Beyond the Classroom
Whether you major in American studies or work toward a leadership studies minor, you will enjoy countless opportunities to enhance your learning outside of class.
All students are encouraged to collaborate with service organizations on campus and in the community, and students in the President’s Leadership Program are required to engage in service.
You can earn credit for the leadership studies minor by studying abroad with leadership faculty in Maastricht, The Netherlands, where we offer a cross-cultural leadership course every summer. We also have a course in leadership and social justice that travels to Cape Town, South Africa, and a course in leadership in sport that travels to Sweden and Iceland. Some years, students join a group of undergraduates from Marietta College to study environmental leadership in Costa Rica and Belize.
As a leadership student you’ll have the opportunity to present papers or participate in the case-study competition at the International Leadership Association (ILA) global conference. Students have traveled to London, Montreal, Barcelona, Vancouver and many other major cities to attend ILA.
You can also present papers at the McDonough Student Leadership Conference at Marietta College, participate in the Collegiate Leadership Competition and attend the U.S. Naval Academy Leadership Conference.
You can conduct your own research with faculty guidance or assist faculty with their research. Our faculty conduct compelling research and publish widely in scholarly and professional journals, and students are often involved in these endeavors.
Opportunities abound for internships in business, government, education and the nonprofit sector, allowing you to apply the leadership skills you learn in class to real-world situations.
The Center for American Studies offers students the opportunity to conduct original research, present work at professional conferences, and work with scholars and leaders in the public and private sectors on the pressing issues of our time, such as democracy, individual rights, presidential history and national security, among others.