more information on getting enrolled in this way, email Leadership Rowan.

I’m a Rowan Choice student, can I enroll in a Leadership Certificate?

Absolutely--you’re able to come to all Leadership Rowan events, conferences, & programs--including and especially the Leadership Certificates.

I’m an RA--can I host a Leadership Rowan event in my residence hall?

Let’s do it!  Email Leadership Rowan & we’ll figure out the details.  Sooner is always better than later.