Executive MBA Capstone Projects at RIT Saunders College of Business: An Enriching Experience for All
Abstract
Education of managers in academic programs such as Executive MBA programs presents a unique challenge to college administrators and faculty. Executive students are more demanding and critical and value experiential education more than students in undergraduate or MBA programs. Also compared to regular MBA students, executive students want to understand management in a more holistic way. They want to see the linkages between subject matter taught by different academic disciplines and understand how experienced managers can sort through the details, see the big picture, and make effective decisions. Over the years Executive MBA programs have used a variety of innovative pedagogy to introduce students to “real world” business problems. Methods used include case studies, simulations, field visits, guest lectures by business executives, and international trips. None of these approaches adequately provided the experiential learning desired by executive students. The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Saunders College of Business (SCB) Executive MBA program requires that all EMBA students complete a team-based capstone project that engages external clients. EMBA capstone teams analyze the problem defined by the client and recommend required action.