Academic Honors and FellowshipsThe 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.
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
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.