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Rutgers School of Business – Camden

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Business Leader Development Program (BLDP) - Transformative Leaders for the Emerging Future

Business Leader Development Program (BLDP) - Transformative Leaders for the Emerging Future

Business Leader Development Program (BLDP)

BLDP Mission

BLDP prepares students to undertake socially responsible leader roles in businesses and organizations. The program offers opportunity to develop:

  • Personal leadership skills
  • Professional leadership skills and networking opportunities
  • Socially responsible leadership skills

BLDP Overview

The Rutgers School of Business–Camden’s Business Leader Development Program (BLDP) is where tomorrow’s business and community leaders can hone the skills they need to reach their full potential as leaders. Students who qualify for the BLDP will have the opportunity to network and receive enhanced training and mentorship by RSBC faculty, as well as area business leaders.

At the heart of the BLDP program is a three-credit seminar course taught in a seminar format. BLDP seminars cover leadership topics related to the current and emerging concerns around

  • Health and well-being
  • Poverty and economic growth
  • Equity, inclusion, diversity, inequality
  • Innovations for sustainable future
  • Climate change issues
  • Responsible consumption and production

BLDP classes typically meet on Friday mornings each semester. After a student is admitted to the program, the required BLDP seminar is available to undergraduate students of all majors and can count as a business elective.

The BLDP is not like any other program at RSBC. It has a higher level of expectations and demands. Students can learn about area business leaders and build their network by participating in our activities described below. For those who succeed, it can open the door to a world of opportunity. 

The BLDP offers a range of programs, workshops, and off-campus trips that complement our BLDP seminar. Events include:

  • Networking opportunities with area executives, community leaders, and Rutgers alumni.
  • Community activities, including Executive Lunches, Non-profit service projects, alumni events, and more.
  • Field trips to area companies and organizations, where students get a hands-on look at strategic planning and operations.
  • Leadership skills training to help tomorrow’s leaders sharpen their leadership skills.
  • Participation in case and simulation competitions.

BLDP Requirements

The BLDP is available to all Rutgers–Camden undergraduate students of all majors who meet the requirements. To qualify, students must:

  • Have a sophomore standing (25-55 completed credits) or above and an overall GPA of 3.0 or above. First-semester transfer students are evaluated on their GPA earned at Rutgers. Second-semester freshmen are considered on an individual case basis.
  • For students with GPA 3.5 - 4.0, complete the online application.
  • For students with GPA 3.0 - 3.49, complete the online application and provide two letters of recommendation – one must be academic, the other should be from outside the classroom.
  • Completion of the BLDP will consist of coursework, one skills workshop, one professional workshop or conference, fundraising and alumni event.
  • Additional opportunities for active development of personal, professional, and socially responsible leadership skills and habits to earn Honors Certification are provided. Learn more about Honors Certification.

Want to learn more?

For more information or guidance through the application process, contact ldrshp@camden.rutgers.edu. 

The Spring 2023 Application is now open! Priority will be given to applications received by November 18. Applications are accepted until all seats are filled.
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Spring 2023 BLDP Seminar

The seminar topic is Transformative Business Leader: Creating a Positive Change, taught by Dr. Keanna Ralph.
Learn More

Honors Certification

In addition to the BLDP course, students can complete the BLDP Honors Certification. The certification combines the traditional coursework with out-of-classroom opportunities for students to demonstrate active development of leadership skills and habits. Each of these opportunities carry a point value referred to as “leadership units.” In order to complete the BLDP Honors Certification, students must earn a total of 14 leadership units while enrolled in a Rutgers-Camden academic program.

BLDP Badges (Digital Credentials)

The BLDP provides an opportunity for qualified undergraduate students of all majors to receive enhanced leadership training, networking, and mentoring by RSBC faculty and industry business leaders. Through Credly. com, RSBC currently offers three potential badges, or digital credentials, for the BLDP program, depending on the activities completed by the student and the focus of the leadership units completed by the student.

Executive Shadowing

One of the highlights of the BLDP calendar is Executive Shadowing. It gives BLDP students the opportunity to spend time shadowing a local executive—accompanying them to meetings, observing working sessions, and anything else the Executive has scheduled for the day. It’s a rare opportunity to get an up-close look at how Executives spend their time.

The deadline to apply for the Spring 2023 Executive Shadowing is January 27th.

Business Leader Development Program (BLDP)-heading level3

Leadership Takes Effort

The BLDP is guided by a strict Code of Conduct.

Code of Conduct

Questions? ​

Check out our FAQs page for some answers.

View FAQs

A Message from the Director

Dear Students: 

The Business Leader Development Program can enable you to build leadership skills and insights that are valuable in your professional career.  Students will learn basic leadership principles and conduct a self-assessment of their leadership style. They will build public speaking expertise and develop skills in through numerous networking opportunities with local business leaders, executives, and previous program participants. Please email me if you have any questions about the BLDP.

Best wishes for your success here at Rutgers-Camden!

Dr. Yuliya Strizhakova
Director, BLDP

Values of BLDP

Values of BLDP

Our Values are our Compass

The Rutgers School of Business–Camden Business Leader Development Program emphasizes that leadership is a skill that can be learned, practiced, and sharply honed. Our values reflect our commitment to developing the leadership skills and abilities that are already inherent in our high-achieving BLDP students.

The values of the BLDP are:

  • Exceeding expectations — Students are taught to go above and beyond what is required in order to maximize the development of their personal and intellectual capabilities.
  • Service to others — BLDP student-leaders are expected to initiate and/or substantially contribute to programs, activities, and events that help the community and individuals.
  • Lead by example — A business leader serves as a model of excellence, continually demonstrating the traits that inspire others such as determination, drive, self-discipline, self-confidence, demeanor, sense of fairness, respect for others, and the highest ethical behavior.
  • Accountability — Students are responsible for their own actions and held accountable for getting things done with and through others.

Questions? ​

Check out our FAQs page for some answers.

View FAQs

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BLDP Application

The Spring 2023 Application is now open! 

Priority will be given to applications received by November 18. Applications are accepted until all seats are filled. Space is limited, so apply early!

The seminar application process is our gateway for entry into the program. Upon acceptance into BLDP, students will be emailed their acceptance letter plus a special permission number allowing registration for the BLDP seminar.

Requirements

Seminar applications are solicited each semester and require the following:

  1. Completed application form (at the bottom of this page),
  2. For students with GPA 3.0 – 3.49, two (2) letters of recommendation (one academic; one other)

Rutgers-Camden students are invited to apply to apply for enrollment in the BLDP seminar. All applicants are expected to meet both of the following selection criteria:  (1) have sophomore standing or above and (2) have an overall GPA of 3.0 or above. First-semester transfer students will be evaluated based on their GPA earned at Rutgers. Students who fail to meet these admission criteria may still be allowed to apply for (and possibly enroll in) the BLDP seminar, but they will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The director balances evaluations to make final decisions on people accepted for the seminar (up to a maximum of 15-20 each semester).

Students who are admitted to the BDLP are required to adopt the BLDP Code of Conduct. A signed contract is required from each student.

Students may count activities toward “leadership units” that were initiated prior to taking a seminar, as long as those activities occured primarily during their enrollment in their academic program.

Application for Admission to BLDP Seminar

Applications for the BLDP Seminar will be ongoing until class is filled.

BLDP Program Application

This form is set to automatically delete an entry 180 days after it has been submitted.

  • * Indicates a required field.

  • Contact Information

  • Academic Information

  • Please enter a number from 0 to 500.
  • Transfer students only.

  • Employment Information

  • List relevant employment history

  • EmployerPositionDates of Employment 

  • School Leadership Information

  • Provide evidence of leadership initiative while enrolled in school by listing all school-based organizations and activities in which you have held a leadership role while a student.

  • OrganizationRoleDates 

  • Community Leadership Information

  • Provide a list of community or volunteer activities in which you engaged in a leadership role.

  • OrganizationRoleDates of Activity 

  • Statement

  • In your own words (100-350), discuss the reasons why your application should be considered for the Business Leader Development Program, including what you hope to gain from the program and what you can contribute.

  • Additional Submission Instructions

  • If you need to submit two reference letters, please email them to ldrshp@camden.rutgers.edu. Ideally, you should receive one letter from an academic source (e.g., a former or current instructor), and one from a business source (e.g., a former employer - even if for a part-time or volunteer position).

    Please only submit one application. If you experience any technical problems or need to submit the application again, please contact ldrshp@camden.rutgers.edu.

    Thank you.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Request More Information

BLDP Executive Shadowing Application v2

This form is set to automatically delete an entry 180 days after it has been submitted.

"*" indicates required fields

* Indicates a required field.

Student Information

Major(s)*
Minor(s)

Shadowing

Preferred Work Environment
Preferred Area of Work*

Signatures

If I am chosen and matched with an executive, I will follow through and prepare a one-page report giving honest feedback about the experience. The written summary is due by the start of the next semester. By typing my name in the box to the right I am offering my digital signature in lieu of my handwritten signature.

After the shadowing event, I will write a personal thank you letter to the executive and copy Dr. Kaufman-Scarborough and Ms. Bridget Britton for their records. By typing my name in the box to the right I am offering my digital signature in lieu of my handwritten signature.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

After notified of a match, students are responsible for providing personal information to the matched executive (e.g., current resume and cover letter with information on career ambitions). The information on this application is for internal use only, for us to match you as well as possible with and executive from among our alumni database.