Discover Your Path to Leadership
Regardless of your major or career goals, the McDonough Center offers multiple pathways for you to grow as a leader. Whether you choose to pursue a minor in leadership studies, a leadership studies specialization, a teacher leadership specialization, or an engineering leadership specialization, you will gain the knowledge, experience and confidence to make a meaningful impact in you community, profession and organizations.
Students pursuing the minor in leadership studies or completing a specialization in leadership studies, engineering leadership, or teacher leadership are named McDonough Scholars.
Open to students in all majors, the McDonough Leadership program enriches your Marietta College experience with distinctive opportunities to learn, practice and lead.
Admission to the McDonough Scholars Program is competitive. After being admitted to Marietta College, you may be invited to apply to the leadership program through a separate application process
Criteria for admission into the program include:
- strong record of academic achievement (Minimum Grade Point Average: 3.5
- evident record of leadership in high school and/or in the community
- thoughtful and complete answers to the questions in the McDonough application form
Ask your admissions counselor for more details!
Students admitted into the McDonough Leadership program complete a one-week EXCEL (Experience Community Engagement and Leadership) Workshop before taking the first course in the program.
At the heart of the McDonough Leadership Program is a cohort experience built on connection, collaboration and support. As a McDonough Scholar, you’ll learn and grow alongside peers as you move through core leadership coursework, hands-on practicum experiences and real-world opportunities. Along the way, you’ll build lasting relationships with fellow students, faculty and community partners while developing the skills and confidence to lead with purpose wherever your path takes you.
After the McDonough Selection Committee has reviewed your application, you will be notified by letter of the committee's decision. If you have any questions, please call us at 740-376-4760 or send us an e-mail (lead@marietta.edu).
Four pathways to leadership study
Leadership Studies Minor
Regardless of your career path, at some point you will be called to step up and lead.
Directly connected to our liberal arts core, leadership is a focus of every academic program we offer and in every facet of campus life. Leadership development is a critical component of the college experience. The minor in leadership studies can be combined with any major offered by Marietta College. Based on a liberal-arts approach, these academic tracks bring together students from a wide variety of academic interests. They all share a common goal: developing themselves as ethical leaders who make a difference.
In addition to academic curriculum, requirements include:
- Successful Application and Acceptance into the McDonough Leadership Program
- Participation in the EXCEL Workshop (the orientation event for incoming McDonough Scholars)
- Experiential Component: Complete one - Internship, Study Abroad, Community Service Project
- Leadership Lab: 100 hours of approved community service.
Leadership Studies Specialization
Like the leadership studies minor, a specialization focuses on leadership development through core courses and cohort-based participation. A leadership studies specialization requires fewer credit hours to complete and is designed for McDonough Scholars who are pursuing a demanding major that requires a heavy course load during their junior and senior years.
In addition to academic curriculum, requirements include:
- Successful Application and Acceptance into the McDonough Leadership Program
- Participation in the EXCEL Workshop (the orientation event for incoming McDonough Scholars)
- Leadership Lab: 50 hours of approved community service.
Engineering Leadership Specialization
Prepare to be a strong communicator and ethical problem solver in a complex industry
This cutting-edge specialization is designed for students who are pursuing a petroleum engineering major at Marietta College.
As more countries join the ranks of industrialized economies, the need for larger energy resources has dramatically increased. With the global interest in the future of the energy industry, there is a great demand for engineers who have both strong technical expertise and leadership skills.
In addition to academic curriculum, requirements include:
- Successful Application and Acceptance into the McDonough Leadership Program
- Participation in the EXCEL Workshop (the orientation event for incoming McDonough Scholars)
- Leadership Lab: 50 hours of approved community service.
Teacher Leader Specialization
Develop the Skills to Lead in the Classroom and Beyond.
The teacher leadership specialization helps education majors connect what they learn at Marietta College with the difference they will make as future educators.
Through leadership-focused coursework and experiences, you will develop the confidence, communication skills and practical tools needed to inspire others, advocate for students and contribute meaningfully to their schools and communities.
Graduates with this specialization enter the teaching profession prepared not only to lead their own classrooms, but also to collaborate with colleagues, champion innovation and serve as catalysts for positive change. The teacher leadership certificate reflects Marietta College's commitment to preparing educators who are equipped to meet the opportunities and challenges of today's schools while making a lasting impact on future generations of learners.
In addition to academic curriculum, requirements include:
- Successful Application and Acceptance into the McDonough Leadership Program
- Participation in the EXCEL Workshop (the orientation event for incoming McDonough Scholars)
- Leadership Lab: 25 hours of approved community service.
What You’ll Learn as a Leadership Student
Open to students in all majors, the McDonough Leadership Program adds distinct leadership experiences to your Marietta education and equips you with the knowledge, practice and opportunity to lead.
The McDonough Leadership Program is structured around three pillars:
- Knowledge (expanded knowledge of leadership concepts, theories, and models);
- Action (expanded leadership skills through guided experiential opportunities — critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, oral communication);
- Growth (the attainment of "Leadership Wisdom" through reflection, coaching, and mentoring).
Department Faculty & Staff
Elliott
Nulton
Judd
Copeland
Miller
Dailey
