By Jacob Halbesma, Staff Writer
Xavier NEXT, a Williams College of Business program driven by experiential learning, is adding two new tracks next year: Business of Biomedicine and AI @ Work.
These join three existing tracks that ran this year, including sales, project management, and wealth management. Xavier professors will be leading each of these courses’ cohorts throughout the 2026-2027 academic year.
Unlike traditional academic courses, Xavier NEXT programs are open to students across all majors and colleges, emphasizing collaboration and career exploration for all. There are no prerequisite courses, major requirements or credit hour commitments for any of the tracks offered — any student from any major can apply.
“I would anticipate students like nursing, psychology, social work, exercise science, and biomedical science to apply to the Business of Biomedicine track. All of them would be great for it,” Professor Karen Eutsler, who launched the program in 2024, said.
Some tracks naturally draw more specialized applicants, however. Wealth Management, which focuses on personal finance careers, tends to appeal primarily to finance majors.
A defining feature of Xavier NEXT is its structure as an extracurricular program rather than a typical graded class. Students meet two to three times a month, significantly reducing the commitment compared to traditional classes.
During these sessions, activities will vary, giving students a diverse view into their selected track. Students may be placed in a hands-on workshop, case studies or company visits that present real organizational challenges. Some meetings may include guest speakers or field visits, giving students real-world exposure to local or regional businesses.
“It’s going to be much more engaging, hands-on. It’s not going to be like homework, there’s no tests, no grades,” Eutsler said.
Many tracks even include travel opportunities. Sales students will compete in national pitch competitions, while project management may attend professional conferences across the country. All expenses are paid for through outside program funding, so students do not need to worry about travel costs or enrollment fees.
Corporate partners and donors help fund track operations, contributing financial support as well as guidance on the workforce skills and business needs they see. These programs are shaped directly by that outside employer input, ensuring the skills taught align with industry expectations.
Xavier’s NEXT program focuses on experiential learning for the Williams business school.
“They pay us money so they can say, ‘Here’s the skills we want.’ Now that you’ve trained all these students according to what businesses like us need, give us all your best talent,” Eutsler said, describing it as a pipeline that funnels students directly into potential jobs with program donors.
Through this structure, students gain hands-on experience with real-world tools companies are actively looking for. Wealth Management students, for example, gain experience using eMoney, a financial planning software used by advising firms nationwide.
“Imagine when you walk into an interview and you can say that you have an entire year’s experience on eMoney. It’s going to make our students stand apart,” Eutsler said.
The application process is selective, with cohort sizes ranging from 10-25 students. Cohorts will be determined by mid-April, so applications are closing soon.
As Xavier NEXT grows through these additions, university leaders hope the program will continue preparing students to enter competitive industries with practical skills, professional experience and connections to future employers.