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Leadership (BA)
Experience and Career Guide

Make the most out of your university career by taking advantage of all that Laurier has to offer you and learning about the many ways you can extend your classroom experience into the real world. There are so many opportunities to learn, lead, and embrace new opportunities all while having an exceptional student experience.

In this Guide

Learn the many ways you can extend your classroom experience to the real world.

Year-to-Year Academic Experience Co-Curricular Opportunities Knowledge and Skills Career Options and Graduate Outcomes

Your Year-to-Year Experience

Enhance your academic experience by learning about the opportunities available in your program.

Explore Co-Curricular Experiences

Participate in co-curricular experiences to complement your Laurier
academic journey and gain meaningful learning opportunities.

As a Leadership student, you can: 

  • Join student clubs such as the Human and Social Sciences Association (HASSA) and build leadership skills through joining an executive team.
  • Participate in the Youth Leaders on Board program and for the opportunity to get matched with a local organization to serve as a student member of the board of directors.
  • Apply for employment opportunities such as a grading assistant, instructional assistant, or Youth Leader on Board program assistant.
  • Participate in the Collegiate Leadership Competition for a chance to apply your leadership knowledge and skills and complete against other universities and colleges from Ontario, the U.S., and beyond.

Outside of your program, there are many co-curricular opportunities for you to participate in. 

Design Your Degree

These are a few popular academic opportunities which allow you to dive deeper into your major area of study or broaden your knowledge. See undergraduate options, minors and courses for more information.
  • Public Safety Minor/Option
  • Business Technology Management Option
  • Health Studies Minor/Option
  • Critical Game Studies Minor/Option
  • Minor in Education
  • Teaching Option

The BA in Leadership can be studied as a standalone major or you can take it in combination with another program (Honours BA Leadership in Combination).

Develop Your Knowledge and Skills

As a Laurier student, you will develop the following competencies through your curricular and co-curricular experiences.

Competency Framework

Competencies are categories of transferrable skills that appear on your online Experience Record to help you reflect on what you've learned from your experiences. The competencies include: 

  • Adaptability and Resiliency
  • Collaboration and Teamwork
  • Communication
  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Critical Thinking
  • Digital Literacy
  • Diversity and Intercultural Understanding
  • Functional Knowledge
  • Leadership
  • Problem Solving
  • Professional Attributes
  • Self-Awareness

Functional Knowledge

  • Enhance your understanding of how to be an effective leader and follower and learn how to apply your leadership skills to effectively work with and inspire others.
  • Develop self-leadership skills including time management, accountability and decision-making capacity.
  • Gain an understanding of toxic leadership and how factors such as followers and the situation can support or challenge toxic leaders.
  • Explore ethical issues from a variety of perspectives – who are the stakeholders? How are they affected by a decision or behaviour? Who stands to gain? Who stands to lose?
  • Come to appreciate the ways in which diversity enhances organizations.
  • Develop a deep understanding of the various theories and approaches available to leaders and how you can adapt those approaches to your personal leadership toolkit and situation.
  • Acquire project management skills and knowledge needed by today’s organizations.

Discover Career Options

All your experiences at Laurier can help you prepare for your future. Attend Career Centre events and workshops or book a career consulting appointment to explore career and further education options.
%
Pursuing Further Education
%
Employed
%
Other

82 Faculty of Liberal Arts respondents from the 2024 Laurier Graduate Survey conducted by the Career Centre. Graduates were surveyed within 12 months of graduation. Other includes those travelling, volunteering or out of the workforce. 9% of graduates were looking for employment when survey data collection ended.

Alumni Careers and Pathways

Sample Further Education Programs Within the First Year After Graduation

  • Master’s Degree - Social Work, Education, Globalization, Social Justice and Community Engagement
  • College Program - Human Resources, Public Relations, Occupational Health
  • Bachelor’s Degree - Education, Social Work

Sample Jobs Within the First Year After Graduation

  • business innovation coordinator
  • event coordinator
  • marketing coordinator
  • project administrator
  • project manager
  • social media manager
  • talent advisor

Careers Of Alumni Two to Five Years After Graduation

  • customer success specialist
  • event manager
  • finance broker
  • human resources
  • operations manager
  • research associate and teaching faculty
  • retention specialist
  • sales and business development manager

Career Options and Resources

Need some guidance on what you can do with your degree? Discover some career options and find resources to help guide you. 

Career and Industry Options

  • communications
  • counselling/social work
  • education/teaching
  • event planning
  • government
  • healthcare
  • human resources
  • journalism/media
  • law/legal field
  • library/archives/museum
  • non-profit/advocacy
  • project management
  • public relations
  • research
  • sales and marketing
  • student affairs

Career Resources

Your Experiences Tell Your Story

Share your story through your Laurier Experience Record. An interactive, shareable and official record of your hands-on experiences and learning opportunities at Laurier – the first of its kind in Canada!



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