MBA Capstone (Spring 2027)
Interested in this engagement?
Collaboration Overview
About Students
Students participating in the Ferris State University MBA Capstone are graduate-level business students in the final stage of their program, synthesizing advanced coursework across strategy, finance, operations, marketing, and organizational leadership.
These students bring a mix of professional experience and academic training, with many having backgrounds in corporate, small business, manufacturing, healthcare, and service industries. They are trained to think critically about complex business problems, evaluate competitive environments, and develop data-informed strategies that drive organizational performance.
Throughout their MBA studies, students have developed skills in strategic analysis, financial decision-making, market evaluation, and cross-functional problem solving. They are experienced in applying frameworks such as competitive analysis, industry structure evaluation, and organizational capability assessment to real-world business scenarios.
In this Capstone experience, students operate in a consulting capacity, working collaboratively in teams to diagnose challenges, analyze alternatives, and deliver clear, evidence-based recommendations. They are expected to communicate professionally with stakeholders and present their findings in a manner suitable for executive-level decision-making.
Organizations partnering with this program can expect thoughtful, analytical teams capable of approaching business challenges with structure, rigor, and a focus on actionable outcomes.
About Program Goals
- Integrate knowledge from various disciplines to diagnose complex organization problems and recommend evidence-based strategic solutions.
- Conduct rigorous strategic and competitive analysis to assess industry forces, evaluate firm capabilites, and develop actionable strategic recommendations.
- Apply advanced decision-making frameworks to evaluate alternative courses of action, assess risk, and justify a defensible strategic direction for an organization.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate strategic analyses and recommendations clearly and persuasively to executive-level stakeholders through professionally written and oral presentations.
- Evaluate legal, ethical, and corporate governance implications of strategic decisions and recommend approaches that support responsible, sustainable organizational performance.
- Manage organizational change by designing implementation plans that address stakeholder alignment, resource needs, change readiness, and measurable outcomes.
About the Collaboration Format
The Ferris State University MBA Capstone is a high-impact, team-based consulting experience in which students partner directly with an organization to address a real strategic challenge. This engagement is designed to simulate a professional consulting project, with students applying the full range of knowledge gained throughout their MBA coursework.
Industry partners will present one or more strategic business challenges to the class at the start of the program. Students are then organized into small consulting teams, with each team assigned to analyze the same core challenge or a subset of related problems. This structure enables organizations to benefit from multiple perspectives, approaches, and solution pathways.
Over the course of the project, student teams will:
• Conduct in-depth industry and competitive analysis to understand market dynamics and positioning
• Evaluate the organization’s internal capabilities, resources, and strategic options
• Apply established strategic frameworks to diagnose key challenges and opportunities
• Develop and assess alternative courses of action, including risks, trade-offs, and implementation considerations
• Formulate clear, evidence-based strategic recommendations tailored to the organization’s goals
• Evaluate the organization’s internal capabilities, resources, and strategic options
• Apply established strategic frameworks to diagnose key challenges and opportunities
• Develop and assess alternative courses of action, including risks, trade-offs, and implementation considerations
• Formulate clear, evidence-based strategic recommendations tailored to the organization’s goals
Throughout the engagement, teams will interact with the industry partner through a series of structured touchpoints, which may include a project kickoff, interim check-ins, and a final presentation. These interactions ensure alignment, provide opportunities for feedback, and allow students to refine their analyses based on real-world context.
At the conclusion of the project, each team delivers a concise executive summary and a professional presentation outlining their findings, strategic recommendations, and proposed implementation approach. Because multiple teams may be working on the same challenge, organizations receive a range of perspectives and ideas that can inform decision-making and future strategy.
This format provides a low-lift, high-impact consulting experience for industry partners while giving students the opportunity to engage deeply with complex, real-world strategic problems.
Benefits for Industry Partners
- Strengthened ties to a regional talent and knowledge ecosystem
- Pipeline development for future talent recruitment
- Evidence-based recommendations grounded in current management research
- Increased organizational learning and fresh perspectives
- Low-risk testing of new strategic ideas
Program Details
Students Include: Graduate Degree
Students Enrolled: Students Enrolled
Program Duration: 8 weeks
Program Launch Date: 03/03/27
Program End Date: 04/30/27
Student Commitment:
Course Format: Mba Capstone, Multiple Projects Multiple Teams
Modality: Fully Remote
# of Projects: 4
View All Program DetailsProject Requirements
| Industry Partner Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Project Topics | Growth Strategy Innovation Strategic Planning |
| Location Preferences |
|
| Compensation |
|
| Sponsorship |
Sponsorship Requested (Optional): |
| Other Requirements |
|
| Project Management Time Commitment | 2 Hours per week |
| Interested Industries | Finance & Investment Sports & Entertainment |
Skills & Expertise
Competitor analysis Excel Executive Synthesis and Storytelling External Analysis Financial and Business Model Reasoning Generic Compeetitive strategies Industry Analysis Innovation Internal Analysis Market and Competitive Intelligence PowerPoint Professional Client Communication Strategic Diagnosis Skills Strategic Grouping Structural Analysis Systems Thinking and Value Chain Analysis Word| Key Program Dates | Due Date |
|---|---|
|
Request for Proposal published
Collaboration request published. Industry Partners may express interest in participating.
|
Oct 30 2026, 11:47 AM ET |
|
Interview
Educators will begin interviewing interested Industry Partners to discuss project ideas.
|
Nov 11 2026, 10:47 AM ET |
|
Proposal Application Deadline
Final date for Industry Partners to express interest in participating.
|
Jan 24 2027, 10:47 AM ET |
|
Finalize Project Charter
Educators and Industry Partners finalize project charters, legal documents, and background materials.
|
Feb 06 2027, 10:47 AM ET |
|
Official Program Launch
We’ll find a time on this day for you to meet with the students to kick off your project.
|
Mar 03 2027 |
|
Official Program End
We’ll find a time on this day for you to meet with the students to wrap up your project.
|
Apr 30 2027 |
* We’ve got some inspirational project ideas below! These are related project topics that you can mix and match the components for the best cross-functional project experience possible.
| Program Overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Program Title | MBA Capstone (Spring 2027) | |
| Organization | Ferris State University | |
| # of Students Enrolled |
0
|
|
| # of Projects Running |
0 Project/s Added (of 4 Projects Expected)
|
|
|
Program Timeline Project Duration |
Start Date: 03/03/27 End Date: 04/30/27 2 months |
|
| Collaboration Overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| About Students |
Students participating in the Ferris State University MBA Capstone are graduate-level business students in the final stage of their program, synthesizing advanced coursework across strategy, finance, operations, marketing, and organizational leadership. These students bring a mix of professional experience and academic training, with many having backgrounds in corporate, small business, manufacturing, healthcare, and service industries. They are trained to think critically about complex business problems, evaluate competitive environments, and develop data-informed strategies that drive organizational performance. Throughout their MBA studies, students have developed skills in strategic analysis, financial decision-making, market evaluation, and cross-functional problem solving. They are experienced in applying frameworks such as competitive analysis, industry structure evaluation, and organizational capability assessment to real-world business scenarios. In this Capstone experience, students operate in a consulting capacity, working collaboratively in teams to diagnose challenges, analyze alternatives, and deliver clear, evidence-based recommendations. They are expected to communicate professionally with stakeholders and present their findings in a manner suitable for executive-level decision-making. Organizations partnering with this program can expect thoughtful, analytical teams capable of approaching business challenges with structure, rigor, and a focus on actionable outcomes.
Student Level: Graduate Degree Student Time Commitment: Full Time Team Structure: - |
|
| Program Goals |
|
|
| Format Structure |
Multiple Projects Multiple Teams |
|
| Format Title | Mba Capstone | |
| Format Description | The Ferris State University MBA Capstone is a high-impact, team-based consulting experience in which students partner directly with an organization to address a real strategic challenge. This engagement is designed to simulate a professional consulting project, with students applying the full range of knowledge gained throughout their MBA coursework. Industry partners will present one or more strategic business challenges to the class at the start of the program. Students are then organized into small consulting teams, with each team assigned to analyze the same core challenge or a subset of related problems. This structure enables organizations to benefit from multiple perspectives, approaches, and solution pathways. Over the course of the project, student teams will: • Conduct in-depth industry and competitive analysis to understand market dynamics and positioning • Evaluate the organization’s internal capabilities, resources, and strategic options • Apply established strategic frameworks to diagnose key challenges and opportunities • Develop and assess alternative courses of action, including risks, trade-offs, and implementation considerations • Formulate clear, evidence-based strategic recommendations tailored to the organization’s goals Throughout the engagement, teams will interact with the industry partner through a series of structured touchpoints, which may include a project kickoff, interim check-ins, and a final presentation. These interactions ensure alignment, provide opportunities for feedback, and allow students to refine their analyses based on real-world context. At the conclusion of the project, each team delivers a concise executive summary and a professional presentation outlining their findings, strategic recommendations, and proposed implementation approach. Because multiple teams may be working on the same challenge, organizations receive a range of perspectives and ideas that can inform decision-making and future strategy. This format provides a low-lift, high-impact consulting experience for industry partners while giving students the opportunity to engage deeply with complex, real-world strategic problems.
|
|
| Benefits For Industry Partners |
|
|
| Project Modality | Fully Remote | |
| Industry Partner Requirements to Participate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Project Topics | Growth Strategy Innovation Strategic Planning | |
| Target Industries | Finance & Investment Sports & Entertainment | |
| Skills & Expertise | Competitor analysis Excel Executive Synthesis and Storytelling External Analysis Financial and Business Model Reasoning Generic Compeetitive strategies Industry Analysis Innovation Internal Analysis Market and Competitive Intelligence PowerPoint Professional Client Communication Strategic Diagnosis Skills Strategic Grouping Structural Analysis Systems Thinking and Value Chain Analysis Word | |
| Location Information & Preferences |
This course is offered fully online, and projects are designed for remote collaboration Sponsors can be located anywhere Expectations for sponsors:
|
|
| Sponsorship |
Sponsorship Requested (Optional): |
|
| Compensation |
No Compensation Required |
|
| Other Requirements |
|
|
| Expected Time Commitment For Project Managers | 2 Hours per week | |
| Key Program Dates | Due Date |
|---|---|
|
Request for Proposal published
Collaboration request published. Industry Partners may express interest in participating.
|
Oct 30 2026, 11:47 AM ET |
|
Interview
Educators will begin interviewing interested Industry Partners to discuss project ideas.
|
Nov 11 2026, 10:47 AM ET |
|
Proposal Application Deadline
Final date for Industry Partners to express interest in participating.
|
Jan 24 2027, 10:47 AM ET |
|
Finalize Project Charter
Educators and Industry Partners finalize project charters, legal documents, and background materials.
|
Feb 06 2027, 10:47 AM ET |
|
Official Program Launch
We’ll find a time on this day for you to meet with the students to kick off your project.
|
Mar 03 2027 |
|
Official Program End
We’ll find a time on this day for you to meet with the students to wrap up your project.
|
Apr 30 2027 |
Leslie Sukup
View ProfileFerris State University
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