Real-World Learning Opportunities

Smith’s approach to business education incorporates hands-on learning opportunities into every discipline, every program, and every area of the school. From finance to marketing to human capital management and all points in-between, Smith allows you to test your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. You’ll apply the business fundamentals and state-of-the-art techniques you’ve learned in the classroom to help solve the critical business challenges facing today’s organizations.

Whether it’s consulting for corporate, government or non-profit clients, or managing a $3 million investment fund, the experiential learning and actual business cases at Smith prepare you for real-world challenges and opportunities.

Take advantage of the dynamic business and technology markets in the Washington, DC/Northern Virginia/Baltimore region and explore these opportunities!

MBA Consulting Program
In the MBA Consulting Program, students complete a team-based consulting engagement with a leading area business or government organization. Teams address real management issues, develop a deeper understanding of the interdependence of functional areas, gain senior executive visibility, and hone presentation and teambuilding skills. Participating organizations benefit from a fresh, cutting-edge perspective on their business challenges.

Mayer Fund
The Mayer Fund associates gain real-world experience in securities analysis and portfolio management while earning course credit—an experience few business schools can match. Since the inception of the Mayer Fund in 1993, the student portfolio managers have outperformed relevant benchmarks nearly every year. The current team of second year full-time MBA students manages a $3 million investment fund.

New Markets Growth Fund
The $70 million NMGF was established to grow early stage businesses in low-income areas in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. metro region. Associates learn how to identify potential investment opportunities, conduct site visits and develop financial investment models.

The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship
The Dingman Center, one of the country’s first university-based entrepreneurship centers, is a top-tier entrepreneurial institute recognized around the world as a leader in enterprise creation. The Dingman Center offers a variety of real-world learning opportunities for MBA students. Among them is the Dingman Scholars Program. As a Dingman Scholar, you will receive financial assistance, mentoring, networking opportunities, special seminars with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, and valuable experience identifying business opportunities.

Netcentricity Laboratories
The Netcentricity Laboratories are a sophisticated collection of facilities for researchers, students, government, and the corporate community that also serve as a hands-on learning environment. This encompasses supply chain management, financial trading, electronic commerce, and applications and research in the behavioral aspects of netcentricity. The Smith School is in partnership with several major companies to develop and support the new laboratories. In the lab, MBA students are analyzing real-time and historical data to understand financial instruments. They also are building and testing investment portfolios using professional software packages.