The University of Michigan Business School offers two innovative MBA courses which fulfill a dual mission: 1) help sponsoring organizations solve an international business issue, and 2) prepare MBA students for successful careers by providing valuable professional development. Sponsors in the IMAP and Global Projects II Courses work with small teams of MBA students, each led by a faculty member, to complete an in-country multidisciplinary engagement on an international business issue that is important to the sponsoring organization.

Sponsors receive top-notch findings and recommendations from MBA students who have diverse skills, knowledge, backgrounds, and work experience. These engagements take the students out of the classroom world of cases studies, lectures, and discussions into detailed projects to solve issues facing today’s corporations using the latest techniques and tools. 

These projects cover a spectrum of functional areas. Below is a brief list of the types of projects teams have worked on:

• Business strategy formulation with industry and/or competitive analysis
• Market entry, product line extension, or global expansion strategies
• Joint venture, growth plans, or merger/acquisition process
• Strategic human resource planning
• Business plan development with financial modeling and analysis
• Lean manufacturing assessment and operational performance review
• Branding and marketing plans