Customizable Degrees for Future Careers: Revised Academic Areas of Emphasis
Leeds has expanded its academic areas of emphasis to help students tailor their business degrees, align with industry expectations and prepare for dynamic career paths. An updated structure enhances clarity, advising, mentorship and career readiness.
At Leeds, all undergraduate students earn a Bachelor of Science in business administration. Within that degree, students can personalize their academic journey by selecting from a list of that supplement the core curriculum. In addition, three tracks andcertificate programs can be paired with an area of emphasis to let students further enhance and specialize their experience.
Starting fall 2025
Previously, Leeds offered six academic areas of emphasis and seven tracks. Recent updates have elevated four of those tracks to full areas of emphasis, giving students more clarity and flexibility. Students can now choose from 10 areas:
Each area of emphasis requires 18 semester hours beyond the core business courses. Three tracks remain: Leadership and Human Resources Management are two tracks under the Management area of emphasis, and Personal Financial Planning is under the Finance area of emphasis.
Why the change matters
Choosing an academic area of emphasis deepens students’ expertise in a specific business domain—enhancing their marketability and preparing them to make an immediate impact in the workplace, explained Jennifer Bone, assistant dean of undergraduate programs. “It’s really all about career outcomes.”
“This shift will make a huge impact on the student experience and their job prospects,” she said, outlining four key reasons behind the reclassification.
1. Clarity for students and employers
The previous structure was often confusing, said Bone. “Recruiters weren’t always sure what our programs entailed.” The new terminology aligns better with the industry and helps students and employers understand a degree’s focus at a glance.
For example, a student interested in supply chain might have previously been categorized under management and entrepreneurship, which didn’t clearly signal their specialization. “Now students don’t have to explain that their ‘management’ emphasis was really ‘information systems,’” added Russell Cropanzano, professor and chair of the Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics Division, who played a key role in the redesign.
2. Targeted advising and experiential learning
The new structure enables more tailored advising and opens doors to experiential learning opportunities specific to each emphasis. “It helps students better figure out who to network with and which forums and conferences to attend,” said Bone.
3. Stronger mentorship connections
“We can’t emphasize enough how important mentors are,” said Bone.Leeds mentors are deeply invested in helping students build relationships, expand their networks and connect with industry partners, she explained. “Their passion for supporting students is truly inspiring.”
4. Differentiating Leeds
Leeds continues to stand out among undergraduate business schools through its comprehensive ecosystem: high-quality mentoring, innovative faculty research, cutting-edge technology integration, effective advising, career coaching and robust experiential learning.
Faculty members have worked diligently to update the curriculum, including integrating AI into the core business classes, said Bone. She noted that course updates have been made strategically to avoid disrupting current students.
“This shift will make a huge impact on the student experience and their job prospects."
Jennifer Bone, assistant dean of undergraduate programs
Designing degrees for career impact
Students are encouraged to meet with academic advisors to explore their options. “Students can really customize their degree in a way that suits their interests,” said Bone.
“We know students will need to pivot in their careers. The world is changing so fast, and we can’t predict future job titles. But we can prepare students to be resilient and adaptable.”
Leeds’ first-year Mods courses expose students to a broad foundation across business disciplines. In sophomore year, students take the Business Core Applied Semester Experience (BASE), which offers practical, hands-on experiential learning with real-world businesses.
To further support students' career outcomes, Leeds is rolling out a three-part series called Designing Your Leeds for Career Impact. Currently, all first-year students take Designing Your Leeds, which is also open to direct-admit transfer students. This career exploration course lets students:
- Learn about areas of emphasis
- Build LinkedIn profiles
- Interview senior students and industry professionals
- Attend weekly presentations from faculty and business leaders
This fall, Bone is also piloting a sophomore course called Designing Your Leeds for Career Preparation, which is focused on internship readiness.
The BASE course and Designing Your Leeds programs equip students with the durable skills necessary for a rapidly changing business environment, explained Bone.
“I’m just so excited and proud of all the work we’re doing,” she said.
Ready to personalize your path?
Leeds’ retention rates reflect the school's success in providing a world-class business education. Students arrive, thrive, graduate, and remain connected as engaged alumni who go on to lead in the workplace—a testament to the school’s commitment to preparing resilient, adaptable graduates.
Undergraduate students: Be sure to talk with your advisor to explore your emphasis options and design your Leeds experience.