At most universities, career planning begins once you’ve declared a major, but at Syracuse University in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), it starts in the first semester — whether you’ve chosen a major or not.

All undecided first-year students in A&S enroll in PST 105: Strategies for Career Success, a one-credit course believed to be the first of its kind nationally. Built around the eight career readiness competencies defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the course walks students through the foundational tools of professional life — resume building, LinkedIn, networking, internship searches — before they've even chosen a major.

The philosophy behind it is straightforward, says Associate Dean for Student Success Steve Schaffling, who helped develop the course. The course is also taught by Kristen Aust and Laura McArdle, directors in the A&S | Maxwell School's Office of Student Success.

"Career needs to be built right into term one and year one," he says, "because it's really about making sure the students' academic choices align with their career goals."

That alignment is exactly what undecided students need most. Rather than treating career exploration as something that follows academic decisions, PST 105 treats it as something that informs them.

"Bringing those human-capital tools all the way down into term one lets a student clarify how they can map their path over the next four years, both curricular and co-curricular," he says.

The results so far suggest the approach is resonating with students. Undecided students who take the course are returning to the University for their second year at a rate of 93 percent, compared to a historical average retention rate of 86 percent.

One of the most critical assignments is to complete the Alumni Connections program which requires each student to meet with an assigned alumnus before the semester ends. The model turns what is often an optional networking opportunity into a structured, mentored experience and makes alumni an active part of the academic program. Matt Wheeler, director of employer-alumni engagement for A&S | Maxwell, introduced the program to students earlier this semester.

Students move through the course alongside an undergraduate peer coach — a fellow student who tracks their progress, records participation and meets with them individually throughout the semester. The large-lecture format, held Friday mornings in Maxwell Hall Auditorium, is balanced by that one-on-one coaching relationship.

Students complete a Strong Interest Inventory, build and score their resume using an AI-powered platform and develop a LinkedIn profile. They research internships and connect their findings to their own career assessment results. They practice interviewing through a mock interview tool that provides AI feedback.

Schaffling sees the course as part of a broader shift in how advising offices can serve students. "We take a human-capital approach: what skills are we helping the students build as they work with us," he says. "We're embedding that within what used to be just a traditional advising office."