Degree Plan

Learning Goal: I’m working on a business writing question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

You have likely reviewed your degree plan of the courses you must take to complete your doctoral degree in the School of Business program based on your previous education, transfer credits, and specialization. Use this personalized list to develop a PhD–BA Program Completion Plan that you can follow like a map to the finish line of the program. Remember, good plans have short-term and long-term goals, timelines, contingencies, and measures of success.

For the first part of this assignment, reflect on the courses you must complete to be successful in your degree program. Include the following components in your completion plan:

• List the courses you must take to complete your program in the order you intend to take them as well as with timelines for when you would take each course. Remember, most courses are 8 weeks long and there are limited options in what you can take. Be mindful of your other outside commitments to document a reasonable and conservative timeline.
• Create a list of short-term and long-term goals to achieve while you complete your degree. Short-term goals could be as simple as setting a timeline for course completion and sharing/discussing it with your academic advisor. Include a minimum of three short-term goals and three long-term goals that will aid you in completing your program. Be sure your goals are measurable and include timelines with each goal. As you write your goals, think of ways to remain motivated throughout your tenure at NCU.
• Create a list of potential distractions or issues you may face while completing your program and clearly state how you will address them. For example, a potential distraction could be balancing your job and your coursework.
• Explain the support system that you will rely on throughout this program. For example, some students have a family as a support system, while others are going through the program with a friend and intend to help one another stay on track. How will you know when to leverage this support system, and how do you see them supporting your efforts?

For the second part of this assignment, discuss your professional goals as they relate to what occurs after you have earned your degree.

• List post-graduation career goals. These career goals can include anything from moving up within your organization, to starting your own company, to teaching business classes somewhere. These should be SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. These can be short-term goals (less than a year after graduation), long-term goals (more than a year after graduation), or both.
• Indicate how earning your doctoral degree will help you achieve each goal.
• Explain how your chosen specialization fits into your career goals.
• Discuss the opportunities both domestically and internationally, which may have evolved over the past decade as a result of the increased demand for PhD’s in business.

Length: 4-6 pages, not including title or reference pages

References: Include a minimum of 3 references. References are always required whenever using outside sources.

Your completion plan should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards where appropriate. Be sure to adhere to Northcentral University’s