Business Strategy Capstone - Winter 2021

SMO 641
Closed
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Tony Briggs
Executive Professor, University of Alberta
(5)
6
Timeline
  • January 14, 2021
    Experience start
  • January 26, 2021
    Projects Selected
  • February 11, 2021
    Project Scope Approval
  • March 5, 2021
    Interim Project Feedback Review (class exercise)
  • April 16, 2021
    Final Project Presentation
  • April 20, 2021
    Experience end
General
  • Graduate
  • 45 learners; teams of 5
  • 40 hours per learner
  • Dates set by experience
  • Learners self-assign
Preferred companies
  • 27/25 project matches
  • Canada
  • Academic experience
  • Any
  • Any
Categories
General Accounting Market research Operations Project management Product or service launch
Skills
competitive analysis business consulting business strategy data analysis research
Project timeline
  • January 14, 2021
    Experience start
  • January 26, 2021
    Projects Selected
  • February 11, 2021
    Project Scope Approval
  • March 5, 2021
    Interim Project Feedback Review (class exercise)
  • April 16, 2021
    Final Project Presentation
  • April 20, 2021
    Experience end
Overview
What is the main goal for this project?

Capstone projects use students' competencies developed throughout the MBA program to solve real-world business problems supplied by a variety of organizations in the student's final term. Capstone projects are experiential learning that mutually benefit students and organizations.

Projects are required to be strategic in nature, and should span across multiple functional areas (strategy, finance, operations, marketing, human relations, entrepreneurship, innovation etc.). They are completed in a 3-month time frame and are sufficient in scope to provide an average of 10hrs/week commitment from a 3-5 person student team.

Proposals are selected by the students and once finalized, student teams manage the project and communications with oversight from the professor. Some proposals may not match and if this is the case, we will contact you for other opportunities or the possibility of participating in a different term.

Learner skills
Competitive analysis, Business consulting, Business strategy, Data analysis, Research
What tasks will learners need to complete to achieve the project goal?
  • The student team will deliver to the participating company a formal presentation based on the project. The presentation will 20 minutes long and allow for 5 minutes of questions (25 minutes in total). Presentations will be open to the class but, in some circumstances, may be closed at the request of the project organization. Schedule permitting, the presentation may follow with a private discussion between the sponsors, the team and the professor.
  • The student team will also deliver a 30 page final project report with analysis and recommendations.
  • Please note: We review projects proposals after communicating with the company but some projects may not be filled unless there is sufficient student interest to form a full team of 3-5 students. You will receive confirmation on your project by January 17, 2021. If the project is not filled, we will suggest other options to work together either immediately or in the next cohort.
Project Examples

Check out this video that talks about this course including examples of past company projects in the past!

Over the last decade we have completed several hundred successful MBA capstone projects. Projects address all types of organizations from large, medium and small businesses, to startups, non-profits, charities and community organizations. We have also done projects from municipalities to ministries and NGOs. All of our projects are focused on providing recommendations that address the organization and its goals.

Additional company criteria

Companies must answer the following questions to submit a match request to this experience:

Commit to a minimum of two, and ideally three, meetings with their team during the semester

Provide a dedicated contact from the company or organization

Attend the final presentation and provide feedback following the presentation