Bachelor of Science in Public Leadership and Changemaking Shorelight Group - University of Wisconsin-Superior, USA

Our Bachelor of Science in Public Leadership and Changemaking is an interdisciplinary program that will prepare you to engage diverse groups in developing solutions for complex issues within local, regional, national and global communities. You will gain an understanding of systemic issues, and you’ll develop skills and gain real-world experience through a required internship, capstone courses and more. This major is unique in the region, making graduates highly sought after by nonprofits, planning agencies, civic and public agencies, Tribal government entities and many more.

The core courses for this major are taught by professors of political science, philosophy, Indigenous studies and social work, providing diverse perspectives and backgrounds from faculty with decades of experience. You will select courses from a range of electives offered by five different academic departments and 14 disciplines, allowing you to tailor your program to meet your unique goals. All courses are taught by professors who are passionate about this major and their fields of study, preparing students for careers that positively impact our society and world.

What You’ll Learn
You will learn about systemic issues across various populations and regions. You will develop critical skills and gain real-world experience through the required internship and two capstone project-based courses. The major requires only five prescribed core classes including a seminar on contemporary Indigenous issues as well as courses on civic intervention and social science research methods. Other required coursework includes courses in communication tools; ethics, civic and social responsibility; current complex issues and their historical roots; and change-making methods, which encompass 12 more credits. The final 15 required credits of the program allow ample flexibility across a broad list of electives, allowing you to customize your major to align with your unique interests.

Through a major in Public Leadership and Changemaking at UW-Superior, you will be able to:

• Understand key factors that may impact how systems and institutions function
• Identify and apply a range of methods to facilitate change
• Describe and compare how organizations engage in civic interventions
• Recognize and analyze current complex issues and their historical roots
• Describe characteristics of civic and social responsibility
• Use a variety of communication tools to bring about change
• Perform technical tasks like budgeting, grant writing, scenario planning, and report writing
• Gather, evaluate and analyze information to understand an issue and inform a response
• Work collaboratively with diverse partners to lead inclusive processes
• Design and implement a concrete civic intervention