Michigan Ross MBAs to Undertake Real-World Business Projects Across the Globe

News provided by

Ross School of Business

Mar 11, 2014, 11:00 ET


Ann Arbor, Michigan (PRWEB) March 11, 2014 -- The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business will send 450 first-year MBA students to companies and organizations near and far this week to tackle real-world business challenges. The students will spend the next seven weeks assigned to companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Sustainable Harvest to strategize on everything from new product launches to digital banking to supply chain management. The projects happen through the Michigan Ross MAP program, which is a hallmark of the school’s MBA degree and is one of the most extensive and intensive action-based learning programs of its kind.

“We believe that learning by doing is instrumental in preparing students for the business challenges they will face in their careers,” said Alison Davis-Blake, dean of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. “Our MBA students benefit from working side-by-side with executives and faculty to use what they've learned in the classroom to develop creative, cost-effective solutions to pressing business problems. This real-world experience gives them a head start in both the MBA job market and their careers.”

The Michigan Ross MAP program began more than 20 years ago and is core to the school’s signature action-based learning curriculum. Student teams are assigned to projects that are submitted by regional, national, and international companies and organizations. The projects come from top-tier entities leading various fields including consumer goods, health care, technology, finance, nonprofit, and startups. Project sponsor companies this year touch several corners of the globe including Beijing, Brazil, Ireland, Michigan, New York, Seattle, Zambia, and for the first time in the program’s history, Mongolia.

“MAP stretches and challenges students,” said Valerie Suslow, senior associate dean for MBA programs at Michigan Ross. “It provides them with a potent learning experience which incorporates diverse group dynamics, cultural awareness, and self-leadership - all while staying on task to provide actionable recommendations for companies and organizations.”

This year’s projects include developing market entry strategies in Central America and the Caribbean; developing digital banking services in India; and launching a new pharmaceutical product in Europe. Other highlights and facts include:
• 450 students working on 89 projects with 81 different companies and organizations regionally, nationally, and in 24 different countries.
• Companies and organizations include:
o The world’s largest consumer products companies
o Leading finance and real estate companies in New York
o High tech, manufacturing, and startups in the U.S., Europe, and China
o Nonprofits in the U.S., Africa, and India
• Specific examples include Eli Lilly, ICIC Bank, Meijer, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Heineken, and General Electric.

Visit http://www.bus.umich.edu to learn more about the Michigan Ross MBA and the MAP program. Follow @MichiganRoss on Twitter to see photos and thoughts students share from MAP projects around the world using the hashtag #ROSSMAP.

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Tamra Talmadge-Anderson, Ross School of Business, http://www.bus.umich.edu, +1 (734) 763-2419, [email protected]