Haslam College of Business
Haslam Leaders Curriculum
Professional Development from the Start
Professionalism isn’t an elective at the Haslam College of Business. From their first semester, students are required to take four courses that develop the professional competencies that lead to career-long success and gain real job search and job place experience.
93%
Of graduates employed or pursuing continued education
85%
Of business students complete an internship
100%
Of business students have a LinkedIn profile, resume, cover letter, elevator pitch and interview practice
100+
Alumni and business leaders interacting with students each year
Change the Business World
for The Better
We launch business leaders into the world – people who use their skills and knowledge advance more than just the bottom line or their own career. The four core values of our college form the foundation of Haslam Leaders curriculum.
Integrity
Integrity is essential to our community. Integrity is supported by openness, communication, accountability, professionalism and the courage to live our values.
Inclusion
We value diversity in its many forms and recognize that constructive debate makes us better. Inclusion and respect for all makes our community stronger.
Insight
We value the creation and sharing of knowledge. Support for learning and enhancing understanding is central to all that we do.
Impact
We are committed to excellence, enduring influence, relevance and creativity. We want to make a positive difference through our ideas and actions.
BUAD 100
Find A Place in the Business World
Students explore their strengths and plot their course to success. BUAD 100 helps every incoming student engage with every opportunity at the college that can support their future career, starting in their very first semester. They will learn about their unique talents and how to use them, business majors and their associated careers, plugging into Haslam’s student and professional organizations, and how to become an engaged leader.
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Small Class Size
Students build connections with classmates that last long beyond the course.
Peer Mentors
Current Haslam students guide the incoming class throughout their first semester
Impactful Instructors
Taught by Haslam’s academic advisors and campus partners to ensure students know the specifics of making the most of the college and UT.
What BUAD 100 Students Are Saying
BUAD 200
Articulate Core Values & Strength-based Communication
The business world never stops growing, and neither should business professionals. BUAD 200 is an active-learning online course where students establish personal ethics and learn effective communication. They then immediately apply what they learn to building resumes and LinkedIn pages and connecting with recruiters through in-person, active learning. The final cumulative project showcases their professional communication skills, individual accomplishments, and the professional brand they want to portray as undergraduate business students. The course builds professionalism and confidence and teaches how to continually develop skills throughout a career.
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Asynchronous Course
Students take classes where they fit best in their busy weekly schedule.
Test Your Professionalism
Students apply what they learn through out of class learning experiences.
Cumulative Final Project
Showcases professional communication skills, individual accomplishments and a professional brand.
What BUAD 200 Students Are Saying
“I have experience initiating conversations with recruiters who hire students for internships and jobs, and I feel confident initiating conversations with these business professionals.”
“I received my first internship offer from a recruiter! I believe this is due in part to the work I completed in BUAD 200.“
“Students demonstrate a 30% increase in leadership, communication, professionalism, critical thinking, and career and self-development.”
BUAD 300
Hone Your Practical Business Skills
Confidence grows from experience, and BUAD 300 gives students active-learning opportunities for every stage of the job search. Students learn to search strategically, interpret job descriptions, write cover letters, tailor elevator pitches, leave a lasting impression in interviews, network with company reps face-to-face, and negotiate effectively. Students also complete a group project solving a current business problem at a real company and receive real-time professional feedback. Students also work within a group to solve a current business problem for a company and receive real-time, professional feedback from the company representatives.
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Real-world Relevancy
Students interact with real companies on real business problems in real time.
Develop Core Competencies
Students gain experience in the post-graduate job skills deemed most impactful by NACE research.
GE Fulfillment
Students satisfy the university’s applied oral communication general education requirement.
What BUAD 300 Students Are Saying
“BUAD 300 was incredibly beneficial not only to my problem-solving skills but to my people skills as well. It was also quite helpful to learn about salary negotiation and how to use it to my advantage in the future. I also learned more about finding a company that is a right fit for me instead of just taking whatever job is available.“
“I really enjoyed the problem-based learning project because it got me out of my comfort zone. It made me work and actually think creatively on how to solve problems in a business context and what all comes with the planning for a business … Every student who is trying to get into the business field needs to do this activity.“
“There are so many minor aspects of how businesses work that I’ve never had to think about before. The problem-based learning project forced me out of my comfort zone, encouraged me to speak up in a group, and allowed me some free thinking that I hadn’t used in a while.”
“The Haslam Prepared Career Fair gave me an opportunity to grow and develop my communication skills in a way I have not done previously. I would recommend this opportunity to anyone in Haslam and at the university.“
“I found the problem-based learning project to be one of the most relevant projects I have done so far in college. It was very rewarding and helped me because it simulated a real-life situation. This activity also gave me a better understanding of what my salary may look like in the future. I also have a general idea of what will be expected of me in my career.”
“I liked how there were no boundaries on what we could do [in the problem-based learning project]. The most enjoyable part was that the project was so unlimited that it was fun looking for loopholes to solve the solution.”
“I greatly enjoyed the problem-based learning activity, and I think that it gave me a better idea of how real problems are solved, rather than just reading a textbook and hypothetically thinking about what I/we would do.”
BUAD 405
Lead Your Community Now & Forever
In BUAD 405 students leverage the breadth of their college experiences to improve the world around them, like true Volunteers. The course explores opportunities for community engagement and how to identify needed resources in a community. Students reflect on how to use their unique skills and interests for maximum impact in their region. They also discover how different organizations execute corporate social responsibility work through group presentations.
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Hybrid Course
Students pursue asynchronous modules at their own pace and bring it all together in regular online class discussions.
Expert Content
Knoxville business professionals and community members contribute to online modules throughout the course and attend synchronous lessons as guest speakers.
Community Engagement Hours
Complete at least six hours in an area of your choosing.
What BUAD 405 Students Are Saying
“I just finished my Servant Leadership write-up assignment and I really, really enjoyed writing about my father in that way. I don’t remember the last time an assignment made me feel that happy, and I am really enjoying our class so far. I feel like I have learned so much about myself and the next chapter of my life. I just wanted to express that to you.”
“The asynchronous portions of class were very beneficial because I had more flexibility in when I did the coursework.”
“The course helped me understand civic engagement more as I look for more opportunities to connect where I will be working in the future.”
“I liked learning about the community-focused aspects of different companies and seeing how people get involved in Fortune 500 companies.”