Becoming You expands at NYU

Welch's course Becoming You has drawn hundreds of students across programs, reshaping how people think about life, work, and personal values.

Becoming You turns purpose into a classroom phenomenon at NYU

When Suzy Welch started teaching Becoming You in fall 2022, the class had 20 students in two small sections. A week later the full-time section had a wait list of 150. Since then, the course has grown into a campus-wide phenomenon. NYU Stern now offers the Mega-Section version of 150 students and has created the Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing, with Welch as its director. Outside of class, Welch runs paid three-day and one-day programs and hosts weekly podcasts that frequently rank in career charts. Her book Becoming You topped Amazon for a month.

The method centers on 16 core human values, a framework Welch developed after earning a Bristol PhD and designing a values inventory that helps people name what they truly care about. In guided self-assessment, students rate values from one to seven and uncover conflicts between their inner priorities and external expectations. The revelations can be jarring, but they also point toward a more authentic path. The course is not merely theory; it also helps students map how to apply values to careers and finances, so they can live the life they value.

The course’s appeal comes at a moment when many people question the purpose of work. A McKinsey study cited workers reflecting on life purpose after the pandemic, and Harvard researchers note a sizable share of young adults report low meaning in life. Welch argues that a clear sense of values improves well-being and resilience, a claim backed by research she cites. Students describe the experience as transformative and emotionally powerful, with some saying it has changed the way they view their families, careers, and themselves.

The appeal of Becoming You taps into a broader shift in higher education: students want meaning as much as skills. By pairing a rigorous, research-based values framework with blunt, energetic teaching, Welch offers a different kind of proof of concept for personal development in a university setting. If the model travels, it could push schools to rethink how they connect classroom learning with real-world choices. Yet there are risks. The program leans on a high-profile founder and a private-pillar business model, which may raise concerns about access and the commercialization of meaning. Critics could ask whether such courses are scalable and fair, or if they privilege students who can afford extra programs and coaching.

If NYU’s experiment becomes a blueprint, universities will face pressure to measure outcomes beyond student satisfaction. The method itself is portable across professions, from therapists to financial planners, but the actual impact on career trajectories and mental health will need longer-term data. The real test will be whether the focus on values translates into durable changes in behavior and life choices, not just emotional moments in a single course. As the trend grows, campuses will be watching how cost, accessibility, and demonstrated results shape public acceptance and funding decisions.

Highlights

The movement invites ongoing conversations about the role of inner work in education.