Students respond to the Brandeis Plan

Brandeis Stories

Students respond to the Brandeis Plan

By David Levin
Photography by Gaelen Morse
September 4, 2026

Early in their first semester, students were able to learn about the Brandeis Plan, the university's bold approach to pairing liberal arts education with career readiness. So far, their reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. In this photo essay, first-year and returning students offer their take on microcredentials, second transcripts, experiential learning and other elements of the plan they'll experience.

"I really like that Brandeis is looking not only at what students do in their academic career, but what they can do holistically, learning direct and indirect skills."

Madeline G., Junior

"I'm a transfer from a community college, and also a first-generation college student. The opportunities and resources at Brandeis have been life-changing - I definitely plan to weave in the new microcredentials so my time after graduation is as successful as possible."

Emma D., Junior

"I ultimately want to go to medical school, so I'm excited that I'll be able to volunteer with BEMCo (Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps) as part of earning a microcredential. I can add that experience to my second transcript and show that I'm proactively doing things early in medicine, not just taking biology courses, which is pretty helpful."

Mia N., First-year

"When we graduate, we'll all have to go into the job market. Without a second transcript and microcredentials to show that we learned tangible skills, all we have to show is our grades. I feel like it's a helpful thing to propel us into the real world and give us a step up."

Samantha M., First-year

"It's been really wonderful to have the career center involved with students from day one. I've only been here a week and I already feel really well-informed. We've learned how to write resumes, how to make a LinkedIn profile, so we're kind of ahead of the game."

Arielle S., First-year