NUS Leadership Excellence & Development (LEAD) Programme

The NUS Leadership Excellence And Development (LEAD) programme seeks to empower students to gain deeper insight into their socio-emotional competencies and leadership skills and better equip them to lead with success in their leadership appointments, on campus and in the larger community.

LEAD Programme Quick Start Guide

Objectives

Enrich university student life and promote holistic leadership development
Boost future graduate employability by articulating leadership skills and experiences in interviews and CVs
Build network of graduated student leaders and measure long-term impact of student leadership

Leadership Learning Process

This multi-year leadership programme consists of three levels:

Level 1: Emerging Leader

Develop areas of personal growth and self awareness fundamental to personal and leadership success.

Level 2: Developing Leader

Enhance leadership effectiveness and learn how to develop a team and sustain team performance.

Level 3: Influential Leader

Demonstrate leadership mastery through application and learn how to lead with influence.

Leadership Courses & Programme Fulfilment

The Leadership Courses are organised under the 4 leadership pillars, mirroring the stages of leadership development. The List of Eligible NUS Courses, offered by faculties and departments, and online courses can be found here.

Upon completion of each leadership level, student leaders will be awarded a digital badge or certificate. The leadership levels for LEAD are successive, i.e. completion of Level 1 is a pre-requisite for Level 2. Criteria for programme fulfilment are as follow:

Leadership Pillar 1: Personal Effectiveness

Leadership Pillar 2: Building Better Relationships

Leadership Pillar 3: Creating a Dynamic Team

Leadership Pillar 4: Developing and Inspiring Followers

How to Apply

*The LEAD Programme is under review and not accepting new applications. Currently enrolled students may continue and have until 9 May 2026 to complete it.

For any enquiries, write in to osastudentleadership@nus.edu.sg.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility as Learners

1. Is the LEAD programme open to all students, i.e., Undergraduates, Masters, PhD students?

Yes, the LEAD programme is open to all NUS students.

2. Can I participate in the LEAD programme as a final year student?

Yes, learners may participate in LEAD programme as final year students. However, please ensure that all three levels are completed before graduation so as to receive the final certification for LEAD.

3. Must I be involved in an NUS CCA to eligible for LEAD Level 2? Are external CCA involvement recognised for LEAD?

The LEAD programme was established with the objective to encourage students to take up leadership commitments within NUS, hence only involvement in NUS CCA(s) are recognised for LEAD.

4. Can I attempt LEAD Level 3 after the end of my leadership CCA term?

No, you are required to hold a leadership position to be eligible for LEAD Level 3. The intention is to have the leadership position as the practicum for the theories learnt in Level 3 courses.

5. Who can sign up for the Singapore Young Leader Programme (SYLP)?

SYLP is open to students in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL), including the Autonomous Universities (AUs), Polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

Participants should have some level of exposure to leadership opportunities in school and should share an interest in social and national issues. However, even if you have not assumed leadership roles, as long as you are open to hearing and sharing perspectives on social and national issues, we welcome you to participate in the programme.

Programme Fulfilment

1. Is there a deadline for sign-ups?

The LEAD programme is designed to encourage self-initiated and self-paced learning. It is up to learners when they plan to start and complete the Levels, i.e., you may complete more than one level of the LEAD programme within the semester.

2. Can I complete Level 1 before the recommended deadline to move on to Level 2?

3. When do we begin our learning after we register for LEAD? Will we receive any notifications that we have been accepted into the programme?

Official enrolment for the LEAD programme commences after the completion of the Pre-course Survey. Learners may proceed to learn at their own pace and produce proof of completion for verification at the end of their learning at each Level.

4. Will we still receive the digital badges if the learning of the online courses is via the audit track?

Yes, by default, all learners will attempt the LEAD online courses via the audit track, which does not require any payment. Learners will be able to access all content of the online course, except for the graded assessments.

5. Is there an option to skip to LEAD Level 2 if I have completed the relevant courses for Level 1?

Yes, you will be able to clock the learning for Level 1 if you have attempted either of the listed courses. Learners will need to produce evidence of fulfilment of Level 1 learning requirements, before proceeding to the next level.

Please write in to OSAStudentLeadership@nus.edu.sg and we will advise you on the follow-up accordingly.

6. Is there an option to skip LEAD Level 1 and move on to Level 2 if I have existing leadership experience?

No, you will not be allowed to skip levels for LEAD. The LEAD programme is designed to build upon each level of learning. Learners are required to complete the learning for Level 1, before proceeding to Level 2. The same applies for subsequent levels.

7. Is the List of Eligible courses for LEAD exhaustive? Will other leadership courses be considered under the LEAD programme?

The eligible courses for LEAD are selected after careful consideration of the learning content. However, please write in to OSAStudentLeadership@nus.edu.sg if you have any other suggested courses for our consideration. The LEAD team will review the relevance of the course content accordingly.

Administrative Procedures

1. How do I submit proof of completion of a. NUS courses and / or b. online courses, if I had taken them in the previous semesters?

You will submit via email to your OSA point of contact that has emailed you regarding LEAD registration.

NUS courses - You could submit your academic transcript if you had completed the courses in previous semesters.
Online courses - You could submit a screenshot of the course completion page if you had completed the online courses in previous semesters.

2. Can I earn Units for my learning in the LEAD programme?

2 Units, only for edX online courses

If you wish to attempt the LEAD courses via the certification track, the certification track will be payable.