Work in a team on a challenge for a sponsor organization to develop a project-based solution. Frame and present the challenge based on the orientation from the faculty and sponsor company. Develop a final project proposal presentation and executive report.This course is open to all AUR students.
Real Projects course structure
The Real Projects course structure blends classroom support with organizational problem-solving learning. AUR faculty assigns a team of students to a project for a sponsor company. The sponsor company liaison orients the assigned team to the company's challenge and supports access to materials needed to complete the project. Meanwhile, the faculty supervises and directs students to navigate real-world complexities and apply research-based methods to create value for their project sponsor. The faculty provides students with fundamental training through four workshops, scheduled to fit the project's developmental timeline.
Through these immersive hands-on professional exchanges, students gain in-depth insights into solving problems organizations face within their industry, geographies, and competitive positioning. This offers a unique experience for liberal arts students to think strategically, innovate systematically, and hone their critical thinking and leadership skills.
The students' teams (REAL Team) are composed of four or five students who will meet in the classroom weekly, supervised by faculty or by the sponsor liaison. Each student dedicates eight hours per week to work on the project.
Learning Objectives
- Practice discovery behaviors to innovate
- Identify problems using design thinking methodologies
- Analyze available data and insights to frame a company challenge
- Apply theories, methodologies, and tools to solve problems
- Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to accomplish creative outcomes
- Plan and execute a consultancy project.
The benefits of Real Projects
Practice
Real Projects enhance the educational experience by stimulating students to put theories into practice and challenging them to exercise project management tools within a professional environment.
Teamwork
Students work in teams testing and adjusting their skills and knowledge while addressing the problem-based projects of a sponsor company. This mirrors the reality of the professional workplace.
Professional experience
Working with organizations on developing projects is a unique opportunity for liberal arts students to think strategically, innovate systematically, and hone their critical thinking and leadership skills; an opportunity that empowers students to become agents and architects of change within society.
| Indicative course schedule | ||
|---|---|---|
| WEEK | TOPIC | READING |
| Week 1 | Workshop I Design your future |
Jeffrey H. Dyer, Innovator’s DNA, 2009 December, HBR |
| Week 2 | Sponsor Liaison meeting Challenge orientation |
Relevant documents and references to the company challenge |
| Week 3 | Teamwork meeting to frame the challenge: analysis and definition of key milestones, resources, timeline, deliverables. |
Handouts: problem-solving toolkit project charter design |
| Week 4 | Workshop II Design-thinking framework for market analysis and comparison of solutions. |
Tim Brown, Design Thinking, 2008 June, HBR |
| Week 5 | Sponsor Liaison / Teamwork meeting to analyze data and address the challenge. |
References to stakeholders’ resources and constraints |
| Week 6 | Teamwork meeting to develop a work plan Analyze market research and initial plan for solution. |
|
| Week 7 | Midterm report in presence of sponsor liaison and faculty member. |
Illustration of the project charter, market analysis, line of developments for solution. |
| Week 8 | Workshop III Measuring impact. |
D. Sul, M Eisenhardt, Simple rules 2012, September, HBR. |
| Week 9 | Teamwork meeting to identify impact indicators of designed solutions. |
|
| Week 10 | Sponsor Liaison meeting Roadmap of solution implementation. |
|
| Week 11 | Workshop IV Effective reporting and proposal presentation. |
Executive report and solution presentation template. |
| Week 12 | Teamwork meeting to benchmark solutions with competitors. |
|
| Week 13 | Teamwork meeting to prepare Effective reporting and proposal presentation. |
Executive report and solution presentation template. |
| Week 14 | Final Exam (solution presentation) | |