Through the Husky Leadership Certificate, students identify, articulate and demonstrate their leadership growth and accomplishments during their undergraduate education.

Why get involved

• Take the much needed time to reflect on your prior experiences, an aspect of leadership education that is valuable but often overlooked.
• Explore your core values, strengths, goals and development of leadership competencies.  
• Work with a faculty, staff or alumni mentor who will help you make meaning of your experiences and explore your future goals. 
• More effectively articulate the value of your skills and experiences to be more prepared for job interviews and scholarship or graduate school applications. 
• Develop a digital identity through an e-portfolio that showcases your skills and knowledge in creative and dynamic ways.

What to expect

Beginning in winter quarter and continuing into spring quarter, selected undergraduate students in their final year:

• Meet with their assigned faculty, staff or alumni mentor at least twice per month from January-May.
• Enroll and complete the required assignments for the 2-credit Winter LEAD 490 (Leadership Certificate) asynchronous course which guides and supports the leadership e-portfolio development process. 
• Create and complete a leadership e-portfolio that demonstrates development in knowledge, values, abilities, and behaviors associated with equitable and inclusive leadership. The Student Leadership Competencies are a foundation for self-assessment.
• Present highlights of your leadership e-portfolio during the Spring Celebration event in May. 

Husky Leadership Certificate Mentor

Each year we seek UW faculty, staff, and community members to serve as mentors for the Husky Leadership Certificate program. For more information visit the For UW Faculty & Staff Husky Leadership Certificate Mentor page.

 

Applications for the 2025-26 Husky Leadership Certificate program are open through Friday, November 7th, 2025.

Apply Here

 

Frequently Asked Questions

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Who is this program for?

The Husky Leadership Certificate is designed for undergraduate students with senior standing in their final year at the UW. Much of the work of the program is centered on reflection, and it is because of this that we target students who are in their final years at the university.

Who are the mentors that students are paired with? Can I pick my own mentor?

We have a fantastic pool of mentors that are from the UW faculty, staff and alumni communities. Mentors submit interest forms with information about their areas of expertise, individual identities and personal passions before matching them with students. Students and mentors can indicate if they have a preferred match on their applications and we will do our best to meet that request.

What is the time commitment?

Throughout the HLC program, students will spend their time on:

• LEAD 490 course lessons and homework assignments (ascynchronous, winter quarter)
• Meetings with mentors (at least twice per month)
• E-Portfolio development

In our feedback from previous cohorts, students spend an average of 20-40 hours per quarter on the HLC process.

How do I apply for the program?

Applications open annually in October and close in November. The mentor/mentee matching process takes place in December, and the program formally begins in January.

Monday 10/13/2025 - Student Application opens
Friday 11/7/2025 - Student Application closes

I want to participate in this program, but can’t/do not want to add another credit. What do I do? 

In this case, you are welcome to audit the course and should communicate this need to the HLC staff (uwhlc@uw.edu) once you’ve been accepted to the program. Students who audit the course are still required to complete all of the assignments that are part of the course curriculum.

When do I enroll in the course?

Students who have been accepted to the program will be moved forward to the next phase of the application, which includes completing a commitment form. At that point, LEAD 490 will be automatically added to your course schedule by a program advisor. If you need to audit the course, you will be added to the course Canvas page without being formally enrolled for credit.

Does the certificate go on my transcript?

No. The Husky Leadership Certificate program is a recognition program but is not one that will go on your official university transcript. However, students who complete the program will be awarded a certificate along with a stole to wear at Commencement.

What does a leadership e-portfolio look like?

Visit this Husky Leadership Certificate gallery to check out some sample leadership e-portfolios.

I don’t know how to build a website. Will we get help with this?

Yes! During the winter quarter class, we will talk about the website process and will suggest several different options for hosting sites to make it as easy as possible.