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E. Philip Saunders College of Business

Capstone Projects

Purpose of RIT EMBA Capstone Projects

The purpose of the EMBA Capstone Project is twofold:

  1. To provide students in the Executive MBA program with an authentic business problem or opportunity for analysis and recommendations.  This business consulting experience allows EMBA students to apply their skills and experience by identifying relevant issues, analyzing alternatives, and making recommendations.
  2. To support local businesses by offering the consulting services of a team of three/four talented managers who combine their business experience with the lessons learned during their EMBA studies  This assistance benefits client organizations by contributing to improved strategies and enhanced operational effectiveness.

Client Selection Criteria

Following are the criteria for selecting Capstone Projects for consideration:

  1. The business problem or development opportunity described in the capstone proposal must be challenging to an experienced manager and must also draws on the skills and knowledge acquired by students during the EMBA program.
  2. The scope of the project must allow it to be realistically completed within the Capstone Project six-month time frame and must match the skills and capabilities of the consulting team.
  3. The organization must designate (a) an executive-level project champion who can manage the Capstone client’s internal resources required to complete the project; and (b) a key contact person who will serve as the primary day-to-day interface with the consulting team.
  4. The organization must share internal financial, product, and market data required for project completion.

Output

Following are the student Capstone Project deliverables to the client organization

  1. A thorough professionally written report with detailed analyses and specific recommendations.  The document will include problem definition, substantial fact-based analysis, recommendations, and implementation suggestions.
  2. A team presentation to the client of the team’s project findings, including thorough discussion and any needed follow-up.  This presentation is attended by the team’s faculty mentor

Donna Scheid will request from Capstone clients a short written assessment of the team work and input to the team’s grade for the Capstone Project.

Application Process

Applications are accepted once/year for the Capstone Projects for the current Executive MBA class.  The timeframe for applications is typically in April. If you are interested in submitting a project, please email us.