Personal and Professional Development Curriculum

The Anderson School of Business has incorporated two 3-credit courses focused on personal and professional development, with activities outside the classroom like workshops, career fairs and networking events. These opportunities provide platforms for students to demonstrate the full range of their abilities to potential employers, community leaders and their peers.

Introduction to Business (BUSA 1110)

Through professional development curriculum, learners will build community and confidence while exploring and gaining foundational knowledge in business areas, problem solving, career pathways and leadership. This exploration includes experiences in creative, strategic, career and major/minor opportunities.

What Students Say

  • "This class helped me deepen my understanding of business concepts like strategic thinking, decision-making, and communication. The course provided practical tools and frameworks that I can apply and encouraged me to think critically and strategically. The skills I developed have given me more confidence in professional settings. I feel better prepared to approach opportunities and challenges in my career, knowing I have a stronger foundation in business principles."
  • "In BUSA, I developed communication skills interacting with my peers and professors. I learned the importance of reaching out when needed, asking questions, and seeking new opportunities. I had the opportunity to compete in a business pitch competition, an experience I never expected but found incredibly rewarding. Overall, BUSA has been my favorite course."
  • "I expected the class to be another hoop to jump through and it could have been. This is a class where you get out of it what you put in. As informative and eye opening as the lectures may have been, the pivotal instruction in this class is the advice in lectures and personal conversation. I appreciated the personal advice from someone who has seen many industries, and the professional connections you helped me make extend far beyond the classroom."
  • "This course helped me become more social and work on my networking skills. Attending events made me think about how to present myself to people who have great experience in business. It taught me how to stand out of the crowd and develop a friendly approach when it comes to meeting firms or job interviews."

Strategic Career Planning (MGMT 398)

Designed to provide students with the essential skills for engaging in immediate and long-term career planning. Topics covered will guide individuals through a transition from college student to professional employee, including:

Career Exploration: Appraisal of interests, abilities, aptitudes and values

Career Planning: Development of supporting documents for job applications, interviewing skills, professional communications, and a career portfolio

The Job Search Process: Identifying and engaging with prospective internships, graduate programs, credentialing programs, entry-level positions, career pathways, and networking opportunities

The goal of this course is to guide students in their development and acquisition of the essential skills, knowledge and experience necessary to strategically plan for short- and long-term career success.

What Students Say

  • "I was offered an internship at General Mills for this next summer. I was introduced to them at the career fair, and the next day interviewed for this internship. They say most interns receive a job offer after, so this could potentially be life altering for me."
  • "I loved this course. It really helped get the professional development aspect of my career together. Learning to use Handshake was cool. I also learned a lot about resumes that will help me in the future."
  • "Networking was a great method for learning."
  • "With the informational interviews I made connections that I would have never had if it wasn't for this course."
  • "This class covers extremely important topics that are crucial to succeeding in the workforce. I'm thankful for its information and requirements."