USC Warren Bennis Scholars Program

The Warren Bennis Scholars Program is a university-wide initiative offered by the Office of the Provost through the Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab at the Marshall School. Each year, 20 students across academic disciplines are selected at the end of their sophomore year to participate in the two-year leadership program. Scholars receive leadership training in and out of the classroom. Upon successful completion of all requirements of the program, students will receive a designation on their transcripts.

The program honors the memory of USC Distinguished Professor Warren G. Bennis, an internationally recognized authority on leadership, who served as adviser to several U.S. presidents and mentored countless students during his distinguished 35-year career at USC. Learn more about Dr. Bennis below.

Congratulations to our inaugural class of graduating Bennis Scholars! Read more about their experience here.

About Warren Bennis

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

The program invites applications from:

current USC undergraduates who are second-semester sophomores in majors from all university departments, divisions, and schools
students with at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA

While academic achievement is the baseline requirement, Bennis Scholars ultimately will be chosen based on their moral force of character and instinct to lead on behalf of others. The program is intended for students who display intellectual curiosity beyond their major fields of study, and who are willing to engage in socially important endeavors that require risk-taking and development of new skills.

Finally, Bennis Scholars must agree to take an active part in all formal group activities, most of which will be offered on Friday afternoons. Other activities will be flexibly scheduled in order to accommodate the Scholars’ different class demands.

Cohort Experiences

The Bennis Scholars program provides a variety of developmental activities intended to prepare students for leadership roles in whatever professional fields they choose to enter. These activities will include:

Participation in an honors colloquium (a one-unit course each semester for four semesters);
Skills-building workshops;
Guest speaker and networking opportunities; and
Coaching and mentoring.

In particular, such experience-based activities are designed to develop life-long commitment to community service and to hone the skills required for leadership.

View photos from previous cohort experiences:

Honors Colloquium

The academic cornerstone of the program is the Honors Colloquium entitled “The Art of Leadership.” Students enroll in this 1-unit course for each of the final four semesters of their baccalaureate degree (4 units total). Each semester features a particular theme. Over the four semesters, students read a variety of books, articles, and view films about historically great leaders and are exposed to the contemporary practices of leaders in a variety of business, government, professional, and community organizations. Students engage in classroom discussions intended to analyze how such individuals behaved as leaders, why they did so, to what effect, and what lessons they personally draw on.

Guest Speakers & Networking Events

Scholars have specialized access to industry and thought leaders.

In Spring 2018, Scholars heard from Lieutenant General (Retired) Talley, Professor of the Practice of Public Policy & Engineering and Scholar-in-Residence at USC as well as Vice President, Global Public Sector, IBM Global Markets. Additionally, Adam Glick, Executive Vice President of Business Affairs, Warren Bros. Television; Jessica Lall, President and Chief Executive Officer, Central City Assocation; Dr. Juli Quinn, Chief Executive Officer, FREEducation, LLC; and, Tom Pieronek, Vice President of Basic Research, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems visited with the Bennis Scholars.

In Fall 2017, Scholars visited with the teams and executive leadership at Green Dot Charter School as well as the Los Angeles Alliances for a New Economy.

In Spring 2017, local political leaders, Wendy Greuel (Chairwoman of the LA Homeless Services Authority, Member of the Governing Council of the LA County Initiative on Women and Girls) and Kevin de León (The California State Senate President pro Tempore) visited the Honors Colloquium. Additionally, students had the opportunity to meet Michael Singer (Chairman and CEO, Strategic Partners) as well as USC leaders, James Staten (Senior Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial Officer) and Dennis Cornell (Chief of Staff to President C.L. Max Nikias).

In Fall 2016, scholars were invited to The Jerry and Nancy Neely Center for Ethical Leadership’s inaugural symposium “The Practice of Ethical Business Leadership: Whys, Hows and Challenges”. This event featured the following keynote speakers: Charles Handy (Britain’s leading spokesperson for management training and strategy), Kirk O. Hanson (Director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University), and Ronald Sugar, Ph.D. (Retired Chairman and Chief Executive, Northrup Grumman) as well as a salute to Trader Joe’s founder, Joe Coulombe.

Skill-building Workshops

Students gain access to workshops focused on key leadership development skill-building, such as self-awareness, effective communication, and decision-making. Workshops are limited to Scholars and thus provide cohorts an in-depth exploration of leadership competency areas and application.

Coaching & Mentoring

Scholars receive individualized coaching to focus and support their leadership development growth. As part of coaching, students routinely set goals, engage in development planning, and reflect on their progress.

Excursions

Out of the classroom experiences provide opportunities for Scholars to explore leadership in a variety of contexts. Additionally, students participate in informal gatherings and off-campus trips to facilitate community development within their cohort.

Award Details

How to Apply

The next application cycle will open Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. The deadline will be Friday, Feb. 27, 2026.

Application

Online Application

All candidates must create an account and complete the online application.

Resume / List of Activities

Your application must include a one-page list of academic, leadership, and extra-/co-curricular activities. Please be sure your resume includes a ‘Leadership’ section specifically in which your leadership experience is listed. Activities from high school may also be included.

Three Essays

Essays should be double spaced, in 12-point font answering the following questions:

Essay 1 (250-word limit): Give us an example of when you took a leadership role. What motivated you to lead?
Essay 2 (250-word limit): Imagine waking up 20 years from now. What does your professional life look like?
Essay 3 (250-word limit): Tell us about an experience when your personal values were tested and how you resolved that dilemma.

Recommendation

Students: Please select a recommender, preferably a USC professor or administrator, who can speak to your leadership capacity. We understand that you are early in your college career and may not as yet have formed any close relationships with professors. If you do not have a professor or administrator who can submit a recommendation, please ask an individual who has seen you in a professional or leadership setting — perhaps an internship or job supervisor or club adviser. Recommenders should not be students. Once you log into the application portal, please add your recommender and send them a request for recommendation email. Recommenders will be asked to answer a series of short-answer questions rather than submit a letter of support.

Recommenders: We are looking for students who display an exceptional capacity to lead and have community impact over the course of their careers. You should receive an automated email once the student sends you the recommend email via the application portal. The recommendation will consist of a series of brief questions; a formal letter of recommendation is not required.

Interview Availability

Candidates selected for interviews will be notified by the end of February. Interviews will take place in March.

A selection committee will evaluate the applications and invite the most qualified candidates for individual interviews in March. Candidates moving on to the next round will then be invited to a final group interview. Candidates selected for the tenth cohort of Warren Bennis Scholars will be notified in April.

Info Session

Information Sessions

Applications for the spring 2026 recruitment cycle will open January 26, 2026, and will close Feb. 27, 2026. We encourage interested applicants to attend one of the following in-person information sessions:

Monday, Feb. 9, 2026
1:00–2:00 p.m.
JFF 414

Wednesday , Feb. 11, 2026
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Zoom

Graduating with Honors

Contact Information

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

About the Bennis Scholars Program

What is the Bennis Scholars Program?

The Warren Bennis Scholars Program is an academic program and honor for a select group of USC undergraduate students. The program is designed to hone leadership skills through leadership training both inside and outside the classroom.

Who was Warren Bennis?

Dr. Warren G. Bennis was an internationally renowned authority on leadership and widely acclaimed pioneer of leadership studies. He published 30 books on leadership and was an adviser to several U.S. presidents, as well as numerous business leaders. In addition, Dr. Bennis was a long-time distinguished professor at USC, where he co-taught a popular course on leadership with USC President Emeritus Steven B. Sample. Read more about Dr. Bennis’ life and career here.

Is this a scholarship?

No, this is not a scholarship. The Bennis Scholars Program is an academic honor awarded upon graduation to students who complete the program. The program consists of four courses (one unit each), which are completed during the junior and senior year. Participation in events outside of class is also required.

Whom do I contact for more information?

Please contact Dr. Chris Bresnahan (cbresnah@marshall.usc.edu) for more information about the program.

Eligibility and Application Process

Who is eligible to join the Bennis Scholars Program?

Students from all majors and academic departments are eligible to apply. Applicants must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.5.

Applications will open soon for Cohort ten; the program will begin in fall 2026. Since the program requires two years of courses intended for the junior and senior year, applicants must be second-semester sophomores and/or students expected to graduate in spring or fall 2027.

Is there a deadline to apply?

The application deadline for Cohort 10 is Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. PST.

What is required to apply?

Eligible applicants must submit the online application including a resume and three short-answer essays responding to the given prompts. A recommendation (preferably from a USC faculty member or administrator) is also required.

How soon after I apply will I know if I’ve been selected for the Bennis Scholars Program?

Following the application deadline in February, eligible applicants will be contacted for an individual interview that will take place in March. Candidates invited to participate in the final round will have a group interview in late March. The final selection of Scholars will be determined at the conclusion of this interview process. The tenth cohort of Scholars will be announced in April.

Can I participate in the Bennis Scholars Program if I plan to study abroad in my junior or senior year?

There are four courses required in order to receive the Bennis Scholar designation at graduation. Students admitted to the Bennis Scholars Program cohort beginning in Fall 2026 will be permitted to study abroad only during the second semester of the program (Spring 2027). Scholars who spend that semester abroad will make up for the missed course by taking the second and fourth semester courses simultaneously in the fourth semester (Spring 2028). Bennis students who want to study abroad in any other semester will not be able to complete the program.

Can transfer students apply for the Bennis Scholars Program?

Yes, provided that they expect to graduate in four or five semesters following the spring 2026 term. Since the program requires two years of courses intended for the junior and senior year, applicants for Cohort 10 must be graduating in spring or fall 2028.

Can graduate students apply for the Bennis Scholars Program?

No. Only currently enrolled USC undergraduate students may apply for the Bennis Scholars Program.

Graduating as a Bennis Scholar

If I am selected for the Bennis Scholars Program, does that mean I am automatically a Bennis Scholar?

In addition to being admitted to the program, you must complete all of the program requirements in order to be designated a Bennis Scholar upon graduation. Graduating Bennis Scholars will have successfully completed each of the four courses (one unit each) and participated in required program experiences outside the classroom. Bennis Scholars must also graduate within five years at USC with university honors with a minimum 3.5 overall grade point average.

How is the Bennis Scholar honor recognized upon graduation?

Graduating students who meet all of the program requirements will receive an honors notation on the final transcript and participate in a special program graduation event.