The Personal Development Plan is a simple but impactful idea that has now been utilized by approximately 6,000 BBA alums and current students. At its core, the PDP is an Excel document that helps students plan the requirements to graduate, but its usage and value go far beyond just a requirement planning tool. In 2006, the BBA degree, which had for decades been a two-year degree program, was modified to a three-year structure with a small number of first-year preferred admits. Eight years later, in 2014, the BBA curriculum was modified from a 45 business credit requirement to 58 business credits. The changes to the curriculum meant that students had significantly more time, more flexibility, and more choices in how they progressed through the BBA degree. That flexibility increased even more as we moved to a four-year program in 2017. Advisors developed the PDP as a resource to help students make the most out of this expanded college experience.

In 2014, with the launch of the 58-credit BBA curriculum, a new core course was created, BA 200. As part of BA 200, PDP was introduced as a required component of the class and is now a co-curricular component of BA 100 and BA 102. Each year, the undergraduate advising team works with over 625 new BBA students (first-year students and transfers) so that each student develops an individualized plan for their life as a college student. Ensuring that they are planning requirements is an important part of this, but in developing their plan, students are asked to reflect on their goals for their time in college while developing their PDP. What skills and competencies do they hope to develop while they are here? Are there opportunities they want to take advantage of (study abroad, participation in programs through centers and institutes, minors or dual degrees, club leadership, etc.)? The PDP is a living document that travels with students throughout their four years and becomes a reference point for continued conversations and relationship-building with advisors until graduation. The PDP has had an impact on every single BBA student since the fall of 2014, helping to open their eyes to the rich opportunities at Michigan Ross and giving them a roadmap to their unique journey as a Ross BBA.