Braven is a course and community empowering college students with the tools for a strong career. Learning from professionals in small cohorts, you’ll gain in-demand skills and networks. Post-graduation support after graduation and an alumni network ensure your ongoing success. Braven offers courses through colleges and nonprofit partnerships.
Braven helps Fellows create a strong professional portfolio (resume, cover letter, LinkedIn) for internships and jobs, ensuring competitive applications.
Braven expands your network for job prospects. With employer partners, volunteers, and a strong alumni network, you’ll have support and connections.
As a Fellow, you’ll bond with peers in a small cohort, facing challenges and learning together. Your coach will guide you personally and professionally.
Braven’s experience hones leadership skills through real-world challenges and classroom exercises, preparing you for success in work and life.
When students are given access to information capital and networks as well as the opportunity to practice professional skills, the American promise is attainable within semesters.
75% of Braven graduates make more in their first job out of college than either of their parents did at the same age.
By comparison, by age 30, Americans have a 50-50 shot of outearning their parents.
OF Braven GRADS MAKE MORE IN FIRST JOB OUT OF COLLEGE THAN THEIR PARENTS AT THE SAME AGE
Fellows on the path to American Promise
uplift in ANNUAL earnings for Braven Grads IN THEIR FIRST JOB compared with PEERS NATIONALLY
You are a student at one of our partner universities
Ideally, you are a sophomore, junior, or transfer student
You can commit about 4-6 hours a week semester-long course
You are in good academic standing
As with any rigorous college course, the Braven Accelerator requires dedication, focus, and a time commitment—generally about 4-6 hours a week. But unlike in many college classes, much of that time is flexible. Around 80% of your coursework is done independently, on your own time and online, and 20% is a hands-on learning opportunity facilitated by your coach.
Braven isn’t just a course — it’s a community and an experience. After you finish the Accelerator, you have access to ongoing support from Braven that lasts through six months after graduation.
Many Fellows begin their Braven experience unsure of what they want to do after college graduation. If you aren’t yet sure of the career you want to pursue, Braven can help you find your path.
Course Description
The Braven Leadership Accelerator is a 3-credit foundational course designed to begin preparing students to become leaders in an increasingly competitive, globalized career marketplace. Students will define their own leadership by leveraging and highlighting their identity, values, strengths, talents and experiences via multiple formats of communication, networking, project-managing, and teamwork activities. This course, which is ideal for sophomores and juniors, will support students who seek to attain a strong post-baccalaureate leadership opportunity, whether that be graduate school or a strong first job.
Course Section
The Braven Accelerator is a 3-credit elective course that meets Tuesdays (virtual) or Wednesdays (hybrid) at 6:30pm ET. The course is listed as:
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Locations
There will be two sections of the course. Select the one that best fits your personal preference: 1) Fully virtual 2) Hybrid
Course Description
DSU-Braven Career Leadership Accelerator (UNIV 291) is a foundational course, designed as preparation for the competitive, globalized job marketplace and includes the formation of professional networks, communication in multiple formats, teamwork, development of career skills, and project management. Students will define their own leadership by leveraging and highlighting their identity, values, strengths, talents and experiences. This course will support students who seek to attain a strong post-baccalaureate leadership opportunity, whether that be graduate school or a strong first job.
Course Section
DSU-Braven Career Leadership Accelerator (UNIV 291) is a 3-credit elective course that meets virtually on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm ET. The course is listed as:
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Eligibility
Sophomores and juniors are preferred, but the course is open to all full-time undergraduate students (including transfer students) in all majors who are:
Course Description
This course prepares students for the increasingly competitive, globalized job marketplace. Through online and peer learning, interactive experiences, and reflection, students will build meaningful networks, discover their innate leadership, and cultivate the “hard” and “soft” skills and habits of mind needed to thrive in twenty-first-century workplaces. This course will require your commitment. Nothing good comes easy, but this course will be equally rewarding as it is challenging.
Course Section
The Braven Accelerator is a 3-credit elective course that meets Tuesdays or Wednesdays from 6pm to 8pm ET. The course is listed as Cooperative Education:
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Location
There will be two sections of the course. Select the one that best fits your personal preference: 1) Fully virtual 2) Hybrid with mostly in-person on-campus sessions and 3-4 virtual sessions
Eligibility
Course Description
The Braven Accelerator, UNIV 301, is a 3 credit elective credit course that meets once a week in the afternoon or evening. It is a foundational course, designed to begin preparing students for the increasingly competitive, globalized job marketplace. It is aimed at students in their sophomore year who have a hunger to attain a strong post-grad opportunity. Through online and peer learning, interactive experiences, and reflection, students will build meaningful networks, discover their innate leadership, and cultivate the “hard” and “soft” skills and habits of mind needed to thrive in twenty-first-century workplaces and make a positive impact through their careers upon graduation.
This course will require your commitment. Nothing good comes easy, but this course will be equally rewarding as it is challenging. What you get from this course will depend on what you give, and you need to want to give to this course to get the most out of it.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Dates/Times
There are two options available for the course in Spring 2022, both of which are fully virtual:
NIU Staff Contact
Cathy Doederlein, cdoederlein1@niu.edu, OR careerservices@niu.edu
Melanie Griegoliet, Coordinator of Professional Development and Training, Career Services, email is mgriegoliet@niu.edu
Eligibility
Course Description
This is a foundational course, designed to begin preparing students for the increasingly competitive, globalized job marketplace. It is aimed at students in their sophomore year who have a hunger to attain a strong post-grad opportunity. Through online and peer learning, interactive experiences, and reflection, students will build meaningful networks, discover their innate leadership, and cultivate the “hard” and “soft” skills and habits of mind needed to thrive in twenty-first-century workplaces and make a positive impact through their careers upon graduation.
This course will require your commitment. Nothing good comes easy, but this course will be equally rewarding as it is challenging. What you get from this course will depend on what you give, and you need to want to give to this course to get the most out of it.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Eligibility
Sophomore and first-year transfer students are preferred, but the course is open to all undergraduate students in all majors who are:
Course Description
This course prepares students for the increasingly competitive, globalized job marketplace. Through online and peer learning, interactive experiences, and reflection, students will build meaningful networks, discover their innate leadership, and cultivate the “hard” and “soft” skills and habits of mind needed to thrive in twenty-first-century workplaces. This course will require your commitment. Nothing good comes easy, but this course will be equally rewarding as it is challenging.
Course Section
The Braven Leadership and Career Accelerator is a 3-credit elective course.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Location
Eligibility
Course Description
This course prepares students for the increasingly competitive, globalized job marketplace. Through online and peer learning, interactive experiences, and reflection, students will build meaningful networks, discover their innate leadership, and cultivate the “hard” and “soft” skills and habits of mind needed to thrive in twenty-first-century workplaces. This course will require your commitment. Nothing good comes easy, but this course will be equally rewarding as it is challenging.
Course Section
The Braven Accelerator is a 3 unit elective credit course that meets once a week in the afternoon or evening. Students must add UNVS 101 Leadership and Career Accelerator to their MySJSU.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Location
There will be two options for the course. Select the one that best fits your personal preference:
Course Description
Spelman-Braven Leadership Accelerator (SLDR 275) is a foundational course, designed as preparation for the competitive, globalized job marketplace and includes the formation of professional networks, communication in multiple formats, teamwork, development of career skills, and project management. Students will define their own leadership by leveraging and highlighting their identity, values, strengths, talents and experiences. This course, which required for the Sophomore Year Experience at Spelman College, will support students who seek to attain a strong post-baccalaureate leadership opportunity, whether that be graduate school or a strong first job.
Course Section
Spelman-Braven Leadership Accelerator (SLDR 275) is a 3-credit elective course that meets Tuesdays or Wednesdays at 6:00 pm ET. The course is listed as:
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Locations
There will be two sections of the course. The first Learning Lab is in person at Spelman College. Learning Labs two through fourteen are executed virtually.
Braven’s course is open to all students, and part of our mission is to expand opportunity and access for students from diverse racial and economic backgrounds. You might be a good fit if you are:
As a Fellow, you’ll gain strong career preparation, leadership development, personalized advising, a supportive community, and an expanded professional network.
The Braven experience is offered as a two-part experience that begins with a credit-bearing college course that includes weekly meetings in a small cohort (either in-person or virtually, depending on your campus) and independent work. After the course itself, Braven offers post-course supports that last through six months after graduation. Once you graduate, you’ll also be a part of our strong Alumni Network.
As a Braven Fellow, you meet with your cohort each week for 2-hour “Learning Labs,” and there is independent online coursework each week that can be done on your own schedule. To succeed in Braven’s course, you should be able to commit about 4-6 hours a week for a semester.
We work with higher education partners and nonprofits to offer the format that’s best for their students. Most of our higher-education partners offer their class in-person on campus, but we have a number of virtual partnerships as well. Some partners offer both options.
While we partner with faculty advisors to offer Braven on your campus, the course itself is taught by working professionals called Leadership Coaches. They serve as instructors and mentors throughout the course.
The Braven course is offered at no additional costs to students enrolled full-time (that is, students taking 12 or more credits). If you are enrolled part-time or are an international student, then you will need to pay per credit.
