Experiential Learning Project: An Opportunity at a Top Midwest Grad School

Friday, December 15, 2017

Top Midwest grad schools typically have a few things in common: the coursework is applicable to the workforce, professors come from a wide variety of industries and countries, and students are given opportunities to push themselves to learn new skills and work with diverse teams.

Here at Krannert, our Midwest MBA school is set apart by the unique experiences we offer, including the Experiential Learning Project.

To apply for this semester-long course, second-year MBA students first review a list of businesses seeking help from Purdue Master’s students. After the review, students apply for their top three choices, and, if matched, accept an offer. From there, students are placed on a team with fellow Purdue Master’s students to develop a plan, and ultimately create a report and presentation to address the company’s needs.  

For Isabel Lins de Castro, a Full-Time MBA student with a finance and strategy concentration, her Experiential Learning Project provided her with experience, new skills, and lasting friendships.

Isabel's team was assigned to working on a strategic corporate social responsibility plan for a manufacturing organization. Her team included two MBA students with various concentrations and two Master’s students with a focus in engineering.

Isabel, who is a native of Brazil, admits the team dynamic wasn't initially easy.

“We originally faced discord, or as I like to call it ‘healthy conflict.’ But the disagreements we had helped in finding better solutions, and we’re now very good friends,” says Isabel.

Working on an Experiential Learning Project gives students the opportunity to flex the skills and concepts they've learned from their MBA coursework. For Isabel, the course and skills that proved most helpful were finance and supply chain, where she learned the importance of segregating data and data analysis.

While applying knowledge from previous coursework is part of the Experiential Learning Project process, a large part of the course includes learning and growing. Isabel plans to apply what she learned from the project to her future career.

"I never thought about how a company can leverage the things they are doing with the community and thinking long-term on how they can make a profit from it. The concept has really opened my eyes to think differently and I know I can apply the idea to any other project," says Isabel. 

With access to so many unique opportunities, Isabel has been able to make the most out of her MBA experience at one of the top Midwest grad schools and knows she will enter the workforce ready to make a significant impact. Isabel states deciding on Purdue and Krannert specifically was “the best decision of my life.” 

If you're looking into Midwest MBA schools, check out the Experiential Learning Project page to learn more about this exciting opportunity.