Developing Leaders by Forming Character

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Military Leadership

The minor prepares students for commissioning as officers in the American armed forces but is open to all students and will be of value to those preparing for leadership roles in all fields, including business, the professions, politics, ministry, athletics, and education. The minor takes inspiration from the 500 Hillsdale College student volunteers who served in the Union Army during the Civil War. They exemplified the virtues of the American citizen-soldier ideal—duty, honor, courage, and patriotism. The Soldiers’ Monument in front of Central Hall stands as an object lesson to their service and sacrifice. The military leadership course of study prepares students to become leaders worthy of their legacy.

Financial Management

Peter L. Jennings

"Who is your hero and deserver of honor--the person who simply obtains the approval of others because of significant achievements, or the person who exercises virtues that sustain excellence in some valued social practice?" --Hugh Heclo, On Thinking Institutionally

Peter L. Jennings, Financial Management

Military Leadership

Mark Moyar

Military Leadership

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Featured Course

Officership in the American Military Tradition

American military officers share a common moral foundation and practice a common professional ethic that is rooted in the American military experience going back to George Washington and the “Minute Men” of the Revolution. This three-credit one-semester course introduces…

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Sound Learning for Leadership

Despite over a hundred years of scientific study, we still lack a good answer to the problem of how to teach and learn leadership.

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Hillsdale Honor: The Civil War Experience

The Civil War was a defining moment in the life of our College; it tested and crystalized our founding commitments and has ever since defined who we are, what we stand for, and what we have since become. This one-semester three-credit course educates students about the Hills…

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Military Leadership

Military Leadership Alumni: Kyle Froisland, ’20

The education I gained allowed me to better understand the ethos of a military officer and how I could embody this ethos. –Kyle Froisland, ’20

Military Leadership Alumni: Grant Boyes, ’22

Military Leadership laid the cornerstone for me as a young officer. This class helped me to understand the character and knowledge required to be a platoon commander. –Grant Boyes, ’22

Military Leadership Alumni: Victoria Schmidt, ’21

Through countless hours of class discussions, reflective writing, mentorship, and personal soul-searching, I radically altered, then matured, my understanding of military officership, which enabled me to take my oath of office in July of 2022 with no mental reservation, absolutely confident in my decision. –Victoria Schmidt, ’21

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Military Leadership

Featured Faculty

Peter L. Jennings

Mark Moyar

Featured Courses

Officership in the American Military Tradition

Sound Learning for Leadership

Hillsdale Honor: The Civil War Experience