Joint Management Consulting Field Experience (J-MCFE)

UG JMCFE 2009 Application

Overview
One innovative way Babson develops well-rounded managers with practical business experience is through the Management Consulting Field Experience (MCFE) Program. While similar to the MCFE program, JMCFE takes the consulting experience global with international corporate sponsors and project assignments. In the JMCFE program, teams are comprised of Babson students and undergraduate students from a partner institution outside of the United States; however, in some instances, the team may be made up solely of Babson students working directly with an international corporate sponsor. Students gain practical experience as consultants, solving actual business problems while developing their international business and teamwork skills. A student interested in working internationally, consulting in the international field or in gaining international experience are recommended to apply for this program. Additionally, students with interest in the areas of strategic management and global business management should also consider the JMCFE program as part of their education at Babson.

How the Program Works
Currently projects are conducted during the spring semester over a period of approximately two and a half months. Team placements are made in the fall semester and projects begin in January; with the final presentations taking place in April. Each project is assigned a faculty advisor to guide the team through the consulting process; however, the project work is completed entirely by the student teams. Course deliverables are a final report and oral presentation to the company sponsor.

Projects are sponsored by the companies directly. All student and faculty advisor travel related costs, accommodations and most meals are covered by the company sponsor. This four credit course is considered a part of the student’s regular semester coursework and tuition charges will apply to the semester in which the coursework is completed. 

Students apply for projects individually by submitting an application and a faculty recommendation. Applicants are then interviewed before selections to a finalists round are made. All finalists are asked to make individual presentations to a panel after which teams are placed (generally by Thanksgiving break for the spring term). JMCFE candidates are chosen based on a combination of the following: academic and practical teamwork experience as it relates to the project, interest in a specific project, GPA (a minimum 3.0), faculty recommendation, an interview and presentation skills. Additional selection criteria include individual initiative, leadership, responsibility, and reliability.

Project Emphasis
Projects address current concerns of sponsor organizations in one or more functional areas. Consulting projects could include:

·  Marketing plan development

·  Marketing strategy/analysis 

·  Industry analysis 

·  Business development 

·  Benchmark/Competitive analysis

Requirements
To participate in the JMCFE program, students must have successfully completed their core program (OEM and MCE), and be in good academic standing. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher is a pre-requisite.

Program Student Application and Placement Timeline
An informational session will be held prior to the end of the semester.* Immediately following the information session the application and interview process will open. Following the completion of interviews and finalist presentations, placements will be announced via email. Students are required to confirm their placement within 48 hours. All travel arrangements will be made once all team members have accepted. *Availability of projects is dependent on the corporate sponsor’s semester preference.

Program Timeline