Applied Consulting Practicum

Gain Hands-on Experience Consulting for a Real Company

Collaborate with fellow students to solve a business problem for a client sponsor

In your second semester, you will work on a student team under faculty supervision to scope, analyze, and report findings related to a client sponsor’s business question.

Top companies

Past sponsors include several Fortune 100 companies in the technology, retail, manufacturing, and utility sectors.

Answer a tough question

Each team answers a sponsor’s business question using statistical models, data visualization tools, or “what if” scenario planning.

Diverse experiences

The practicum includes in-class lectures and workshops on business problem definition, project and analysis planning, communication, leadership, and teamwork.

Career advantage

The practicum is part of our robust commitment to experiential learning to narrow the gap between career and classroom. You’ll gain a competitive edge in your job search.

Consulting Project Types

Descriptive

Mining data to understand and learn from information on hand.

  • Statistical data profiles
  • Customer segmentation
  • Data visualization
  • Geo-mapping

Example question: What accounts or account groups are most profitable?

Predictive

Using data to identify drivers and predict outcomes.

  • Retention or renewal indicators
  • Sales and profitability drivers
  • Default predictors
  • Repeat-purchase signals

Example question: Which accounts are likely to default?

Prescriptive

Using data to model different “what if” scenarios.

  • Scoring interventions to improve outcome
  • Optimizing protocols
  • Reducing lead times

Example question: Which intervention is best for mitigating default?

Zihong Lin (MS ’20)
“I had a fantastic experience during my practicum project. It helped me get hands-on experience with the knowledge and skills I learned in the classroom. With this project, we had a better understanding of how data and analytics can drive business decisions. Overall, the project was very fast paced and heavily client-facing. Therefore, the experience helped me to become better at communication, teamwork, and learning. I talk a lot about my practicum during my interviews, and this experience seems to be the one that the recruiters are mostly interested in.”
Zihong Lin (MS ’20)

Learn More

To explore the business analytics program or partnership opportunities, please fill out our information request survey, or contact Mary Kathryn Malone, faculty associate and experiential learning lead for the Wisconsin School of Business’ master’s and MBA programs.

Fill out our information request survey