Important Note:This template provides an example of the type of information we expect to see in your independent study proposal. Please customize your proposal to accurately describe your intended project.
The proposal must be approved by the MBA Strategic Consulting Program staff, your faculty advisor and the company you are working with (the project sponsor).
Project Overview
Identify the type of independent study you are proposing and the key contacts you will be working with.
Scope of Work
Describe your project and objectives. Define the problem or opportunity and identify the depth and breadth of the scope, including any specific inclusions or exclusions.
Key learnings
Describe what you hope to learn from doing this project and what MBA coursework you will apply to this project.
Example
1)Understand the customer:
- Characteristics-socio-demographics
- Priorities->(list and describe the customer opinions to be studied)
- Seasonality and geography of programs
- Budgets and decision-making approach
2)Understand characteristics of current and future demand:
- Current awareness of our product offerings
- Current awareness of the industry
- Receptiveness to online platform vs (identify alternatives)
- Price sensitivity
3)Evaluate various promotion and placement strategies including:
- Advertising
- Free-trials
- Social media
4)Product refinement:
- SWOT analysis of current offering
- Tailor specific offering for target audience
Approach
Describe how you will research and gather data for this project.
Example
1)Conduct personal interviews with key potential customers atmultiple levels, and across many geographic locations
2)Through interviews and secondary research, understand current offerings, approaches, and prices for product/service offering
3)Identify similar product/service advertising strategiesand where possible reach-out to gain insight into effectiveness
4)Interview key potential customers and use personal background knowledge to design promo strategy
5)Product test and provide key feedback for improvement
Time Investment
Detail your estimated time commitment over the duration of the quarter. For a 2-credit course, you should have a total of 60-80 hours of effort during the quarter. For a 4-credit course, you should have 120-160 hours of effort. Note that this total excludes work developing the proposal and securing faculty sponsorship.
Example
Overall time commitment is estimated at 6-10 hours per week over the course of the 10-week quarter, which is the equivalent of a 2-credit course. This assumes 3 hours per week spent on meetings and communications with corporate contact and faculty advisor, and 2-7 hours per week spent on conducting research and designing marketing strategy framework.
Deliverables
Identify deliverables such as specific research, analyses, or recommendations to be provided. Include the format of final deliverables (i.e. written report, annotated PowerPoint presentation, etc.)
Deliverables that must be included: 1) mid-project status reportsubmitted to the MBA Strategic Consulting Program2) final paper, 3) a final meeting/presentation with your project sponsorto share your project deliverables and receive feedback. An MBA Strategic Consulting Program staff member must be in attendance at your final presentation.
It is also required that you conduct a practice presentation with an MBA Strategic Consulting Program staff member (and if possible your faculty advisor) at least one week prior to your final presentation. Please contact Jenny n the MBA Program office to schedule mutually agreeable practice and final presentations times.
Example
- Weekly status updates to project sponsor through email and/or in-person meetings
- Mid-project status report document submitted to the MBA Strategic Consulting Program
- Final Paper
- Presentation of final marketing strategy document to project sponsor
- Final meeting to discuss overall project work and deliverables and receive project sponsor feedback
Timeline
Provide a detailed timeline (by week) of your project plans. Feel free to submit a project management plan or other additional materials as necessary.
Example
- Week 1: Scope document approved by sponsoring company contact and faculty advisor
- Weeks 2-5: Research: Library database and interviews with sponsor companyemployees
- Week 5: Mid-project status report submitted to MBA Strategic Consulting Program
- Week 7: Draft marketing strategy framework submitted to faculty advisor
- Week 9: Final marketing strategy framework submitted to faculty advisor andsponsor
- Week 10: Final meeting with sponsor company to discuss project and deliverables and receive feedback
Evaluation Criteria
Describe how you plan to evaluate the project success.
Example
- Mid-project discussion with project sponsor about their overall satisfaction of work submitted
- Sponsor and faculty advisor evaluation of deliverables
Communication Plan
Describe how you plan to communicate with yoursponsoring company andyour faculty advisor.
Example
- Weekly meetings with sponsoring company for feedback and status updates
- Bi-weekly faculty advisor updates, either in-person or via emails
Signatures
Student______
MBA Strategic Consulting staff______
Faculty Advisor______
Sponsoring Company______
Application-Based Independent Study Checklist
Use this checklist to ensure you’ve finished all project requirements.
□Independent Study Proposal
□Approved by MBA Strategic Consulting Program Staff, Faculty Advisor and Project Sponsor
□ Independent Study Request & Project Agreement Form
□Approved by Faculty Advisor
□Submitted to MBAProgram Office
□Registration for Independent Study Credits
□ Registration for a 4-credit independent study must be completed by the end of the first week of the quarter (per the academic calendar) in which you are earning credit
□ Registration for a 2-credit independent study must be completed by the end of the third week of the quarter (per the academic calendar) in which you are earning credit
□ Mid-Project Review
□Submitted to Strategic Consulting Program Staff
□ Practice Presentation
□ Final Presentation to Sponsor
□Deliverables (Final versions of Paper, PowerPoint, etc.)
□Provided to Strategic Consulting Program Staff
□Provided to Faculty Advisor
□Provided to Sponsor
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Revised August 2015