Blueprint

Our award-winning education-to-career curriculum model supports our students' professional development — every student graduates with the knowledge, skills and network needed to excel in the workplace.

Preparing for your future

Blueprint

Blueprint, our education-to-career plan, is a series of 12 classes focused on professional development and personal finance. Blueprint supports every business and design major, embedding career advising, student-employer interactions and work-based learning into the student experience.

Research-based learning

Redefining business education

Studies show that the demands for new workforce preparation are changing so we have developed our Blueprint series to meet these demands.

It is our goal that every OSU College of Business graduate is prepared to make an immediate, meaningful impact.

Our Blueprint model:

  • Improves alignment between how we prepare our students for the workforce and what the workforce needs.
  • Increases access, retention and graduation rates among all students regardless of their race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, etc.
  • Supports students as they transition into careers.

Soft skills are much harder skills to teach than the technical aspects of running a business. OSU students have extremely good communication and soft skills. It makes the OSU business students stand out.

Eric Nelson ‘84, President and CEO of Mutual of Enumclaw

The Blueprint skill set

Your path to a meaningful career.

Students begin with an overview of business disciplines (e.g., accounting, marketing, management) and participate in career planning activities such as company visits and workshops with industry representatives. Each year, over 500 business professionals share their knowledge and experiences with our students.

A focus on transferable skills.

All 12 classes deliver work-based learning that helps develop transferable skills such as adaptability, teamwork and communication — qualities that employers seek in any industry.

More than work skills, these are life skills.

With a strong emphasis on personal financial literacy, students learn about financial goal setting, which immediately benefits personal budgeting. Blueprint learning dives deeper into financial management topics such as long-term budgeting, credit management, loan repayment, taxes, savings/investing and major purchases. Salary/benefit negotiation, career opportunity analysis are among additional skill sets taught.

Award-winning

The Blueprint breakthrough curricular model earned from Strada Education Network.

Year-by-year skills building

1st Year: Learn by doing

We offer a rock-star all-encompassing first-year experience, probably the best first-year experience of any college, anywhere. You learn the practical skills to succeed in college: goal setting, time management, engaging with peers and professors, teamwork and collaborative decision-making, all while practicing the fundamentals of business through the launch of your own microbusinesses. By the end of the first year, you know your college, your community — and you understand how to navigate your remaining years of college.

2nd Year: Leverage your strengths

This is a year to build your professional confidence and begin leveraging your personal strengths. You draft a career blueprint that aligns your talents with your future career goals. You learn the basics of personal finance and financial planning. You become more familiar with the extensive career services the college offers, and you connect with networking and mentoring support that fuels an ambitious career mindset. You've learned about creativity and diversity in the workplace, and you've given some thought to study abroad.

3rd Year: Communicate like a pro

In the third year, you build a solid core of professional communications skills. You practice your written and oral business communications skills, increase your professional confidence and finesse your professional image. A feature event is the college-wide Orange & Black Case Competition, where you'll showcase your public-speaking skills critical to success in the business world. Your updated resume is posted in LinkedIn and in Handshake (our jobs database) and you're lining up a summer internship.

4th Year: Life after graduation

In preparing for life after graduation you focus on long-term career, life and financial planning. You learn money management, risk management, budgeting for major purchases and negotiation strategies. You learn what comes after an entry-level job and how to negotiate a raise. You graduate with sound judgement and sophisticated decision-making skills for your early-career and longer-term goals. When you graduate feeling prepared for life outside of college, your job satisfaction skyrockets. You still have a blueprint.

12

12 courses over four years focus on personal, professional and leadership development.

100%

100% of OSU College of Business students participate in Blueprint. You'll graduate with the knowledge, skills and network you need to excel in the workplace.

500

More than 500 employers recruit and engage at the College of Business each year.

In partnership with

Not only did we get to create our own product, but we learned how to interview, how to create resumes, how to network at events and so many other important steps to succeeding in the business world.

Emma Zomerman

Sample courses

BA161/162, Awareness to Action and Ideas to Reality

Earn real profits and navigate team dynamics while running a successful microenterprise with your peers.

BA283, Navigating Crucial Conversations in the Workplace

Reflect on your personal ideals in a workplace, discover the power diversity brings to a team and organization, and learn how to navigate difficult conversations effectively.

BA284, Foundations of Personal Finance I

Explore your money mindset, learn strategies to track expenses and budget, and plan your path to graduation.

BA311, Framing Your Career Plan

Create a plan for professional growth, participate in experiential learning within your industry, and practice articulating your ideas and experiences effectively during interviews

BA313, A Case for Civil Discourse in Business

Engage in civil discourse and debate trending topics at the intersection of business, government, and society.

BA411, Navigating Career Transitions

Prepare for industry by analyzing job offers, practicing negotiation skills, and advocating for self and others at work.