Michigan Ross Leader Endorsement Requirements
The Leader Endorsement is meant to be obtained over two years and includes a wide range of experiences, many of which are already part of Michigan Ross programs. In total, the Leader Endorsement will take most learners approximately 65 hours to complete. While all students complete similar requirements, some programs have Sanger touchpoints embedded in the curriculum which enables them to complete requirements without additional sign-ups. Locate your program below and review the table for your specific requirements.
The suggested timeline for each program is only a guideline. Students may complete requirements at different times and can always reach out to us for advice on their learning path.
If a program requires additional sign-up, students are expected to RSVP for the program and report their attendance in the Leader Endorsement Canvas module. All eligible Ross students are notified via email when Sanger program registration opens each semester.
Full-Time MBA & Global MBA Requirements
| ACTIVITY | DESCRIPTION | DURATION | SUGGESTED TIMELINE | REQUIRES ADDITIONAL SIGN-UP? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Model of Leadership Module | Learn more about our leadership framework at Michigan via this engaging Canvas module. | 1 hour | Y1 – Part of Orientation | |
| Leadership Pre-assessment | Determine your strengths and areas to improve using the Michigan Model of Leadership. | 1 hour | Y1 – Part of Orientation | |
| Legacy Lab | Complete this two-part session any time it is offered. | 4 hours | Y1 – Fall or Winter | Yes |
| Story Lab Retreat | Must complete the retreat. Not necessary to participate in the public showcase. | 4.5 hours | Y1 or Y2 – Fall or Winter | Yes |
| Leadership Crisis Challenge | Become immersed in a simulated business and media crisis, where you will test your ability to strategize under pressure. | 10 hours | Y1 or Y2 – Winter | Yes |
| Leading Inclusive Teams | Learn how to lead diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) teams and organizations through MO 605: Leading Across Differences or Leading Diverse Teams & Organizations Coursera. | - | As course is offered or at any time through non-credit Coursera | Electives are part of the curriculum; Coursera requires sign-up |
| Leadership Elective | During the course of your degree, participate in one class from the list of courses (FTMBA, GMBA). | - | Y2 | Electives are part of the curriculum, be sure to take one on the approved list |
| Action-Based Learning Assignment | Participate in an action-based learning activity and design a leadership experiment around it, reflecting before and after the experience. | 4+ hours | Y1 or Y2 – Anytime We suggest using MAP, your internship, or current job | No sign-up required, but additional pre and post-assignments in Canvas are due |
| Leadership Post assessment | Repeat the leadership assessment to find areas where you’ve grown and changed. Administered in the Winter. | 1 hour | Y2 – End | |
| Capstone Assignment | Reflection upon your leadership experiences. | 2 hours | Y2 – End | Assignment located in Canvas |
Weekend MBA Requirements
| ACTIVITY | DESCRIPTION | DURATION | SUGGESTED TIMELINE | REQUIRES ADDITIONAL SIGN-UP? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Model of Leadership Module | Learn more about our leadership framework at Michigan via this engaging Canvas module. | 1 hour | Y1 – Part of Orientation | |
| Leadership Pre-assessment | Determine your strengths and areas to improve using the Michigan Model of Leadership. | 1 hour | Y1 – Part of Orientation | |
| Legacy Lab | Complete this two-part session any time it is offered. | 4 hours | Y1 – Fall or Winter | Yes |
| Story Lab Retreat | Must complete the retreat. Not necessary to participate in the public showcase. | 4.5 hours | Y2 Winter | |
| Leadership Crisis Challenge | Become immersed in a simulated business and media crisis, where you will test your ability to strategize under pressure. | 10 hours | Y1 or Y2 – Anytime | Yes |
| Leading Inclusive Teams | Learn how to lead diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) teams and organizations through MO 730: Leading Diverse Teams and Organizations: A DEI Toolkit or Leading Diverse Teams & Organizations Coursera. | - | As course is offered or at any time through non-credit Coursera | Electives are part of the curriculum; Coursera requires sign-up |
| Leadership Elective | During the course of your degree, participate in one class from the list of courses. | - | Y1 or Y2 - Fulfilled by curriculum (e.g., WMBA513, WMBA604, or WMBA605) | |
| Action-Based Learning Assignment | Participate in an action-based learning activity and design a leadership experiment around it, reflecting before and after the experience. | 4+ hours | Y1 or Y2 – Anytime We suggest using MAP or your current job | No sign-up required, but additional pre and post-assignments in Canvas are due |
| Leadership Post assessment | Repeat the leadership assessment to find areas where you’ve grown and changed. Administered in the Winter. | 1 hour | Y2 – End | |
| Capstone Assignment | Reflection upon your leadership experiences. | 2 hours | Y2 – End | Assignment located in Canvas |
Online MBA Requirements
| ACTIVITY | DESCRIPTION | DURATION | SUGGESTED TIMELINE | REQUIRES ADDITIONAL SIGN-UP? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Model of Leadership Module | Learn more about our leadership framework at Michigan via this engaging Canvas module. | 1 hour | Y1 - Part of Leadership Residency | |
| Leadership Pre-assessment | Determine your strengths and areas to improve using the Michigan Model of Leadership. | 1 hour | Y1 - You will be emailed after your Leadership Residency with a link to the assessment | |
| Legacy Lab | Complete this two-part session any time it is offered. | 4 hours | Y1 - Winter or Y2 - Winter Offered online in Winter semester | Yes |
| Story Lab Retreat | Must complete the retreat. Not necessary to participate in the public showcase. | 4.5 hours | Y1 - Winter or Y2 - Winter Offered online in Winter semester | Yes |
| Leadership Crisis Challenge | Become immersed in a simulated business and media crisis, where you will test your ability to strategize under pressure. | 10 hours | Y1 - Embedded in Leadership Residency | |
| Leading Inclusive Teams | Learn how to lead diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) teams and organizations through MO 730: Leading Diverse Teams and Organizations: A DEI Toolkit or Leading Diverse Teams & Organizations Coursera. | - | As course is offered or at any time through non-credit Coursera | Electives are part of the curriculum; Coursera requires sign-up |
| Leadership Elective | During the course of your degree, participate in one class from the list of courses. | - | Anytime (e.g., MO700, MO711, MO712; Cannot be MO730 if M0730 is taken for Leading Inclusive Teams) Electives are part of the curriculum, be sure to take one on the approved list | |
| Action-Based Learning Assignment | Participate in an action-based learning activity and design a leadership experiment around it, reflecting before and after the experience. | 4+ hours | Anytime We suggest using MAP or your current job | No sign-up required, but additional pre and post-assignments in Canvas are due |
| Leadership Post assessment | Repeat the leadership assessment to find areas where you’ve grown and changed. Administered in the Winter. If you plan to graduate in December, please contact us. | 1 hour | Month before graduation | |
| Capstone Assignment | Reflection upon your leadership experiences. | 2 hours | Month before graduation | Assignment located in Canvas |
One-Year Master's Requirements
| ACTIVITY | DESCRIPTION | DURATION | SUGGESTED TIMELINE | REQUIRES ADDITIONAL SIGN-UP? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Model of Leadership Module | Learn more about our leadership framework at Michigan via this engaging Canvas module. | 1 hour | Start of credential | No - assignment located in Canvas. |
| Leadership Pre-assessment | Determine your strengths and areas to improve using the Michigan Model of Leadership. | 1 hour | Fall | No - administered by the Sanger team at the start of MRLE. |
| Legacy Lab | Complete this two-part session any time it is offered. | 4 hours | Fall or Winter | Yes |
| Story Lab Retreat | Must complete the retreat. Not necessary to participate in the public showcase. | 4.5 hours | Fall or Winter | Yes |
| Leadership Crisis Challenge | Become immersed in a simulated business and media crisis, where you will test your ability to strategize under pressure. | 10 hours | Winter | Yes |
| Leading Inclusive Teams | Learn how to lead diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) teams and organizations through MO 605: Leading Across Differences or Leading Diverse Teams & Organizations Coursera. | Approx. 22 hours | At any time | Yes |
| Leadership Elective | During the course of your degree, participate in one leadership-focused class that is part of your curriculum. | - | Fall or Winter | No - courses for each OYM program that fulfill requirement are as follows: MM - MO577 (Positive Leadership & Organizing) MSCM- TO 616 (Project Management) MBan - MBan 501 (Software Teams & Project Management) MAcc - ACC 695 (EY Accounting and Public Policy Symposium) |
| Action-Based Learning Assignment | Participate in an action-based learning activity and design a leadership experiment around it, reflecting before and after the experience. | 4+ hours | Anytime - We suggest using your Consulting Studio project or a Sanger event. | No sign-up required, but additional pre and post-assignments in Canvas are due. |
| Leadership Post assessment | Repeat the leadership assessment to find areas where you’ve grown and changed. Administered in the Winter. | 1 hour | End | No - administered by the Sanger team in the Winter semester. |
| Capstone Assignment | Reflection upon your leadership experiences. | 2 hours | End | No - assignment located in Canvas. |
BBA Requirements
| ACTIVITY | DESCRIPTION | DURATION | SUGGESTED TIMELINE | REQUIRES ADDITIONAL SIGN-UP? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Model of Leadership Module | Learn more about our leadership framework at Michigan via this engaging Canvas module. | 1 hour | Part of Orientation | |
| Leadership Pre-assessment | Determine your strengths and areas to improve using the Michigan Model of Leadership. | 1 hour | Part of Orientation | |
| Legacy Lab | Complete this two-part session any time it is offered. | 4 hours | Fall or Winter | Yes |
| Story Lab Retreat | Must complete the retreat. Not necessary to participate in the public showcase. | 4.5 hours | Fall or Winter | Yes |
| Leadership Crisis Challenge | Become immersed in a simulated business and media crisis, where you will test your ability to strategize under pressure. | 10 hours | Winter | Yes |
| Leading Inclusive Teams | Learn how to lead diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) teams and organizations through MO 350: Leading Across Differences or Leading Diverse Teams & Organizations Coursera. | - | As course is offered or at any time through non-credit Coursera | Electives are part of the curriculum; Coursera requires sign-up |
| Leadership Elective | During the course of your degree, participate in one leadership-related class (*See Canvas for recommendations or submit an alternative for credit consideration). | - | Fall or Winter | Electives are part of the curriculum, be sure to take one on the approved list |
| Action-Based Learning Assignment | Participate in an action-based learning activity and design a leadership experiment around it, reflecting before and after the experience. | 4+ hours | Anytime (*We suggest using an internship, club leadership experience, MAP project, or a Sanger event) | No sign-up required, but additional pre and post-assignments in Canvas are due |
| Leadership Post assessment | Repeat the leadership assessment to find areas where you’ve grown and changed. Administered in the Winter. | 1 hour | Month before graduation | |
| Capstone Assignment | Reflect upon your leadership experiences; Typically submitted as a 3-4-page written document | 2 hours | Month before graduation | Assignment located in Canvas |
EMBA Requirements
| ACTIVITY | DESCRIPTION | DURATION | SUGGESTED TIMELINE | REQUIRES ADDITIONAL SIGN-UP? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership Pre-assessment | Determine your strengths and areas to improve using the Michigan Model of Leadership. | 1 hour | Part of Orientation | |
| Legacy Lab | Complete this two-part workshop virtually when offered in the Winter semester. | 4 hours | Winter | Yes |
| Story Lab Retreat | Complete the retreat virtually when offered in the Winter semester. | 4.5 hours | Winter | Yes |
| Leadership Crisis Challenge | Complete Coursera: High Stakes Leadership: Leading in Times of Crisis taught by Professor Mike Barger. | Approx. 35 hours | Winter | Yes |
| Leading Inclusive Teams | Complete Coursera: Leading Diverse Teams & Organizations taught by Professor Lindy Greer. | Approx. 22 hours | Anytime | Yes |
| Leadership Elective | During your degree, complete one of the following courses: EMBA 612: Leading the Responsible Corporation; EMBA 641: Personal and Organizational Leadership; EMBA 651: Positive Leadership; or EMBA 653: Strategic Leaders. | 1 EMBA Elective | Fall or Winter | Electives are part of the curriculum, be sure to take one on the approved list |
| Leadership Coaching | During your degree, participate in a minimum of 6 1:1 coaching sessions. | 6 hours (minimum) | Anytime | |
| Action-Based Learning Assignment | Participate in an action-based learning activity and design a leadership experiment around it, reflecting before and after the experience. | 4+ hours | Anytime (*We suggest using a work project or a Sanger event, if applicable.) | No sign-up required, but additional pre and post-assignments in Canvas are due |
| Leadership Post Assessment | Repeat the leadership assessment to find areas where you’ve grown and changed; Administered in the Winter. | 1 hour | Month before graduation | |
| Capstone Assignment | Reflect upon your leadership experiences; Typically submitted as a 3-4-page written document. | 2 hours | Month before graduation | Assignment located in Canvas |
Action-Based Learning Assignment Details
At Michigan Ross, we believe in learning by doing. The action-based learning component of your Leader Endorsement is an opportunity for you to practice new behaviors and skills in functioning teams, whether they be during your MAP project, your internship, or club or volunteer leadership.
How to complete the requirement:
Pre-assessment reflection
Reflect on the results of your leadership pre-assessment and any feedback you’ve received along the way in your Sanger programs. What areas could you improve in? What type of leader do you want to be known as?
- TIP: Consider thinking about your skills in three key areas of the Michigan Model of Leadership: mastering and developing yourself, empowering peers & employees, and building teams & organizations. Choose skill areas from the model to focus on within each of these.
Intention Setting
Before you embark on your Action-Based Learning (ABL) experience, you will fill out an Intention Setting form in Canvas. In addition to collecting basic information about the ABL experience you chose, the form will ask you to commit to a learning goal specific to how you want to grow as a leader during your experience.
Leadership Journey
Once you commit to a goal, use the Sanger Leadership Journey worksheet to track at least three experiments during your ABL experience.
- TIP: if you need help brainstorming experiments to run to improve a specific leadership skill, use the Sanger Leader Behavior Encyclopedia, reach out to your peer-coaching groups or the Sanger team at rossleaders@umich.edu.
After Action
Upon completion, you will fill out the After Action form. This will ask you to briefly reflect on your experience and your learning goal, as well as attach and summarize your Journey experiments.
Capstone Assignment Details
The purpose of the Capstone Assignment is to reflect upon all of your leadership development experiences and build a narrative of what you learned and the type of leader you are and strive to be. The assignment is dual purpose: it is intended to demonstrate to the Sanger team that you have completed your endorsement requirements, but it also is a tool for you as you prepare to interview for jobs, graduate, and work and lead in your own team, and continue to grow personally and professionally.
You may opt to complete the capstone after completing all of the required Leader Endorsement requirements, or you may work on it as you complete experiences.
The capstone should take you approximately two hours to put together. Please don’t agonize over perfection: prepare something that speaks to you while sharing your journey. The capstone will be evaluated by a team of faculty and staff.
Requirements
The submission can be in any format you wish. Most conventionally, it will be a written essay or narrative, but could also take on the form of videos, audio logs, slide decks, artwork, or more. Anything that captures the bullets below in a manner that speaks to you. A template for a written submission is available here.
The submission should include:
- Your purpose and values (completed during Legacy Lab)
- Your vision for your leadership capacities going forward, including what strengths can you leverage to make that vision a reality. (pre-assessment, Michigan Model of Leadership module, any programs or courses that helped you improve your skills)
- A brief summary of your ABL assignment and the results of your leader behavior experiments (Action-Based Learning (ABL) assignment)
- A final reflection on the following:
- What are your unique contributions as a leader?
- How have the experiences that are part of the Leader Endorsement helped you learn and grow? How are you different now than you were at the start?
Written submissions do not have a specific style guide to follow. If you choose to use our template, your submission will likely be around 2-3 pages.