Leadership Core

This course provides a comprehensive exploration of psychological principles and their direct application to personal and professional success. Students examine the key factors that influence psychological health, learn evidence-based strategies for managing stress and emotions in professional and personal environments, and develop the practical skills necessary to build resilience and cultivate strong, positive relationships. The goal of this course is to equip students with valuable insights and tools to enhance their overall quality of life and career satisfaction.

This course equips students with the practical writing and communication skills needed in professional settings. Students will learn to analyze audiences, apply persuasive strategies, and navigate communication ethics in real-world contexts. Emphasis is placed on clear document design, effective use of visuals, collaboration with colleagues, and professional oral presentations. Throughout the course, students will produce workplace-ready documents such as memos, reports, and proposals that strengthen their ability to communicate with clarity and professionalism in organizational environments.

Interpersonal Communication is the study of theories and practice in verbal and nonverbal communication with a focus on interpersonal relationships. Emphasis is on improving interpersonal skills and increasing communication competence in everyday social exchanges, and applying effective conflict strategies. Topics include perception, listening, friendships, professional and family relationships, building and maintaining healthy relationships, and recognizing the dark side of human relationships.

Through art and literature, this course explores leadership through the lens of great stories. Drawing on a variety of literature and film, students will analyze characters, conflicts, and turning points, connecting these narratives to leadership theories and practices. Guided by a faith integration perspective, students will analyze stories to consider how spiritual values, moral vision, and ethical frameworks shape both the portrayal of leaders and the practice of leadership. Through guided discussion, reflective writing, and comparative analysis, participants will deepen skills in critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and self-awareness. By the end of the course, students will emerge with a richer understanding of how narrative can inspire, challenge, and shape effective leadership in real-world contexts.

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of statistics, data fluency and data visualization. Through hands-on projects and real-world datasets, students learn how to collect, analyze, and summarize data using statistical methods, then design clear, effective visualizations to reveal trends and patterns, driving the extraction of actionable knowledge which informs decision making and outcomes. Students will master both the theory and software tools needed to communicate data-driven stories to technical and non-technical audiences.

This course introduces students to the process of virtue formation as it relates to leadership and decision making. Virtues, like any other skill, are developed through effective practices and habit formation. The goal is to shape leaders who engage in moral practices and habits that equip them with integrity, self-awareness and reliable decision making.

This course equips adult learners to explore leadership as a calling rooted in the practices of the Christian faith. With particular attention to the Wesleyan tradition and within a spirit of generous orthodoxy, students will examine how rhythms of worship and commitments to justice form the character, vision, and skills of leaders. This course emphasizes leadership not only as influence or authority but as service, discernment, and community transformation. Alongside critical reflection on Scripture, tradition, and experience, students will discern their own sense of calling and cultivate rhythms of leadership that are sustainable, faithful, and attentive to the needs of their communities. Students will engage in practices that shape faithful leaders, critically reflect on their own sense of vocation, and develop practical habits and strategies for leading with integrity, wisdom, and courage in diverse contexts.

This interdisciplinary course explores the intersection of strategic decision-making and leadership development in a world increasingly shaped by data and artificial intelligence (AI). Designed for emerging and established leaders, the course equips students with the leadership frameworks and analytical methodologies necessary to craft and implement vision-driven, data-informed strategies in complex, dynamic environments. Students will examine how decisions are made at individual, organizational, and societal levels, including leveraging context, data analytics, and AI to enhance decision quality. Simultaneously, the course emphasizes the leadership competencies required to guide teams, influence stakeholders, and drive change aligned with strategic goals.