Department of Leadership and Strategic Studies

LDRS 1000. TCC Dual Admit. 0 Credit Hours (Lecture: 0 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

LDRS 1201. Basics of Self-Leadership and Staff Work. 2 Credit Hours (Lecture: 2 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

Individual assessments to provide insights into personal traits, characteristics, and tendencies. Basic skills of time management, goal setting, and personal planning. Identifying organizational protocols and procedures. Develop interpersonal communication skills, project implementation and quality assurance. Fundamentals of reporting orally and in writing.

LDRS 1301. Foundations of Leadership. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

Advanced study of leadership theories and models. Explores major theories and applications associated with various leadership practices throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Provide students the framework to critically think about their leadership philosophy and the situations they will encounter in future careers.

LDRS 1302. Leadership and the Humanities. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

Introduction to leadership as an object of study through examination of its historical foundations and intellectual development. Readings selected from history, literature, philosophy, political theory, religion, and social theory. Emphasis on assessing these texts in light of reasoned argument and on drawing out their implications for leadership studies.

LDRS 2301. Foundations of Leadership. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

Advanced study of leadership theories and models. Explores major theories and applications associated with various leadership practices throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Provide students the framework to critically think about their leadership philosophy and the situations they will encounter in future careers.

LDRS 2302. Elements of Leading Teams. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

Advanced study of team leadership and management. Explores team and group dynamics, organization, planning, and group behavior. Strategies for organizational assessment, tools for developing people within organizations, and techniques for developing and delivering training programs.

LDRS 3301. Leadership and Change. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

This survey course introduces the student to a broad range of concepts, theories, and practices important for a basic understanding of the similarities and differences between leadership and management. Contemporary and advanced issues in change leadership such as creating a climate for change, implementing and sustaining change, building a change vision, adaptive leadership and change readiness.

LDRS 3302. Leadership and Ethics. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

Advanced study of important historical and contemporary ethical theories. Includes assessment and development of character and actions, application of ethical theories, their justification and relationship to society, and objective or subjective status in today’s society.

LDRS 3303. Elements of Leading Teams. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

This course examines fundamental principles of group work and develops perspectives of leadership within teams to include team and group dynamics, organization, planning, and group behavior. Strategies for organizational assessment, tools for developing people within organizations, and techniques for developing and designing programs are also examined. Through intentional group interaction, students will achieve an advanced and holistic philosophical team leadership framework. Over the course of the semester, individuals will have opportunities to practice and apply what they have learned.

LDRS 4086. Independent Study. 1-6 Credit Hours (Lecture: 1-6 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

Topics vary according to student need. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours. Open to students of junior or senior classification. Prerequisite: Approval of the department head.

LDRS 4308. Leadership Studies Capstone Course. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

Capstone leadership course that serves as the cumulation of the Leadership and Strategic Studies program. Students use leadership theories and concepts to research leadership challenges and opportunities within the national defense system and organizations broadly. Students will employ research methods to gather and analyze data related to their research topic and write and present their findings and substantive recommendations in an appropriate forum. Prerequisite: None.

LDRS 4384. Leadership Field Experience. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 0 Hours, Lab: 3 Hours).

A supervised field based internship in which the student applies skills and knowledge gained through the John Tarleton Leadership Academy. The course provides students with an opportunity to exercise leadership fundamentals, specialized language, or technical/research skills within a governmental, public, or private business organization. Prerequisite: Approval of department head.

LDRS 4389. Cultural Understanding and Leadership Proficiency. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 0 Hours, Lab: 3 Hours).

This course is Cadet Professional Development Training for the Texan Corps of Cadets and is conducted at various sites outside the United States. It is designed to develop future leaders who are culturally astute, having gained experience to prepare them to lead organizations in a multi-national environment. Prerequisite: Approval of department head.

STRG 3317. U.S. Military History. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

This course examines the evolution of American warfighting philosophy from the colonial period to the twenty-first century. Students will explore key historical conflicts and trace the operational and technological advances that have shaped U.S. military actions of the past. This course will also highlight the evolution of doctrinal thought, specifically the rise of maneuver warfare theory and understanding the framework of decision-making and adaptability in modern warfare. This course is compliant with U.S. Army TRADOC Regulation 350-13. Credit will not be awarded for both HIST 3317 and STRG 3317. Prerequisite: HIST 1301 and 1302; for History majors only, HIST 3340, which can be taken concurrently.

STRG 3318. Maneuver Warfare and Modern Conflict. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

This course explores the application of maneuver warfare doctrine in 21st century conflicts, focusing on contemporary warfighting theorists such as John Boyd, John Warden, and Thomas Hammes. Students will examine key topics in modern warfighting theory, net-centric warfare, and the evolving strategic environment faced by the U.S. military. The course provides an introduction - or re-introduction - to maneuver warfare concepts and their relevance in modern and future conflicts, emphasizing the military dimension of strategic and operational thought.

STRG 4301. International Law. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours). [WI]

This course provides a broad overview of international law, including the ways in which international law is created, the entities to which it applies, and the mechanisms by which it is enforced. This class delves into the broad array of international legal rules on topics ranging from the international law of armed conflict, international trade and investment, the international law of the sea, human rights, the prevention of terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and more. This class is writing intensive with assignments developed to enhance the writing process and encourage higher-order thinking within the context of international law.

STRG 4302. Cybersecurity Law and Policy. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

This course examines theories, concepts, and structures instrumental in understanding cybersecurity and the governing legal and regulatory frameworks. To do that, this course surveys the history, aspects of law, computer science concepts, policy, and international norms related to cybersecurity. This course is designed as a foundation for further study in cybersecurity policy, but may be valuable to anyone seeking to better understand the nature of this developing concept and the governmental approach (domestic and international laws) and private actors seeking to control the landscape.

STRG 4303. Military Law. 3 Credit Hours (Lecture: 3 Hours, Lab: 0 Hours).

This course examines the federal judiciary and its prominent role in the shaping of the nation’s military laws. While the class examines the military’s constitutional roots, its particular focus centers on the Cold War era from 1968 onward. That examination considers a historic analysis based on primary source materials nested with military law judicial decisions. A critical feature of military law is the maintenance of good order and discipline that is operationalized by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. As such, this unique justice system comes to life in the class by engaging in an end-of-semester capstone project that showcases a mock military court-martial with students/cadets role playing court participants.