By: The Capella University Editorial Team
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Capella University’s online MBA program puts students to work on real business challenges.
That idea made Shawn Morrison hesitate at first.
As executive director and founder of Good in the ‘Hood, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that collects donated shoes and resells them to help fund food shelves in the Twin Cities, Morrison had hired college students in the past. They meant well, but their impact on his organization’s mission was minimal, and the results really weren’t worth the effort. They just didn’t have the experience or depth of expertise he needed.
So, when someone suggested he partner with the MBA students at Capella, he didn’t immediately jump at the idea. As a nonprofit leader, Morrison simply doesn’t have time to waste on projects that don’t produce results, no matter how well-intended.
With a mission to feed 80,000+ people a year, though, Morrison needed all the help he could get. He decided to give it a shot. He couldn’t be more glad he did.
“I’ve been really impressed by both the faculty and students’ intelligence and enthusiasm,” Morrison says. “For any business or nonprofit that needs some strategic business advice, Capella and its students can help to tighten up and amplify business practices. I’ve been really pleased with the engagement and the results. I highly recommend it. It’s been tremendous.”
Morrison says the payoff comes down to professional experience. Capella’s MBA students – many of whom are working adults – bring the business acumen and critical thinking that get results.
Capella MBA students can choose a specialization or design their own learning experience.
Capella University partners with nonprofit organizations like Good in the ‘Hood, as well as for-profit organizations through Riipen, an online platform that connects students with organizations for real-world projects.
By working with organizations like Good in the ‘Hood, Capella’s MBA students work to master outcomes that include:
Experiential education is central to Capella’s MBA program. Ask the students and faculty involved, and they’ll say the same thing.
“I see a night-and-day difference among students who participate in this sort of experiential learning,” says Chris Fichera, DBA, Assistant Professor in the School of Business, Technology and Health Care Administration at Capella University. “They’re so engaged and energized. This real-world experience is invaluable, even for those students who already have many years of experience in another field or organization.”
Students in Fichera’s MBA capstone course at Capella work together in teams of four or five to partner with an organization over the course of a semester. At Good in the ‘Hood, they researched and provided actionable recommendations on how the organization could bolster its brand recognition and increase donations of high-quality shoes.
This kind of hands-on project work isn’t limited to the MBA program – Capella’s online IT master’s programs include an experiential learning component through Riipen, too.
Each master’s degree at Capella University has different program features and requirements.
“Capella’s IT students have had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects, including cloud infrastructure, data security, project management and more,” says Melissa Zgola, EdD, Program Director of the School of Business, Technology and Health Care Administration at Capella University. “They’ve conducted website audits and designed web application prototypes. They’ve conducted data analyses and developed dashboards of organizational results. These are very meaty and meaningful projects. It’s truly a win-win for everyone involved.”
Another organization that Capella’s students have worked with is Inner Voice, a Chicago-based nonprofit that helps people who are experiencing homelessness turn their lives around.
Inner Voice needed more than good intentions. It needed professionals who could bring real passion and expertise to the table.
Capella students answered that call, helping Inner Voice develop cloud infrastructure, plan a reporting dashboard and explore nongovernmental funding streams.
That real-world experience, sharpened by hands-on guidance in the courseroom, gives Inner Voice exactly the mix of skills and knowledge it needs.
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