BUS 303: Developing Your Professional Skills – Advanced Elements Master Syllabus
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Course Description
In this course, you will continue to develop your professional skill set. Topics covered include understanding the modern work environment, business ethics and professional responsibilities, and professional judgment. You will also continue to hone your professional writing and presentation skills, prepare for the job search process, and develop professional development plans. This is a required course in the undergraduate Business program.
Course Outcomes (highlights emphasize Mason Impact)
- Students will increase self-awareness by evaluating their interpersonal skills and the ability to influence and have an impact on the decision-making processes.
- Students will evaluate various business trends, issues, perspectives, and industries to inform their own professional perspectives.
- Students will research, analyze, and create information to assist with their career readiness.
- Students will analyze and improve their ability to effectively organize and communicate ideas through oral and written expression.
Concentration Learning Goals
Students taking part in Business Foundations courses will master the following by graduation:
- Understand and apply ethical frameworks in business context
- Evaluate diverse business trends in domestic and global context, using evidence-based frameworks and methodologies associated with liberal education
- Employ effective communication and information literacy skills in their writing for professional business environments.
BS Business Learning Goals
By the end of the BS Business program, students will master:
- Ethical Reasoning: Students will utilize ethical principles when making business decisions.
- Communication: Students will employ effective written and oral communication skills for professional business environments.
- Critical Thinking: Students will analyze, evaluate, and generate solutions using core business disciplinary knowledge.
- Global Perspective: Students will integrate global perspectives in making business decisions and recommendations.
- Data Analytics Skills: Students will apply analytical tools including AI to make data-informed decisions and recommendations.
- Concentration-Specific Knowledge & Skills: Students will utilize knowledge and skills appropriate for specialization in their concentrations.
Mason Impact Distinction
This course is designated as one of the Mason Impact courses, as part of George Mason’s Undergraduate Education Program, preparing “students to tackle significant global questions and challenges by investigating meaningful questions, engaging multiple perspectives, and creating new knowledge within the context of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity, Civic Engagement, Entrepreneurship, and Global Activities.”
More specifically, BUS 303: Developing Your Professional Skills – Advanced Elements has an interpersonal focus and encourages students to explore how they can impact others through use of professional skills such as persuasive oral and written communication, emotional intelligence, and teamwork. One of the major assignments has students using the business press to be aware of local and global trends and events, in order to inform their thinking and actions. In another team assignment, BUS 303 students work in teams to research a specific aspect of professional development, tailor that content to a target audience within a relevant company by way of a written persuasive training proposal, and deliver an oral training presentation with an interactive activity that educates and impacts peers.
Grading Scale
| Highest | Lowest | Letter |
| 100.00 % | 93.00 % | A |
| 92.99 % | 90.00 % | A- |
| 89.99 % | 87.00 % | B+ |
| 86.99 % | 83.00 % | B |
| 82.99 % | 80.00 % | B- |
| 79.99 % | 77.00 % | C+ |
| 76.99 % | 73.00 % | C |
| 72.99 % | 70.00 % | C- |
| 69.99 % | 60.00 % | D |
| 59.99 % | 0.00 % | F |
Required Online Materials
There is no designated textbook for this course; instead, all readings will be assigned by the instructor and provided through Canvas. Please download required readings and assignments from our course webpage. The course will rely on a combination of readings, online resources, and book chapters.
Approaches to Learning
This course uses a combination of pre-class preparation through reading and online resources and active learning approaches during class time or virtual class meetings. Students are expected to complete all assigned pre-work prior to attending class or virtual class meetings and are expected to attend and fully participate in all class sessions. Professional behavior is expected throughout the course as defined in course discussions.
Assignments
| Assignment 1: Business Press and Web Publication/Visualization | 15% |
| Assignment 2: Employment Package (Résumé, Cover Letter, & Job Posting with Analysis) | 15% |
| Assignment 3: Informational Interview Memo | 15% |
| Assignment 4: Professional Training Presentation/Webinar | 15% |
| Assignment 5: Reflection and Projection | 10% |
| Weekly Course Activities: Readings, Discussion Boards, journals, class participation, etc. | 20% |
| Professional Conversations/Networking | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
Note that final grades will NOT be rounded up—please don’t ask.
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