Experiential Learning News

Students from the Smith School's Master of Science in Information Systems program will embark on real-world projects in a new summer pilot by Smith Business Consulting. They will collaborate with Hughes Network Systems on cloud-based endeavors, enhancing cross-functional skills and fostering industry integration.

This spring, the Center for Global Business worked with two clients through the Maryland Global Consulting Program, a mainstay of the Center's ongoing effort to enhance the global competitiveness of Maryland businesses.

Montgomery County, Maryland, aims for 100% greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2035. Smith Business Consulting students collaborate with the county, providing pro-bono services to achieve these goals. This initiative aligns with the Smith School's social impact and experiential learning strategies.

Discover global career insights with the Center for Global Business (CGB) Careers Crossing Borders series. Smith School alumni share expertise from diverse sectors, guiding future leaders. Learn language skills and cultural understanding essentials from industry pros like Jasmine Brown and William Chernicoff. Unlock your global potential today. Explore CGB events online.

In a notable academic endeavor, students from Smith's Master of Quantitative Finance program undertook an experiential learning project, crafting a model for valuing credit risk transfer (CRT) securities for Freddie Mac. Led by Professor Clifford Rossi, their rigorous methodology and innovative approach signal advancements in mortgage finance.

Stranded on a dark roadside, Oliver Schlake challenges students near Baltimore to survive with only a trash bag's contents. Through hands-on exercises like wilderness scavenging, Business, Society, and Economy students at the University of Maryland hone creative problem-solving skills with Professor Schlake's guidance. Discover more about their innovative approach.

Maryland Smith students gained invaluable international business insights in Winter 2024 through faculty-led study abroad programs. Spanning Japan, South Korea, UAE, France, Vietnam, South Korea, South Africa, and Brazil, these immersive experiences enhanced students' global mindset and understanding of diverse markets and cultures.

“It’s moving to me that our project will in some small way impact the future of veteran care. Isn’t that what we all want in life, to leave our corner of the world a little better than we found it?”

The Smith School has always known how important experiential learning is for students. These hands-on, immersive experiences and opportunities to solve real problems for real companies help them develop critical thinking skills, greater resilience, and an ability to lead the organizations of the future. Smith has offered this type of learning—both in the classroom and beyond—for years.

Students majoring in Information Systems got the opportunity to use what they’d learned throughout the undergraduate program in a culminating experiential learning senior capstone course where they built web solutions for small local businesses and worked with professionals and alumni from Deloitte and KPMG.