Post By:
Nishant Sharma
MBA, 2013
‘Collaborative Culture’ is one of
the hottest buzzwords among B-School applicants. As I considered the schools I wanted to
apply to, collaborative culture was one of the most important factors I
considered. Eight months into the program, I believe the BU MBA has exceeded my
expectations in terms of the amazing collaborative culture.
The curriculum at BU promotes team
work and builds strong relationships. The effort by the Graduate Programs Office
to form teams comprised of people from diverse backgrounds is worth
applauding. The Integrated Project is a
semester long project in the fall semester where you work with a group of 6-7 classmates on
preparing an acquisition pitch for a brand. The complexity of the project and the
diversity of the teams makes it a great learning experience in respect to team
dynamics. The challenge of managing communication, schedules, and effort as a
team made it my best experience of the fall semester.
The team experience as
part of the Pharmasim project supplements the Integrated Project team experience.
Pharmasim is a three day marketing simulation focused on applying concepts learned as part of the marketing
course as part of a new team. This allows for exposure to new perspectives that
helps your team performance in other projects. In addition to these two major
projects, students are encouraged to participate in discussion forums around problem sets and share interesting information with the class to promote good discussions.
The team experience carries forward
into the spring semester when students work on team projects for all the courses. The
teams formed here are different from the first semester hence expanding your
horizons of social interaction and collaboration.
What also makes the program special is
the opportunity to get involved in team activities beyond academics. I have
participated in two projects for non-profit organizations with different teams involving faculty advisors which made them great learning experiences. Also
there are opportunities to participate in case competitions which allow you to
form teams and develop specific skill sets that you may desire.
Although I cannot comment on the
culture of other schools, the opportunities available at BU to participate in
team activities make it a remarkable program. The support provided by faculty
and the fellow students to help you realize your goals makes it an excellent
well-rounded collaborative experience.
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