LEAD Program Utah Valley University

LEAD is a self-paced leadership-development program rather than a major or minor. Although approved academic courses are part of its requirements, most LEAD activities are completed through leadership experiences, involvement, mentoring, assessments, training, and reflection.

Through LEAD, you will build practical leadership and career-readiness skills, better understand and communicate your strengths, connect with mentors, and gain experience you can discuss in job or graduate-school applications.

Depending on how many phases you complete, you can also earn a leadership distinction on your transcript and graduation cords.

LEAD is open to any current UVU student who is in good standing with the university. There are no minimum GPA or other eligibility requirements.

Applications are open year-round, so you can join whenever the timing is right for you. There is no application deadline. There is a completion deadline (April 1^st) for those who are graduating to submit their final LEAD requirements.

No! There is no cost to apply, enroll, or participate in LEAD. The program covers the cost of required assessments and training.

Note: You will complete two approved courses to earn Standard Distinction or four to earn High Distinction. Depending on your course load and tuition situation, completing these courses could result in additional tuition costs. However, LEAD has a list of approximately 600 approved courses, so you can often select classes that also fulfill requirements for your major, minor, or general education.

Yes! All LEAD requirements may be fulfilled online or remotely. You are also always welcome to attend LEAD events in person when you’re able.

After applying, you will receive information about accessing your LEAD checklist and completing Phase 1. Your first steps will include attending an orientation and completing the CliftonStrengths assessment. Orientation may be completed through the annual LEAD Kickoff or an online or in-person orientation session.

LEAD has four phases, and you can complete them entirely at your own pace. Some students complete multiple phases in the same semester, while others spread the requirements across several semesters. You can choose the timeline that works best with your goals, schedule, and graduation plans.

Each phase requires 30 leadership and involvement hours, for a total of 120 hours across all four phases. This is the largest time commitment in the program. You will also complete one approved leadership course per phase. These courses can often overlap with your major, minor, or general education requirements, and there is currently no minimum credit requirement for an approved course.

In addition to the leadership hours and courses, you can expect approximately:

Phase 1: 6 hours

Phase 2: 7 hours

Phase 3: 15 hours

Phase 4: 12 hours

Many different experiences can qualify, including student leadership, campus involvement, community volunteering, and leadership responsibilities within an internship or job. Volunteer service may count even when you are not serving in a formal leadership position, as long as you can reflect on your impact and what you learned about leadership.

Regular paid work or internship hours do not automatically count. However, you may count the specific hours during which you performed leadership-related responsibilities.

Leadership can happen with or without a formal title. LEAD allows you to choose involvement experiences that fit your interests and goals, including volunteer service and other opportunities where you contribute, take initiative, learn from others, or make a meaningful difference.

Any qualifying classes you completed previously can count towards the LEAD leadership course requirement, just like if you were to add a major or minor.

Leadership hours, Concept Cultivator-type learning experiences, and other LEAD requirements cannot be counted retroactively.

Yes! You do not need to wait until a new semester to advance. As soon as you complete the requirements for your current phase (other than the leadership course), you may begin working on the next phase.

LEAD is entirely self-paced. Even if you have only one or two semesters remaining, you are welcome to complete as much of the program as you can. Many students are already doing enough leadership and involvement hours to complete multiple phases in one semester.

Completing two phases earns you a Standard Leadership Distinction. Completing all four phases earns you a High Leadership Distinction and graduation cords.

If you would like help planning your timeline, select the Schedule a Meeting Today button at the bottom of this page to meet with the LEAD Coordinator. We would be happy to help you create a plan that supports your goals!

No—completing the first two phases earns you a Standard Leadership Distinction on your transcript. If you choose to continue and complete all four phases, you will earn a High Leadership Distinction and graduation cords.

You must complete all four phases of LEAD to receive graduation cords.

There is no penalty for completing only part of the program. You can participate at your own pace and complete as much as fits your schedule. To earn a transcript distinction, however, you must complete at least the first two phases.