Hands-on Experience Becoming A Must for MBA Students

BOSTON, July 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MBA students around the globe are increasingly seeing the value of hands-on experience, rather than learning from just a textbook. And those studying at Hult International Business School are being given the chance to work with real-life problems impacting millions of dollars of business.

More than 700 students at Hult, which pioneered the process for integrating practical experience into its curriculum, have just completed a series of projects aimed at making them job-ready upon graduation. Throughout the six-week-long Action Project, held concurrently at Hult's five global campuses, students worked closely with 47 global companies, including international powerhouses Procter & Gamble, IBM, Panasonic, Samsung, 3M, Siemens, Sephora, Habitat for Humanity, and Verizon.

Students were asked to help the companies come up with innovative solutions that would create lasting value. One client tasked students with finding a way to grow their business by US$ 150m in three to five years. Student teams – handpicked to ensure international diversity and a broad range of industry knowledge – weighed the options and responded with 25 opportunities for growth, incorporating a holistic and global perspective.

"Growth through innovation is a strategic imperative and our unique innovation methodology and diverse student teams deliver big, bold, and bankable business cases across different industries and geographies every single time," said Dr. Hitendra Patel, Professor of Innovation at Hult.

Much has been written about this kind of 'learning by doing' and the benefits it can bring students and the companies they work with. Several business schools have noticed that companies are increasingly looking for the fresh ideas students can provide, and have responded by offering specialized programs that do a better job of preparing students for the practical elements of their employment. Hult's Action Projects are designed to act like thought factories, giving companies the chance to harness the brainpower of hundreds of experienced students and grow their businesses in new and innovative ways.

According to Dr. Stephen Hodges, President of Hult International Business School, the Action Project concept is truly unique: "On its own our Action Project is a powerful thing, posing real-life problems and getting students ready for the challenges of the working world. But when combined with the other elements of our signature LEAP Method – like learning from experienced professors and meeting with industry experts – the effect for students and businesses is remarkable."

About Hult International Business School

Hult is the world's most international business school with campuses in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai, and Shanghai. The School offers a range of business-focused programs including MBA, Executive MBA, Master and Undergraduate degrees. Hult's one-year MBA program is ranked in the top 30 in the world by The Economist and 1st in International Experience by the Financial Times.  www.hult.edu.