Creating Your PLAN for Purpose, Leadership and Action
Our General Education program, Simmons PLAN (Purpose Leadership ActioN), is a highly customizable, four-year academic pathway that is a key part of the Simmons undergraduate experience. The curriculum provides students with a highly-immersive experience and faculty mentorship each year to graduation.
The Simmons PLAN: A four-year journey that prepares you to succeed academically and professionally
Combining academics with professional preparation, PLAN equips you with the communication, critical thinking, integrative learning, and inclusive leadership skills that are so valuable to employers. Students engage in experiential learning and are exposed to new ways of thinking in and out of the classroom, while also developing a sense of belonging and connectedness to Simmons and to the City of Boston.
PLAN prepares students who enter Simmons with a variety of diverse experiences and backgrounds that enable them to work and engage with confidence and success at the university level. PLAN helps students develop college-level writing skills, and it provides the intellectual foundation that will allow students to thrive in any undergraduate major.
This dynamic program prepares students for lifelong success and empowers them to leverage their passions, excel early in their careers, and be leaders in their communities. Each required PLAN course develops one or more essential capabilities – skills including communication, data analysis, ethical leadership, and creative problem solving – that are highly desired by employers and are critical to success in careers or post-graduate education in any major or field of study.
“It is an amazing feeling to watch students’ aha moments in class - when it all clicks. They start to realize that no matter the topic, critical thinking is always going to be an important tool that they can use throughout their entire academic career, no matter the major.”
– Leanne Doherty, Associate Provost, Academic and Faculty Affairs
How PLAN Works
PLAN provides students with intellectually challenging, meaningful, and project-oriented learning.
What makes PLAN unique?
PLAN is highly customizable
Unlike most other general education curricula, PLAN is highly customizable, with courses in a wide variety of disciplines and professions. Students engage in experiential learning that aligns with their interests and passions.
PLAN centers on professional preparation
Based on national surveys of employers and graduate schools, the Simmons University faculty determined a set of skills critical for undergraduate students to achieve proficiency by the time they complete their Simmons University degree.
PLAN focuses on leadership and purpose
During your time at Simmons, you will take a course which has Leadership as a central theme. This course supports students’ ability to envision opportunities to lead, formally or informally, in their careers, their communities, and their lives.
PLAN has measurable outcomes
Through this distinctive and customized experience, students learn how to approach complex societal issues while building essential career readiness and community engagement skills.
In your first year, you develop critical writing skills through the Writing Boston course. You will build on those skills in a Writing Intensive class of your choice later in your Simmons career.
In our first-year seminar, SIM 100: Explore, you will develop a variety of real-world skills through career and life planning and planning for financial independence.
After you declare your major, you will take SIM 200: Extend, a class that is cohorted by discipline and thus provides career guidance for your specific area of expertise.
During the fourth year, you embark on a Capstone Experience, which allows you to demonstrate expertise in your major through a thesis, internship, or final project.
Our PLAN Students
Explore Peer Leader Alexis Gallotto '23 Guides First Year Students Through Time Management, Homesickness, and Public Transportation
What is the Explore course? The Simmons Course is a part of the PLAN core curriculum. First year students take Simmons: Explore, which is an introduction to college life, study strategies, and on campus resources. Each year, the courses build...
Learning Outside the Classroom: A Boston Culture Palace, Right Next Door
When nursing major Holly Wright ’25 came to Simmons last fall, she didn’t expect to spend so much time studying art. As part of the Simmons PLAN (Purpose Leadership ActioN) core curriculum, Wright registered for the Boston course, “Isabella Stewart...
Sara Mitchell ’22: My Learning Community Changed My Life
We caught up with Sara Mitchell '22 about her experience in Simmons PLAN, which sparked an interest in educational equity — an interest she's carried throughout her college career.
Major Spotlight: Estela Raya-Fouts ’24, Political Science and Spanish
What does Estela Raya-Fouts ’24 love about being a political science major? The supportive faculty! Check out how Raya-Fouts is combining the political science, Spanish and migration studies programs to pursue a career with immigrant populations.
The Simmons Difference: Kelly Hager, Interim Dean of the Undergraduate Program, Talks "PLAN"
While most colleges have a general education program, Simmons University's PLAN goes above and beyond. Interim Dean Kelly Hager illustrates the valuable experiences PLAN offers students and the professional skills graduates will take away.
Emma Harrison ’22 Strengthens Passion for STEM Through Learning Community
For Emma Harrison '22, the lessons she gained through her PLAN courses are endless. From gaining a deeper understanding of Boston to informing her career path, Emma is excited to take these lessons and make a positive impact.
Passionate Leaders Project: Spring 2021 Cohort
The Passionate Leaders Project supports undergraduate students seeking to enrich their academic and professional interests by funding learning opportunities beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom. Learn what the Spring 2021 cohort is up to!
Getting to Know Simmons: Key Takeaways from the "What to Expect this Fall!" Panel
This panel discussed what incoming first-year students can expect this summer and during their first semester at Simmons.
Passionate Leaders Project
The Passionate Leaders Project supports undergraduate students seeking to enrich their academic and professional interests by funding learning opportunities beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom.