2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.

View Undergraduate Section View Graduate Section

Explore Programs

Search Courses

Leadership and Social Change (ILRM) Minor

The Leadership and Social Change minor introduces students to the academic study of leadership and provides them with interdisciplinary skills to solve complex societal issues at the local, national, and international levels. While engaging in the study of leadership, students will also learn about the Social Change Model of Leadership Development created specifically for college students. This model helps students understand themselves (individual values), how to work with others (group values), and how to better serve their communities (society values). In this process, students will not only learn about leadership but will also answer the question: leadership for what?”

Admission Requirements for the Minor

The Leadership and Social Change minor is open to all Virginia Tech undergraduate students with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50. To add the minor, visit this link: https://www.cals.vt.edu/academic-programs/current/CALS_Studentforms.html, scroll down and select “Add or Drop Minor in CALS”.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required Minor Courses
LDRS 1414	Citizen Leadership (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)	3
LDRS 4044	Leadership Studies Capstone (Culmination of comprehensive knowledge gained about leadership and social change throughout a student's undergraduate career. )	1
Subtotal		4
Select six credit hours of the following:		6
ALCE 3014	Leadership Effectiveness for Professionals in Agricultural Organizations (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)
LDRS 2014	Principles of Peer Leadership (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)
LDRS 3104	The Dynamics of Leadership
LDRS 3304	Elements of Team Leadership (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)
LDRS 4514	Skills for Nonprofit Organizational Leaders
Social Change Electives Courses (select three credit hours from each section below):		9
Communicating Individual Values (select three credit hours)
ALCE 3624	Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Writing (Pathway 1a)
ALCE 3634	Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Speaking (Pathway 1a)
ALCE 2414	Identity and Inclusion in Agricultural and Life Sciences (Pathway 1a Pathway 7)
EDEP 2444	Motivating Yourself and Others
ENGL 4804	Grant Proposals and Reports
FA 2004	Creativity and the Artistic Experience
HUM 3204	Multicultural Communication (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States)
HD 2314	Human Sexuality (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)
LDRS 1424	Citizen Leadership Praxis (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)
LDRS 2964	Field Study (Field Study/Practicum)
LDRS 3954	Study Abroad (Study Abroad)
LDRS 4754	Internship
LDRS 4964	Field Study (Field Study/Practicum)
LDRS 4994	Undergraduate Research
MKTG 3134	Personal Well-being and Professional Success
MGT 3304	Management Theory and Leadership Practice (Study Abroad)
MKTG 3954	Study Abroad (Field Study/Practicum)
PSYC 1004	Introductory Psychology
PHIL 1304	Morality and Justice (Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities)
Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences
Understanding Group Values (select three credit hours)
AFST 1714	Introduction to African American Studies (Pathway 3 Pathway 7)
AFST 1814	Introduction to African Studies (Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities or Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)
AFST 2734	The Black Woman in the U.S.
AFST 3454	African American Leadership for Social Change
APS 1704	Introduction to Appalachian Studies (Pathway 2 Pathway 7)
ENGL/WGS 3134	Gender and Linguistics
ENGL/RLCL 3144	Language and Ethnicity in the United States
HD 1134	Introduction to Disability Studies
HUM 3464	Appalachian Communities
MGT 2354	Teams, Leadership, and Business: Cultivating Excellence (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)
MKTG 4154	Marketing Research
PSCI 3256	The Politics of Race, Ethnicity and Gender
PSYC 2084	Social Psychology (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)
RLCL 2204	Race and Gender in Religion and Culture (Pathway 2 Pathway 7)
SOC 2024	Sociology of Race and Ethnicity (Pathway 3 Pathway 7)
SOC 2514	Asian American Experience (Pathway 3 Pathway 7)
SOC 3614	Gender and Work in the U.S.
WGS 1824	Introduction to Womens and Gender Studies (Pathway 2 Pathway 3)
WGS 2114	Feminist Theory
WGS 2254	Feminist Activism
Supporting Societal/Community Values (select three credit hours)
AAEC 3324	Environment and Sustainable Development Economics (Pathway 3 Pathway 7)
AFST 2354	The Civil Rights Movement
ALCE 4304	Community Education and Development
FREC 2554	Leadership for Global Sustainability
HD 3024	Community Analytics (Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking)
MGT 2204	Global Business of Pop Culture
MGT 4334	Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility (Pathway 1a Pathway 7)
MKTG 4644	Marketing, Society and the Public Interest
PHIL 2304	Global Ethics (Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities)
PHIL 4304	Political Philosophy (Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities)
PSCI 3214	Political Participation
RLCL 1044	Religious Ethics (Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities)
SOC 2004	Social Problems (Pathway 3 Pathway 7)
SOC 2034	Diversity and Community Engagement (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)
SOC 3004	Social Inequality
SPIA 1024	Community Service Learning
SPIA 2554	Collaborative Policy-Making and Planning
UAP 3344	Global Environmental Issues: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities)
Total Credits		19

Graduation Requirements

A minimum of 19 hours is required to graduate with the Leadership and Social Change minor.
Students must complete at least 6 credit hours of coursework at the 3000-level or above.
At least 9 credits of Pathways courses must satisfy three different concepts.
No more than 50% of the graded course credits required for the Minor in Leadership and Social Change (ILRM) may be double counted in a student’s major.
Course substitutions are available upon request. Please contact Dr. Austin Council with a rationale and make sure the course you are proposing is at the same level (e.g., 1-4000) as the one you are substituting.
Students seeking to serve as an undergraduate teaching assistant in a specific LDRS course must be force-added to LDRS 2964 (Field Study/Practicum). Students interested in this experience must be approved by the course instructor and have received an “A” upon completion of the course.
Students interested in having an internship (LDRS 4754) or field experience (LDRS 4964) count towards the minor must first gain approval from a supervising faculty member and will then be force-added to the course.
Students must self-select their social change electives based on an interest area or focus. Use the definitions provided on page 1 and the worksheet on page 3 for ideas. If you are interested in taking social change elective courses outside what is listed, please consult with Dr. Austin Council, Coordinator of the Leadership and Social Change Minor (adc@vt.edu), before enrolling to receive approval.

Adding the Leadership and Social Change Minor

To add the minor, visit this link: https://www.cals.vt.edu/academic-programs/current/CALS_Studentforms.html, scroll down and select “Add or Drop Minor in CALS”.

Dr. Austin Council, Collegiate Assistant Professor, Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education adc@vt.edu