Partnering with the VCU School of Business
Consulting Projects
Does your organization have a goal you can't seem to reach? Before hiring an expensive consulting firm to solve your dilemma, consider employing the services of our business students and faculty. Our academic departments and Center for Corporate Education are here to help.
Below are some established options. Contact us to discuss your specific needs.
Selected projects will be assigned to a five-to-six-person team of Executive MBA students who are completing their final degree requirements and average 14 years of prior work experience. A faculty advisor with expertise in the related topic is also assigned to each project. Additionally, the students will have access to several other VCU School of Business advisors.
The projects begin in January and conclude at the end of April, at which time the students present their findings and recommendations in both written and presentation form. Past participants have included Capital One, Markel Corp., Philip Morris and Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.
To propose a practicum project for the Executive MBA students, please complete the application. The strategic dilemma contact is Butch Sarma at mksarma@vcu.edu.
The practicum gives students education and training in data retrieval, cleaning, organizing, mining, and analysis. Teams of six talented students undertake sponsored practicum projects each year that start in January and end in December. A final presentation will occur at the end of the program in December.
To propose a practicum project for the Master of Decision Analytics students, please complete the application. The practicum contact is Joe Cipolla at jcipolla@vcu.edu.
With the goal of developing the best creative problem-solvers in the world, the VCU Brandcenter offers a unique opportunity to work with expert graduate students and faculty to solve large-scale, strategic challenges. Consulting projects typically center on product creation, design and placement. Students from all five tracks of the master’s programs, art direction, copywriting, experience design, brand management and strategy work in teams on these projects each fall and spring semester.
Past participants have included Lexus, Pepsi and Under Armour.
To propose a project and work with the recently ranked #1 national brand program in the country, contact Ashley Sommerdahl at asommardahl@vcu.edu.
With the focus on engineering, arts and business combined, VCU da Vinci Center offers partner projects addressing product innovation and design. Teams are built of undergraduate students, with Masters of Product Innovation students serving as advisors for each team. Accepted projects are completed each semester and partners receive an in-depth presentation at the conclusion of their project.
Past participants have included Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Altria and the Science Museum of Virginia.
To propose a product innovation consulting project, contact Allison Schumacher, schumacheran@vcu.edu.
Support our Centers, Institutes, and Labs
The VCU School of Business features state-of-the-art labs, centers and institutes dedicated to giving you the experience you need to move ahead in today’s fast-paced world.
Whether it’s viewing real-time stock tickers in our Capital Markets Center, conducting eye-tracking experiments in the Customer Experience Lab or networking with industry leaders at the Center for International Business Advancement, you’ll have convenient access to many career-enhancing resources.
Join a Department Advisory Board
Department advisory boards are composed of alumni and other industry leaders who advise the school on marketplace trends and hiring needs. Advisory board members often mentor students and may provide data to faculty for research and course projects.
- Accounting Advisory Council
- Decision Analytics Program Advisory Board
- Economics Advisory Board
- Finance Advisory Board
- Information Systems Advisory Board
Join a Business Affinity Group
The VCU School of Business hosts a series of discussions on topics impacting key industries in the business community. Learn how you and your colleagues can join the conversation:
Thalhimer Executive-in-Residence
Since its establishment in 1984, the Charles G. Thalhimer Family Executive-in-Residence program has brought nationally and internationally prominent business leaders to the VCU campus for interaction with students, faculty and community leaders.
Thalhimer Executives-in-Residence address current business issues, leadership, ethics and other relevant topics. The program affords an opportunity for these business professionals to engage with our students in both small and large group settings. Designed to give students and faculty an interactive experience, the Executive-in-Residence program also provides a forum for business school alumni and Richmond’s business community to gain valuable insights.