MBA Consulting Projects

Business Benefit: Foster’s full-time MBA students average twenty-nine years of age, have an average of five years work experience, and bring immediate value to your organization. Please see the MBA Class Profile.

Field Study Program
Teams of second-year MBA students participate in a two-quarter (autumn/winter or winter/spring) project under the supervision of a faculty advisor. These projects can address domestic and/or international issues, and can be structured to address almost any business challenge. Utilizing their training in management, finance, marketing and technology, the teams are able to make recommendations for solving strategic problems, enhance organizational effectiveness and competitiveness, and explore and evaluate new business opportunities. Past clients include Alaska Airlines, Expeditors International, Fluke, Isernio’s, T-Mobile and Microsoft.

Teams: 3-4 Second-Year MBA Students
Project Length: 12-15 Weeks
Start Date: Flexible within October 1, 2008 – January 5, 2009 range
Project Topics: Marketing, Finance, Operations, Strategy, E-Business, etc.
Project Scope: Domestic or International
Fee: $5,000 plus project-related expenses

Applied Strategy Projects
(Formerly Business Consulting Network or BCN)
These projects are completed through a winter quarter Applied Strategy class that is required of all full-time first year MBA students. Companies submit projects by November 10th and project work takes place January through March, during the Winter academic quarter. Student teams are supported by their instructor and other Foster School faculty.  Recent clients have included  Alaska Air Cargo, Clearwire, Expeditors, Getty Images, Imperium Renewables, Leviton Voice and Data, Microsoft, Precor, Silicon Energy  and many smaller companies and non-profit organizations.

Projects are selected and assigned by students, faculty and staff.  As the name suggests, the projects must have at least some strategic element.  We can work with you to frame the project in a way that meets this requirement and still addresses your immediate need.

The demand for this program is such that we often have more projects than teams, so there is a chance that we may not have a team of students for your project. If that turns out to be the case, we'll try to find another way to meet your needs.

Teams: 4-5 First-Year MBA Students
Project Length: 8 Weeks

Important Dates:
November 10, 2008 - Project Proposals  Due
November 17, 2008 – Client/Student Reception
January 5, 2009 – Winter Quarter Begins, Teams Assigned
January 2009 (exact date TBD) - Initial Team/Client meeting on campus
March 20, 2009 – Projects Completed

Project Topics: Marketing, Finance, Operations, Strategy, etc.
Project Scope: Domestic or International
Fee: $1,750 plus project-related expenses (Fee may be negotiated for
non-profits on a case-by-case basis)

Click here for an Applied Strategy project description form.   

Further Information
For more information on these and other innovative opportunities to work with our students, please contact:

Gordon Neumiller
Director, Field Study Program
Tel: 206.543.0964
Fax: 206.685.3463
email: globe@u.washington.edu

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