
You are here: American University Kogod School of Business Student Resources Student Development & Services
At the Kogod School of Business, we believe in extending education beyond the classroom to include experiential learning that will enhance our students' personal and professional development.
That's why we created a series of programs and activities that enables business students to work in supportive settings, where they can test and improve their professional skills.
Our goal is to help enhance our students' intellectual development, leadership ability, communication skills, and professional self-confidence. See below for more information on some of our signature programs and opportunities and additional content in the Links section to the right.
Why get involved?
The Top 10 reasons to get involved at Kogod
- Meet other students with similar interests
- Make good use of hands-on opportunities
- Help make the transition to college or graduate program easier
- Improve your communication skills
- Practice better time management
- Feel more connected to the Kogod and AU community
- Network with alumni and business professionals
- Build stronger relationships with faculty and staff
- Develop your skills and ability to work on a team
- #1 Reason to Get Involved: You will have unique and significant experiences to discuss in a job interview
Building your professional skills
Build your personal and professional competencies through involvement activities.
- Leadership and Coaching
Learn different types of leadership while developing your own personal style. - Teamwork and Collaboration
Develop an understanding of characteristics that foster successful collaboration in a variety of settings. - Professional Flexibility
Today's business environment is unpredictable; learn to bend but not break. - Self-Assessment and Reflection
Identify careers and future opportunities that suit your interests, skills, and styles. - Civic Engagement and Professional Responsibility
Increase your understanding of the relationship between philanthropic endeavors and business education. - Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
Develop the ability to solve business problems creatively outside the classroom. - Planning, Organizing, and Time Management
Improve your organization skills and successfully manage time commitments by balancing co-curricular programs with other responsibilities.
Join a Student Club
Experiential learning is essential to enhance students' intellectual development, leadership ability, communication skills, and professional self-confidence. Build your personal and professional competencies through one of our numerous graduate and undergraduate student organizations.
View Student ClubsResources for International Students

Kogod recognizes international students’ unique needs and works to support them through their academic and cultural transitions. We believe in diversity and inclusion– values that help foster appreciation and acceptance for everyone. We are committed to improving intercultural communication and building cultural competence in every member of our community; this is at the heart of our work, allowing us to offer programs that both support and welcome our international students at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
Funding Opportunities
The Educational Enhancement Fund provides support for Kogod students to participate in professional development opportunities, including business-focused professional conferences, case or other competitions, leadership development activities, and other experiential opportunities.
The Kogod Student Emergency Fund has been established to provide financial assistance when a Kogod student (major, minor, or graduate student) encounters unexpected, immediate, and temporary personal hardship that puts at risk their ability to successfully progress in their course work toward degree completion and fulfill other commitments at AU. The fund cannot cover tuition or other cost of attendance expenses.
The purpose of the Graduate Excellence Fund is to recognize Kogod on-campus graduate students who have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership inside and outside of the classroom. This is a need- and merit-based scholarship for students who have fully completed one academic semester in a Kogod or WCL (for JD/LLM/MBA) on-campus graduate program and will be enrolled in at least six credits in Kogod during the semester for which they are applying.

Shari Pattillo Director Student Development and Services KSB - Kogod School of Business

Kelsey Wali Associate Director of Student Development and Services KSB - Kogod School of Business
Make An Appointment With Us
Make an appointment with Andrew at https://andrewt.youcanbook.me/
Make an appointment with Shari at https://pattillo.youcanbook.me
Make an appointment with Kelsey at https://kwali.youcanbook.me/
Applied Learning

The Kogod Case Competition is an excellent opportunity for students to work in teams and sharpen their communication skills, presentation style, and problem-solving techniques. Participants will craft and present recommendations to solve a business case.
Students have the opportunity to network with over 60 business leaders who judge the competition. The event is open to all graduate and undergraduate students at AU and invited Kogod-partner schools. The website provides information on the most current competition.
Register to Vote

In collaboration with Student PIRG’s New Voters Project, the Kogod School of Business encourages all domestic Kogod student to register to vote in their home district. The New Voters Project is a non-partisan organization that has been mobilizing our nation’s youth to vote since 1983. Learn more, pledge to vote, or learn how to register in your state/district at https://studentvote.org/. Questions? Contact Sam Greenberg at sg2446a@student.american.edu.