BU MBA: A Collaborative Culture

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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.