The Praxis Program—Tools for the World of Work

The Praxis Program provides an exciting opportunity to combine the practical reading, writing and analytical skills of a Liberal Arts education with marketable skills required for success in today's workplace. Praxis is neither a major nor a minor, but a unique program that will complement any Arts and Sciences major. The program is flexible, so you will have room in your schedule to fulfill the requirements while taking other courses that interest you.

The Arts & Sciences faculty have helped to develop the program and Praxis faculty are committed to a fuller mentoring relationship with students. Course enrollments are limited to ensure you get the individualized attention you deserve. In addition, leaders in business, nonprofit organizations, government and the like (who discovered the foundation for their success in liberal arts studies) are lecturers in the signature Praxis courses. 

Current Praxis students: For questions about program requirements, including coursework and internships, please schedule an appointment with Emma Merrigan or Dean Toliver-Diallo using the Calendly links below:

Dr. Emma Merrigan: https://calendly.com/e-merrigan
Dean Wilmetta Toliver-Diallo: https://calendly.com/diallo/academic-advising

Required Core Courses

Organizational/Leadership- L62 201 Leaders in Context (Offered Fall Semester only)

In this course we explore leadership both theoretically and practically. Focus is on understanding the concept of culture and how the cultural context informs a leader’s style and effectiveness. This course also is designed to help students develop insights about leadership practice through readings, discussions, conversations with leaders, and group projects based on fieldwork. Students examine a wide variety of leaders and leadership styles in order to better understand how leaders mobilize followers within the constraints of their particular settings. Students also analyze the creation of institutional identity within organizations and corporate culture and explore effective leadership practices within these settings, as well as analyzing some cross-cultural examples of leadership. This course is limited only to students enrolled in the Praxis program. (3 Units)

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Socio-Tech - Technology in Organizations – L62 207 Fluency in Socio-Technology (Offered Fall Semester only)

This course analyzes the fundamentals of technology and how that technology affects communication and processes. Students can expect to learn effective strategies for communicating through various platforms and the importance of content delivery in the proper context. Students will also interact with real world practitioners through a series of guest speakers in addition to the weekly classroom discussion. The semester will culminate in a team-based project that puts students in contact with real non-profit organizations in the St. Louis area. The students are tasked with applying the information learned in class to real workplace scenarios. This course is limited only to students enrolled in the PRAXIS program. (2 Units)

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Communication, Written and Oral – L62 285 Communication That Works (Offered Spring Semester only)

This course focuses on the communication forms and skills essential to contemporary living and working. Various forms of writing for different audiences and purposes: business letters, memorandums, proposals, reports, press releases, speeches as well as public speaking are practiced and critiqued. The use of technology common in public speaking is practiced and critiqued. The use of technology common in public presentations is expected. Course reading is supplemented with viewing and listening. Final grade is based on combination of quizzes, writing assignments and demonstration of speaking skills. This course is limited only to students in the Praxis program. (3 Units)

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Praxis Internship – L62 298 or 299

As the capstone experience of the Praxis Program, the internship will allow students to put into practice the skills and knowledge learned in the Praxis curriculum. The Praxis internship will be conducted with the mentorship of a sponsoring Praxis faculty member, and usually occurs by the end of the senior year. It is NOT POSSIBLE to fulfill the internship portion of the Praxis Program with an internship that occurred before completing the majority of Praxis requirements.

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Program Enrollment

New applications for the Praxis Program have been temporarily suspended. If you have questions about Praxis or would like to complete Praxis Coursework as an Integrated Inquiry (IQ-23), please write to Praxis@wustl.edu for Department approval before enrolling.

Additional Requirements

  • Analytic and problem-solving requirement (3 units)
    Required: Econ 1011 Introduction to Microeconomics
    Recommended: Econ 1021 Introduction to Macroeconomics or
    Phil 100G Logic and Critical Analysis
     
  • Quantitative Skills (3 units)
    A course in statistics (select one from below):
    Math 1011 Introduction to Statistics
    Math 2200 Elementary Probability and Statistics
    Math 3200 Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis
    Pol Sci 363 Quantitative Political Methodology
    Psych 300 Introduction to Psychological Statistics
     
  • International perspective or experience (3 units)
    Required:     Study of a language through the 300 level
    OR
    A study abroad experience
    OR
    One course with an international perspective by petition (must be 300 level or above)

The Praxis Internship

As the capstone experience of the Praxis Program, the internship will allow students to put into practice the skills and knowledge learned in the Praxis curriculum. The Praxis internship will be conducted with the mentorship of a sponsoring Praxis faculty member, and usually occurs by the end of the senior year. It is NOT POSSIBLE to fulfill the internship portion of the Praxis Program with an internship that occurred before completing the majority of Praxis requirements.

Requirements: 

  1. The student must secure a Praxis faculty sponsor.
  2. It is NOT POSSIBLE to fulfill the Praxis Internship requirement with an internship that was not approved and/or occurred before you completed the majority of your Praxis requirements.
  3. During your internship, monthly progress reports must be given to the faculty sponsor.
  4. Upon completion of the internship experience, the student will submit a 10 page paper exploring the relevant issues and questions set by the sponsoring faculty. Depending on the topic, nature of the internship, and discretion of the sponsoring faculty, a daily journal may be submitted in lieu of the 10- page paper.

Internship Options:

Credit Option (3 units)

  • The internship must consist of 180 hours for 3 units
  • The internship must be at least 8 weeks in duration to receive the 3 units of credit.
  • In order to receive the 3 credit hours for your internship, it must be unpaid. In this case, an unpaid internship grade will be pass/fail.

No Credit Option

  • If the internship is paid, it will still fulfill the Praxis internship requirement and you will need to sign up for the No Credit option. The internship will be graded, but will not count for credit hours. University policy states that paid internships may not be counted for credit hours.
  • If your internship is less than 180 hrs, you will need to sign up for the No Credit option.

Setting up the Internship:

All internships must be approved by the program director. Please submit your request for approval for your Praxis Internship.

Internship Examples:

Some past Praxis internships have included:

  • Affton Chamber of Commerce – economic development and urban planning
  • Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Company – marketing techniques and project development
  • Minnesota 150th Anniversary Project – web design and focus group management
  • Boston Urban Scholars Program – teaching, tutoring, program development
  • Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership – training and professional development
  • IMG Sports, Entertainment, and Media – sales, market research, client management
  • Fanscape Media Marketing – online public relations and promotion, client services
  • Broadreach – course lead instructor, dive instructor, and bookkeeper (Fiji, Solomon Islands)
  • Walgreens Corporation – human resources rotational
  • Senator Sanders Washington, DC office – exploring interests in public policy

Resources

Lydia Zoells, English major and German minor at Washington University in St. Louis

Being a student in ArtSci means you’re encouraged to take classes in different areas and to have that well-roundedness, and I think it’s so valuable. Coming into college, I loved science, I loved math, and I started out really broadly. I'm not sure if I would have found my place if I didn’t have the chance to explore a wide range of classes.

―Lydia ZoellsEnglish major and German minor