This course introduces leadership and civic engagement by examining foundational theories and practices of human social organization and civil society. Informed by such frameworks as Indigeneity, race, gender, class and Global South perspectives, this course will examine diverse models of leadership, situating these within broad historical and theoretical contexts.

*This course is open to all McMaster students.

This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of inquiry-based learning, including articulating strong research questions, defining a line of inquiry, cultivating research methods and resources, and identifying, defining, and executing a research project related to contemporary issues related to leadership and civic engagement.

This course will examine theories and practices of communication with the aim of engaging diverse publics utilizing multiple modes of address, active listening, collaboration, and persuasion. We will examine how publics, identities, opinions, and belonging are formed and influenced through communicative media, including print, public speaking, and the digital realm.

This course examines theories and practices of leadership from diverse, critical perspectives including Indigeneity, class, gender, race, age, and ability. Students will gain a critical, historical understanding of group and social dynamics with the aim of being able to assess and mobilize different civic engagement strategies.

This topics-based course will be structured around a series of guest speakers who will talk to students about pressing issues of contemporary concern to Canadian societies and the world. Possible topics include climate change, Indigenous struggles, ethnic and racial discrimination, civic cohesion, and democratic recession. The course will have an experiential, community-based element that takes students outside of the classroom to discuss issues of concern with pertinent communities.

This experiential, project-based course will provide students with training in ethical quantitative and qualitative methods to develop solutions to a specific societal challenge, need or concern. Students will gain such skills as project management, gathering, analysing, and communicating data, and responsible reporting to stakeholders.

This course provides supports, resources, and mentorship to complete a major independent or group project related to civic engagement and leadership. The project will combine research and community-informed work and will include volunteer placements in community-based organizations. Final projects will be presented at a year-end symposium where key stakeholders, including the larger public, will be invited to share in students’ findings and accomplishments.