Curriculum in Leadership Preparation: Understanding Where We Have Been in Order to Know Where We Might Go

Empirical study of leadership preparation programs in the last two decades has been neglected, with scholars and practitioners alike perceiving it as second-rate area of scholarly inquiry, less than rigorous (Levin, 2006), lacking legitimacy (Bogotch, 2001; M. D. Young, Peterson, & Short, 2002), and even “anemic” (Murphy, 2006, p. 60). Sustained investigation of curricular issues within leadership preparation has received even less attention. To address this gap, we off er an extensive review and discussion of research and scholarship pertaining to the curriculum in leadership preparation.