The Catalyst Program at SMU will begin with focusing on “Finding Your Why” with instructor and Catalyst CEO, Daniel Hance. Throughout the first week of the program, you’ll learn strategies and tools to determine the path that you would like to take post service. The Catalyst Program at SMU will build upon those core transition skills and integrate graduate level course work from the SMU Cox School of Business. You’ll also learn strategies for brand management and earn a professional certificate in project management.
Upon completion of The Catalyst Program at SMU, you’ll matriculate with graduate credit hours, a professional certificate in project management and valuable business contacts to help you in your professional and collegiate career. Graduate credit hours can be applied toward selected graduate programs at SMU.
Essential Transition and Personal Brand Development – Learn to highlight your personal and military experiences to stand out to hiring managers. After defining your ‘why’, the motivating factor that has driven you through the military, you’ll establish a no-nonsense translation of your skills by working with veterans who have decades of experience in the business world. Being able to use this knowledge of yourself and your experience can help open doors that would remain otherwise closed.
Topics include:
- Brand Strategy
- Personal Branding and Networking
- Career Management
- DiSC® Assessment
- Finding Your Why
- Leadership Style Translation
- Panel with Hiring Managers
- Personal Finance and Investing
- Resumes and Interviews
- Translation of Skills
Business Consulting – In today’s workforce, being able to effectively analyze problems and communicate solutions is critical. You’ll learn the art of business consulting from a veteran of both the military and business consulting. Through Business Partner Case Studies, you’ll demonstrate your skills on real world problems. Your analysis and proposed solutions may even yield real world results and future opportunities!
Topics include:
- Consulting: Problem Statements and Identifying Needs
- Consulting: Root Cause Analysis
- Project Management (professional certificate)
- Business Partner Case Studies
- Business Writing and Presentations
Executive Knowledge Toolkit – In the military, communication with strategic level personnel requires an understanding of a distinct language. This is also the case in a business environment. Gain a foundational understanding of the core competencies expected of any business executive or manager. By building your executive knowledge toolkit, you’ll be able to confidently speak to any audience and seek new opportunities for yourself.
- Economics and Finance
- Entrepreneurship Mentality and Start-Up Resources
- Human Relations and Human Capital
- Introduction to Business Law
- Introduction to Managerial Accounting
Graduate Courses – Learn how to navigate graduate level courses and decide if furthering your education is the right path for you. With a graduate level course in one of the fastest growing job markets, you will gain an understanding of the foundational concepts and demands of the industry.
- Executive Leadership —Learn to recognize the interaction between the social processes and structural characteristics that influence teams and their larger organizations. You'll become comfortable with and adept at successfully managing teams to drive performance. Upon completion of The Catalyst program, credit hours from this course can be applied to your MBA if you are accepted to the SMU Cox School of Business program.