Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership (BPhil)
A degree for students who want to understand complexity, collaborate with diverse skill sets and backgrounds and contribute to positive change in their communities and future careers.
The BPhil in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies is an accelerated three-year undergraduate program built around small cohort learning, rigorous academics and intensive experiential design.
Created as Canada’s first leadership studies program, it remains distinctive for its whole-program approach. Students learn through classroom discussion, applied projects, reflection, community engagement and practice in diverse settings, all supported by faculty and staff who know them and challenge them to think widely.
Each year approximately 25 students join a tight-knit learning community shaped by diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.
A place where students are known by name in a program designed to challenge assumptions, broaden perspectives, and deepen both leadership and followership practice.
Graduates leave with both increased confidence and clarity, ready to lead meaningful change in their communities and careers.
What sets this program apart
An education built for a changing world
Students engage with complex issues and learn to think across disciplines. Coursework includes theories of leadership and followership, systems thinking, culture and worldviews, engaged citizenship, public policy and ethical decision making.
The program cultivates accountability, collaborative skill, critical reflection and ethical grounding; qualities that modern workplaces and communities depend on.
Small cohort. Big conversations
Our small class sizes support genuine discussion, active listening and thoughtful debate. Students learn to ask better questions, consider diverse viewpoints and innovate together. This education asks more of you, and as a result, gives more back.
Learning that moves between theory, practice and reflection
Experiential learning theory shapes the program from start to finish. Through projects, applied research and two major internships , students work with partners in sectors such as public service, non-profits, private industry, social enterprise and global organizations.
Reflection –– both individual and communal –– is central to this process. It helps students make meaning of their experiences and connect practice with theory, which lays the groundwork for transformational learning.
While transformation cannot be prescribed, it occurs often in our context as students move between classroom, community and cohort-based reflection.
A community committed to leadership
The School of Leadership Studies brings together students, faculty, staff and partners who care deeply about impact.
It is a learning community where people support and challenge one another, share ideas, test solutions and practice leadership in everyday interactions.
A leadership degree paired with a minor
All BPhil students are required to complete a minor in another faculty. Whether your interests lie in Political Science, Psychology, Law and Society, Biology, Chemistry (including MCAT and DAT pathways), Business, Health, or other fields, your minor broadens your academic foundation and career preparation and strengthens interdisciplinary practice across your degree.
How we teach and develop leadership
Leadership is not a title. It is a process grounded in awareness, analysis, and action.
The BPhil curriculum is anchored in six learning outcomes that reflect our holistic approach:
- Knowing self and others
- Social interaction
- Wellbeing
- Multiliteracy
- Problem solving
- Effective citizenship
Together, these outcomes develop adaptable thinkers who can navigate diverse settings, communicate clearly, act ethically and contribute to communities in meaningful ways.
They reflect our belief that leadership is not positional but practiced in everyday choices, relationship and responsibilities. Learn more about us.
Program structure
The BPhil is an accelerated, scaffolded three-year degree. Courses build intentionally on one another, deepening skills and knowledge each year.
Year 1: Foundations and community
Students spend their first year primarily at the School of Leadership Studies, forming the cohort connections that shape their experience.
They study fundamental leadership concepts, explore worldviews and cultures, practice reflective and discussion-based learning, and begin developing skills in engaged citizenship.
Year 2: Broadening through your minor
Students begin their minor in another faculty and experience more of the wider UNB campus.
They deepen their knowledge in areas such as research and project management, public policy and leadership in cross-cultural contexts.
They connect their leadership studies with disciplines through their minor and learn to apply theory across contexts.
Year 3: Integration and capstone work
Students return to advanced leadership courses and complete integrative capstone projects.
They bring together research, analysis and practice while completing their minor and preparing for employment, further academic study or community-based pathways.
Internships: where learning meets impact
Experiential learning lies at the heart of the program.
Students complete two major internships:
- Domestic Internship: A placement in New Brunswick or elsewhere in Canada, working with community organizations, public agencies, private-sector businesses, social enterprises or non-profits.
- International Internship: A cross-cultural placement where students live, learn and contribute in a global context, developing adaptability, cultural awareness and professional confidence.
Academic depth with interdisciplinary reach
Students engage with topics such as:
- Leadership theory and contemporary leadership studies
- Followership and collaborative decision making
- Systems thinking
- Community engagement and civic leadership
- Research methods and inquiry
- Ethics and decision making
- Wellbeing and resilience
- Communication, multiliteracy and public expression
- Social change and equity focused leadership
- Policy, governance and institutional context
This interdisciplinary breadth reflects the evolving field of leadership studies and prepares students to step into diverse roles with clarity and courage.
To see how these themes come to life across the curriculum, explore our BPhil course offerings.
Where graduates go
Graduates build meaningful careers in sectors such as non-profit leadership, public service, healthcare, education, private industry, community development, communications, social enterprise, policy and innovation.
Many pursue graduate school or professional programs. Their success is supported by strong work-integrated learning experience, a connected alumni network and a program that develops both competence and character.
See careers and alumni to learn more.
