Imperial MBA final project

www.imperial.ac.uk/business-school

Does your business face a real challenge?

Imperial College Business School can help you find the solution. Our MBA students can work with you to bring fresh ideas, extra resources and the latest management thinking to enhance your organisations performance and tackle business issues head on.
By harnessing the skills and knowledge of an MBA student from one of the worlds top universities, your company will gain: The opportunity to develop projects when in-house time or resources are lacking A high-quality piece of research or consultancy Real commercial outcomes generated from the recommendations of a research report The opportunity to work with potential employees as part of your recruitment process. The range of projects our students have worked on spans a vast number of sectors, including: telecoms; engineering; media; e-commerce; design; professional services; medical; the public-sector and finance. The table to the right shows some examples of past MBA final projects. How? Once you have identified a project you will need to send us an initial brief. This needs to be approximately 50 words giving an outline of the project. We will then circulate the brief to all our Imperial MBA students. You will then receive CVs and applications from those students who are keen to work with your organisation on the particular project. Project title The Business case for commercialisation of antibody based drugs The Kennedy Insitute of Rheumatology A critical review of sustainable economic development strategy in the mining industry: A Case Study of Lebowa Platinum Mine in South Africa Tata Corus Merger: A Value Addition Transaction to the Shareholders? Discontinuous Innovation in a Service Business: Developing a Competitive Innovation Model for Atkins London 2012 An Opportunity for a Positive Olympic Games Legacy The Learning Industry A Strategic Investment Opportunity for BT? Organisational Learning in the Professional Services Sector A Case Study of Halcrow Group Ltd

On completion of the project they will produce an academic dissertation of up to 20,000 words for assessment, which addresses the challenge set out in your brief. Students will often also produce a shorter Executive Summary and hold a concluding meeting or presentation. Your company can distil information from the dissertation which will offer real commercial or business outcomes. Who? Your company can interview and select from the pool of interested MBA students to ensure you obtain the very best fit for your organisation in terms of skills, experience and personality.

Below are just a few of the organisations that have already benefited through collaborating with us in an MBA final project: Arup Arthur D. Little Atkins Rail BAE Systems Business Intelligence BP BT BskyB DTI Ernst & Young Imperial Innovations Group Plc Laing ORourke Microsoft National Criminal Intelligence Service NHS Pricewaterhouse Coopers Proctor and Gamble Psion plc Singapore Trade Development Board Tetra Pak UBS Warburg

OUR MOTIVATION FOR WORKING WITH AN MBA STUDENT WAS TO BRING IN A FRESH MIND WITH THE TIME, SKILLS, RESOURCES AND ENTHUSIASM TO CHALLENGE OUR CONVENTIONAL THINKING IN THIS AREA. THE PROJECT WAS MANAGED IMPRESSIVELY THE STUDENTS CONCLUSIONS WERE WELL ARGUED AND RESEARCHED, PROVIDING A BREADTH AND DEPTH OF ANALYSIS THAT COMPLEMENTED OUR OWN WORK. THE STUDENTS INSIGHTS DEFINITELY ADDED TO OUR IN-HOUSE PERSPECTIVES. MARTIN TREWHELLA PRINCIPAL, GLOBAL ENERGY PRACTICE, ARTHUR D. LITTLE

Commitment Projects last between six and nine months. MBA students are supervised throughout the project by our academic staff; however we do ask you to identify a liaison contact within your organisation. The liaison contact will need to be available for an initial meeting, possible interim meetings, and a concluding presentation and discussion. We would recommend that regular meetings are held between the MBA students and client company to get the most out of the project. The responsibility for managing the project and liaising with the client will largely fall to the MBA student as part of their continuing professional development. Cost? We do not charge a fee for MBA final projects but we do ask that you reimburse the student for any reasonable expenses incurred (these should be agreed at the start of the project).

Confidentiality All MBA students can sign an agreement to ensure that commercially sensitive projects are treated with full confidentiality. Projects are marked by the Business School faculty (and possibly an external examiner) and copies of reports are displayed in Imperial Colleges library. You may request that commercially sensitive projects are not made available by the library until two years after completion (or longer if necessary). Intellectual property The project is the property of the student, but Imperial College has rights over it for assessment and educational purposes. When a project is sponsored, the organisation is encouraged to utilise the material in the project.

Workspace or location? You will not need to provide workspace for the MBA student, however project meetings and final presentations may be held at your organisations workplace, MBA students will carry out project work either at the Business School or in their own workspace. Next steps For an informal discussion, please contact: Catherine Smith MBA Programme Manager T: +44 (0)20 7594 9864 E: catherine.smith1@imperial.ac.uk

Summary of the process Month Jan Mar Stage Identify a project and submit a brief to Imperial College Business School
(Initially a 50-word outline which will later be developed with the students and academic supervisors into a full, agreed project brief.)

Further details The project is assigned a dedicated academic supervisor and the brief is circulated to all MBA students. You will need to identify a liaison contact within your company.

April

Interview and select a student

Students express an interest in specific projects. You can view CVs and interview MBA students. At this stage you will need to confirm the timings, level of access and support you are able to provide. Work on the project commences when students write a more detailed proposal clarifying the objectives of the project, in consultation with the client company. Students provide a written report and, if required, may also give a presentation to the client company.

May

Agree detailed proposal, timings and terms

Sept*
(*Executive MBA students will complete projects by end Dec)

Project completed and assessed by the students final project supervisor at Imperial alongside a second academic

Imperial College Business School

Imperial College Business School is a world class provider of business education and research, focusing primarily on Imperial Colleges strengths in innovation and entrepreneurship, quantitative finance and healthcare management. It is rated as one of Europe's top business schools for entrepreneurship in the latest Financial Times rankings. The School offers Masters programmes in International Health Management and Management, plus:
Executive Education Our customised Executive Education programmes are carefully designed to develop professionals and to help improve organisations' competitiveness. We are specialists in developing high-performing managers within innovation-intensive industries. For more information, please visit www.imperial.ac.uk/ executive-education MSc Finance Our one year full-time MSc Finance programme is taught by leading experts in quantitative and technical finance. They are not only academics but consultants active in the world of modern finance. The MSc Finance equips participants with a strong foundation in the theoretical underpinnings of finance, and at the same time trains them in the skills employers demand. MSc Actuarial Finance The MSc Actuarial Finance is taught by world-leading experts in finance. Working closely with the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and an advisory board of large actuarial employers in pensions and insurance, we have developed a distinctive programme that is intellectually stimulating while also responding to market needs. MSc Risk Management and Financial Engineering Taught by world-renowned faculty and industry practitioners, the programme provides a thorough understanding of the rapidly evolving discipline of asset and risk management. Developed in association with Standard and Poor's, the programme equips professionals with the risk management tools and strategies sought by leading financial firms. The Imperial MBA A highly challenging and rewarding programme which offers a rigorous grounding in contemporary management, as well as invaluable practical experience. Offered part-time by weekend or weekday study mode, the Executive MBA ensures the flexibility to suit the needs of individuals as well as their employers. Doctoral programme Our Doctoral degree, taken over three years, gives outstanding scholars the opportunity to conduct original research with a major impact on academia and management practice. Our faculty members exceptional academic and business connections, and our diverse student body, create unique opportunities to undertake research at the frontiers of your chosen field.
Disclaimer: While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the information in this publication is correct, matters covered by this publication are subject to change. Imperial College Business School accepts no liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, howsoever caused. Published November 2008.

For more information about our MSc and MBA programmes, please visit www.imperial.ac.uk/business-school/programmes

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