Executive Project

Returning to school represents a significant investment of time and money. The Eller Executive MBA generates return on this investment in many ways. Some are not easily quantified — stronger leadership skills, new skills and confidence for problem-solving and innovation, and a sense of great personal accomplishment. Others, like increased compensation and greater marketability over the course of your career, lend themselves to statistics.

The required Executive Project of the Eller Executive MBA — in which participants address a significant organizational challenge from his or her actual work — generates a clear, tangible return.

Team and Individual Options

From August to December, participants identify a challenge or initiative to work on. As part of this process, students choose one of three options for completing an Executive Project:

• Individuals may work on separate projects while drawing support and feedback from a "federation" of other individuals working on discrete projects
• Multiple people interested in related challenges from different organizations can chose to do a group project in that area
• Multiple people from the same organization may work together on a project for that organization

Appropriate Projects

Examples of the kinds of challenges students might identify include:

• Developing a market entry or expansion strategy for a new product or for an existing product in a new market
• Completing a merger and acquisition analysis or plan
• Developing a business plan for a new or existing venture
• Analyzing the profitability of a division, product line, region, etc.
• Creating a financing strategy for a major undertaking
• Developing a regional, city, or state economic development plan
• Improving customer experience for an existing product or service
• Re-engineering processes or operations for a major functional area of your organization

Completing the Executive Project

As the curriculum navigates the value chain framework, students address relevant elements of their Executive Projects step by step. In the example below, three students from one organization have chosen to work as a team to develop a launch strategy for a new consulting service the organization will offer the following year.

• During Modules 2 through 6, the team identifies needs for the launch and support of the service, drawing from core business domains, including finance, marketing, economics, and strategy.
• During Module 7, the team completes a feasibility plan and drafts an initial business plan.
• In Module 9, the team completes process mapping operations and analyzes managerial costs.
• In Module 10, the students create an organizational model and staffing plan for the new service.
• In Module 12, the team completes its project, which culminates in a poster session and reception.

  
For additional curriculum details, view information about the international trip.