Business Leader Development (BLD) Program
The Business Leader Development (BLD) Program prepares students to advance their career readiness and community connections by challenging them to become forward-thinking and inclusive business leaders. This sequence of courses is designed to enhance your education and preparation for your career by supporting your personal and professional development and building a lasting community within GWSB.
BLD Program Learning Pillars
- Career Readiness
- Community Connections
- Inclusive Leadership
- Personal & Professional Identity
- Pursuit of Academic Excellence
Course Information
BADM 1001 & 1002: Business Leader Foundations 1 & 2
First-year students are required to complete the BADM 1001 & 1002, Business Leader Foundations, sequence as the first level of the GWSB Business Leader Development Program.
- Learn About BADM 1001 & 1002
The first course in the BLD Program for incoming first-year students, BADM 1001: Business Leader Foundations 1, serves as an introduction to important resources and opportunities in GW and GWSB. This course guides students through developing initial academic and co-curricular involvement goals, exploring foundational concepts relating to leadership skills, and building a foundation for career exploration and readiness. The course culminates in a final team project where students will apply the knowledge they gained throughout the course while exploring various business industries in order to deliver an information presentation.
BADM 1001 is required for all first semester first-year GWSB students in the Bachelor of Science degree program.
The second course in the BLD Program for incoming first-year students, BADM 1002: Business Leader Foundations 2, builds on the prior knowledge, skills, and abilities that students developed in BADM 1001. This course supports students in advancing their career readiness through the development of networking skills and engaging with industry professionals, strengthening their understanding of inclusive leadership, and cultivating collaboration skills. The course culminates in a final team project where students will apply the knowledge they gained through BADM 1001 and 1002 into a case analysis project and persuasive presentation that focuses on a real-world business challenge.
BADM 1002 is required for all second semester first-year GWSB students in the Bachelor of Science degree program. Successful completion of BADM 1001 is required as a prerequisite in order to enroll in this course.
BADM 1003: Business Leader Foundations for Transfer Students
Internal and external transfer students are required to complete the BADM 1003, Business Leader Foundations for Transfer Students, course as the first level of the GWSB Business Leader Development Program.
- Learn About BADM 1003 for Transfer Students
The first course in the BLD Program for incoming transfer students, BADM 1003: Business Leader Foundations for Transfer Students, serves as an introduction to important resources and opportunities in GW and GWSB for internal and external GWSB transfer students. This course guides students through developing initial academic and co-curricular involvement goals, exploring foundational concepts relating to leadership skills, and building a foundation for career exploration and readiness. The course culminates in a final team project where students will apply the knowledge they gained through BADM 1003 into a case analysis project and persuasive presentation that focuses on a real-world business challenge.
BADM 1003 is required for all internal and external transfer GWSB students in the Bachelor of Science degree program.
BADM 3001: Business Leader Career Strategy
BADM 3001 builds on the first layer of the BLD Program, Business Leader Foundations, and expands the focus on career readiness.
- Learn About BADM 3001
The second layer of the BLD Program, BADM 3001: Business Leader Career Strategy, expands on the knowledge, skills, and abilities that students learned during the BADM 1001 & 1002: Business Leader Foundations 1 & 2 or BADM 1003: Business Leader Foundations for Transfer Students course(s). This course challenges students to engage the leadership skills learned in the BLD Program in tandem with the self-assessment and visioning as a way to strategically prepare for potential future careers. The course is structured around each stage of the job application process and culminates in the development of an individualized career strategy.
BADM 3001 is required for all GWSB students in the Bachelor of Science degree program. Successful completion of BADM 1001 & 1002 OR BADM 1003 is required as a prerequisite in order to enroll in this course.
BADM 4001: Business Leader Launch
The final layer of the BLD Program, BADM 4001: Business Leader Launch, is an integrative learning course that is strategically designed to support students in integrating knowledge from prior coursework with a beyond-the-classroom Impact Experience that is completed in tandem with this course.
- Learn More About BADM 4001
The third layer of the BLD Program, BADM 4001: Business Leader Launch, is an integrative learning course that is designed to integrate the knowledge gained through prior coursework, including the BLD Program, with critical reflection, classroom learning, and engagement in a beyond-the-classroom Impact Experience. Students select a 70+ hour beyond-the-classroom Impact Experience (Undergraduate Research, Internship, GWSB Student Organization Leadership, Community-Engaged Scholarship, or BLD Program Mentor) to complete while enrolled in the corresponding section.
BADM 4001 is required for all GWSB students in the Bachelor of Science degree program. Successful completion of BADM 1001 AND BADM 1002 (OR BADM 1003 for transfer students) is required as prerequisites in order to enroll in this course.
Note: BADM 3001 is not a prerequisite, but students are highly encouraged to complete BADM 3001 prior to BADM 4001 to maximize their experience.
Registration into this course is facilitated by GWSB Undergraduate Programs (not through GWeb). Students must obtain departmental approval via GWSB Undergraduate Programs through the BADM 4001 Registration Request Form to be registered for the course - permission varies across sections; detailed information for each section is below.
Please review the permission requirements on the BADM 4001 website.