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Future Students

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Leadership & Civic Studies I (Wilson College)

Educating the Next Generation of Civic Leaders

Wilson College of Leadership & Civic Engagement is McMaster University’s newest addition; and it’s designed for changemakers like you! Our Leadership & Civic Studies I program is where big ideas meet real world impact. You will tackle pressing societal challenges, sharpen your critical and creative thinking, and develop the skills to drive meaningful change in your community.

With a small, supportive cohort, your learning will extend far beyond the classroom. You’ll graduate with a Combined Honours BA in Leadership & Civic Studies plus a second subject from Humanities or Social Sciences. Along the way, you’ll gain hands-on leadership experience through community projects, research, and civic engagement. By graduation, you’ll be ready to lead with integrity, collaborate across disciplines, and help shape a more inclusive, ethical, and sustainable future.

Why Leadership & Civic Studies I (Wilson College) at McMaster University?

Why settle for one major when you can graduate with two? You’ll earn a Combined Honours BA in Leadership & Civic Studies and another subject of your choice from the Faculty of Humanities or Social Sciences. This unique program blends your passions with real-world skills to help you stand out to employers and graduate schools.

Transitioning to university is a big step, and we want you to feel supported from day one. All Wilson College students are guaranteed residence in one of McMaster’s many vibrant student communities – Peter George Centre for Living and Learning. You’ll live with likeminded peers while enjoying campus events and opportunities designed for growth.

We believe in recognizing your potential from the very beginning. That’s why every Wilson College student automatically receives a $1,500 entrance scholarship upon admission. Consider it both a celebration of your achievements and an investment in your future.

Program Options

You’ll pair Leadership & Civic Studies with another subject from the Faculty of Humanities or Social Sciences, creating a unique degree that matches your interests and career goals.

Combined Honours BA in Leadership & Civic Studies and …

 

Faculty of Humanities

Faculty of Social Sciences
  • Cognitive Science of Language
  • Communication Studies
  • English and Cultural Studies
  • French
  • History
  • Linguistics
  • Media Arts
  • Music
  • Global Peace and Social Justice
  • Greek and Roman Studies
  • Philosophy
  • iArts (Integrated Arts)
  

  • Anthropology
  • Economics
  • Environment and Society
  • Health, Aging and Society
  • Indigenous Studies
  • Political Science
  • Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour
  • Society, Culture and Religion
  • Sociology
  • Work and Labour Studies

 

 

Experiential Learning

Capstone & Placement: Your Final-Year Advantage

In your final year, you’ll bring everything together through a professional placement and a capstone project. The placement puts you inside an organization where you can apply your skills, gain hands-on experience, and start building your network. Capstone challenges you to tackle a real-world problem by integrating leadership theories, civic engagement strategies, and research skills into a project with meaningful impact. Together, these experiences ensure you leave Wilson College not just with a degree, but with the confidence and connections to launch your career or pursue further studies.

Information Box Group

50

Target Enrolment

Mid-80's

  • Grade 12 English
  • Five additional Grade 12 U/M courses

Supplementary Application

Allows us to get to know you beyond your academic achievements.

Expandable List

You’ll enroll in:

  • WILSON 1A03 – Introduction to Leadership and Civic Studies
    • Discover how leadership and civic engagement take shape across cultures, histories and perspectives from Indigeneity to the Global South.
  • WILSON 1B03 – Inquiry & Contemporary Issues
    • Learn how to ask powerful questions, build strong research skills and table real-world issues in leadership and civic engagement
  • 24 units (8 classes) from Humanities and Social Sciences level one & electives

 

After completing first-year program, you’ll select a second major from the Faculty of Humanities or Social Sciences to create your Combined Honours degree. From there, your studies will blend courses from Leadership & Civic Studies and your second subject while incorporating three themes:

  • Leadership & Civic Engagement
  • Ethics, Governance and Democracy
  • Justice, Human Rights, and Communication

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.

WILSON 2D03 – Deconstructing Leadership: Leadership and Diversity

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.

WILSON 3E03 – Future of Canada Challenges

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.

WILSON 3F03 – Leadership and Civic Engagement Skills and Methods

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.

WILSON 4A06 – Civic Leadership Placement & Project

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.

Admissions