The BBA Global Consulting Practicum places students on teams and then matches each team with a leading company for a consulting project. Tasked with developing a business plan and implementing innovative consulting strategies, teams learn to work together and to provide a creative solution for the client.
A multitude of student benefits
This program allows students to gain real-world experience and gives them the opportunity to work alongside diverse groups of people from both their cohort and the professional field. When asked about the program, Bo Anne-May Boer explained, “What I liked the most is that it really reflects what a real consulting project would look like, working with different people from different places, and also working with real clients.”
Collaborating with leading companies like Pepe Jeans and Hackett, students get a firsthand look into a sector they may not have chosen previously. What’s more, the variety within their respective projects equips them for future challenges and gives them a more dynamic mindset.
The BBA Global Consulting Practicum is unique in that it removes the limits of theoretical learning. Students have the chance to make mistakes and learn from them, and receive valuable insights from mentors, professors and company professionals, all while feeling the pressure and excitement of the fast-paced environment of the industry. Student Belen Uribarri loved that she was able to learn a lot about consulting, about creating and implementing real projects and about delivering well-planned presentations.
A real-world workflow
The practicum follows a typical consulting project workflow, where students maintain certain consulting measures in a multi-step process: understand, systemize, create and implement.
Students create a plan using a Gantt chart to outline the project structure, talk with their client about their ideas and strategies, and receive and implement feedback. As the project is a collaborative process, students learn to work as a team, motivating one another and ensuring that everyone’s opinion is heard. Tyra Mansson stressed the importance of teamwork, “We came together as a team—this really allowed us to make the best out of this project.” Teamwork and collaboration is paramount to the project’s structure and success.
A win-win for students and clients alike
Companies also receive a myriad of benefits. The strong collaboration between the student teams and the company professionals enhances the potential of the final outcome for each project completed. The teams meet with their clients once a week to discuss updates, strategies and other important details, ensuring that communication is strong and the project will be executed well.
At the end of the program, the collaborating companies have an interest in continuing professional relationships with the students. Juan Manuel Elices, the solutions director at Dentsu, was more than satisfied with his experience working alongside IE University students during the consulting practicum. “I really did not expect that these students could achieve such a level of precision and depth in terms of the way that they have been handling the project. And actually at Dentsu, we are now very excited to try to connect with the students and see if we can expand this collaboration, and try to see if we can really implement it within our organization.”
Launching lasting success
The BBA Global Consulting Practicum creates a positive learning environment that will have profound impacts on students and businesses alike. It serves as an excellent way to prepare students for their futures—and students like Javier Villegas agree, “I think it was good preparation for an internship or for a potential work experience.”
At IE University, we understand how important it is for students to practice their new knowledge and skills in the field. Students gain lifelong skills and will emerge from the BBA Global Consulting Practicum with new professional connections and career opportunities.