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Customer Experience Signature Program
The newest Signature Program at the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business focuses on improving and innovating the experiences that significantly impact businesses, customers and community stakeholders. While traditional design programs excel at ideation, business schools are uniquely equipped to lead implementation—ensuring that "next-gen" CX becomes a reality, not just a concept. Officially launched in 2025, the Customer Experience Signature Program will equip students with the skills to successfully deliver innovative experiences.
This next generation of CX will require that students not only master the tools of experience design but also the ability to execute these experiences reliably and at scale. Through a multi-disciplinary curriculum, the CX Signature Program will bring together students from across campus to learn the business of CX by pairing strategic insights with hands-on skills that students can apply immediately in real-world contexts.
Our "Five Star" Curriculum
Instead of a fixed set of courses, students design their own curriculum by completing at least one course in each of the five core CX competencies. Some courses align with their major, while others push them beyond their comfort zones. This approach creates well-rounded graduates who share a unified understanding of CX principles—ideal for assembling multi-disciplinary teams capable of bridging organizational silos.
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Implementation
We believe the future of CX lies in mastering implementation. There is no better place to train undergraduates for this challenge than Clemson, where outreach, leadership and experiential learning are part of our DNA. Exemplar courses include CX Journey Management, Venture Consulting or any classes with a pre-approved "real-world" client deliverable relevant to CX.
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Research
The goal of stakeholder research is to develop "actionable empathy." As a Carnegie Research 1 University, Clemson provides undergraduate students with the training and resources they need to conduct academic-grade research. Exemplar classes include Qualitative Consumer Insights, Qualitative Research Methods for Social Sciences, Business Anthropology, Eye-Tracking Methodology and Applications, Marketing Research and Biometrics for Business
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Design
CX thinking originates from a design tradition. As the only R1 B-school in the country with an in-house Graphics Communication Department, we can assemble student teams with diverse skill sets to tackle tough problems. To build this competency, non-design students must satisfy a design requirement where they gain foundational design thinking skills and exposure to the human-centered design tools essential for creating impactful CX artifacts. This can be accomplished through courses like Experience Design, Design and AI, Introduction to Digital Graphics or a certificate of completion from one of our Service Design "Jams."
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Entrepreneurship/Innovation
Designing great experiences is an act of innovation. Clemson's commitment to entrepreneurship is second to none, with resources like the Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Brook T. Smith Launchpad. Exemplar courses include Entrepreneurial Mindset, Entrepreneurial Foundations, Evaluating Innovation: Fixtures, Fads and Flops.
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CX Integration
The integration (or leadership) competency focuses on breaking down organizational silos, promoting stakeholder buy-in, and building customer-centric cultures. Clemson offers several options to gain this competency, including participating in the Leadership Signature Program, our multi-disciplinary Creative Inquiry (CX Bridges), and traditional coursework like Organizational Psychology, Management of Organizational Behavior and Change Management.
Outside of Class Events
The program will also host various outside-of-class events designed to create valuable opportunities for students to learn from one another.
JAMS
Jams are hackathon-style events (but for designing services) that are all about "Doing, not talking!" Twice a year, the CX Signature Program participates in a "Global Jam" where "Jammers" around the world use their design skills to make the world a better place. We will also host one-off Jams designed to impact our local community.
Representing CX
Clemson hosts wide variety of events that provide opportunities to share best practices for designing great experiences. At "representing" events, CX students will lead in facilitating sessions designed to share their knowledge of service design with the broader Clemson community. As with Jams, the focus will be on "Doing, not talking!"
Portfolio Parties
An important artifact for aspiring CX professionals is a portfolio that showcases how they think. The signature event for our CX Program will be an annual "Portfolio Party," where we invite companies and the Clemson community to showcase our students' work. Think of it as a job fair in reverse.
Sample Student Profiles
Because the program is designed from the ground up to be multi-disciplinary, students can design their path through the CX program so long as they take a pre-approved course from each of the five core competencies. Importantly, these individual paths converge around events, projects and a "CX Bridges" Creative Inquiry where students from different majors share how their discipline interprets CX. The result is a multi-disciplinary perspective tailor-made to tear down silos.
Lola
Graphic Communications - UX Emphasis
Research: Biometrics for Business
Design: Design and AI
Innovation: Evaluating Innovation: Fixtures, Fads and Flops
CX Integration: UX and Web Design + CX Bridges (concurrent)
Implementation: CX-related Internship
Event selections: Jam-centric
Morgan
Management - Entrepreneurship Emphasis
Research: Business Anthropology
Design: Service Design Jam Completion Certificate
Innovation: Entrepreneurial Foundations
CX Integration: Management of Organizational Behavior
Implementation: Venture Consulting
Events: Representing-centric
Bruce
Marketing - Customer Insights Emphasis
Research: Qualitative Consumer Insights
Design: Introduction to Digital Graphics
Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurial Mindset
Application: Services Marketing + CX Bridges (concurrent)
Implementation: CX Journey Management
Events: Project-centric
Interested in learning more?
Please complete the form below to let us know if you are interested in the program, have any questions or would like to request more information.
