Does your business have a specific issue, or an existing or future challenge, which one or more of our MBA students could help address? 

This may take the shape of a business development challenge, providing a solution to a specific company issue or a piece of market research. 

Our MBA Projects and Internships enhance our students' learning and sharpen their #ASTONEDGE by working on real business issues and offer you the opportunity of a consultant or intern to undertake a project at a very low (or no) cost. 

MBA Projects 

Our MBA students have benefited from experiences that span a range of areas. They are challenged with undertaking Projects as a core part of their programme, helping them to demonstrate their ability to apply what they are learning to the real world, either as consultants or interns. 

Aston’s MBA students come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, representing diverse nationalities, offering a unique mix of talent. 

What distinguishes Aston MBA students is their ability to take their work experience and put it to work on complex and strategic level assignments. The value of their MBA learning and the guidance of Aston Business School faculty comes together to give the businesses they collaborate with an edge over the competition. 

Recent projects have included: 

  • Digitising business processes in a railway company 

  • Developing an international strategy for a law firm 

  • Improving the CRM system for a solar energy business 

  • Developing international markets for a mobile telecommunications company. 

Invitation for Project Proposals 

As part of our Aston Edge initiative and our policy of engaging at an ever deeper level with our alumni and businesses and organisations, we offer this opportunity to work with one or more of our MBA students on a consultancy project or internship. 

We are now inviting proposals for projects. We require proposals to be submitted year-round to meet the needs of our various full-time and online cohorts. You will be welcome to introduce the proposals to the students virtually or in person as appropriate.

MBA Projects and Internships would typically last for around 12 weeks, however, you can start engaging with the students as soon as the assignment has been agreed upon. MBA Project periods for our full-time students usually fall between May and December.

If you would like to discuss a potential MBA project or internship further, please contact our MBA Careers Consultants at MBAcareers@aston.ac.uk. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the project work? 

Graduate MBA Muhammad describes how a project works in practice.

"Hi, I am Muhammad Umar Farooq from the Aston Business School January 2019 MBA cohort, graduating in 2020.  

The project I undertook required us to build a single click enabled financial model to improve the accuracy of business projections leading to enhanced goal congruency.  

It was through this mentored placement that I was able to cement my leadership experience and financial understanding. Writing up gave me the opportunity to study business and economic concepts in detail. 

Having a realistic perspective of my deliverables, working in a diverse environment with professionals across the globe and continuous work review helped shape my career trajectory." 

Projects vs internships 

A consultancy project is a problem posed by a business for the student to investigate, analyse and create possible recommendations. 

This typically requires minimum supervision as the student will get on with the work. However, it is most beneficial to the student and the company to enjoy some access to staff and resources so they can make informed suggestions. This can include attending meetings, having conversations with staff on or off-site, and being signposted to relevant information such as reports and reviews. 

Internships are a great way of offering a student experience within your organisation. Our students are keen to contribute and get involved in live projects, join teams and meetings, and make a tangible contribution to the work environment. 

It is important to us that the work the student does is meaningful and still able to fulfil the assessment criteria for their final assignment. You are most welcome to get in touch with us to discuss how this might look. 

Which one is right for me and my business? 

Consultancy projects are great if you have a problem you currently do not have the time or resource to do yourself but would value insight from a talented MBA student. Projects should be meaningful and address an area of your business where value could be added. A project will work well for you if you would like the student to work independently, and we appreciate any time you can offer in answering questions. 

Internships are suitable for you if you want to include an additional staff member into your team for a short period in an area of your business where real value can be added. 

Our MBA students have a wide range of experiences including marketing, digital, UX, pharmaceutical, finance, consulting, technology, education and more. If you feel a particular area of expertise could be beneficial to you, then please indicate this when proposing an internship.  

Do I have to pay the student? 

Our students are not expecting to be remunerated as this forms their final assessment (dissertation); however, if you can offer some form of compensation (payment, and/or travel or out of pocket expenses), this will be appreciated.

It is essential that the student feels they have gained value from conducting a project or internship with your business and they will appreciate any time you spend with them, as this will help them boost their CV!

What do I get out of it? 

• A new perspective on a problem or project within your business 

• An opportunity to resource a project that would make a difference to your organisation 

• A chance to support the learning and development of an MBA student 

• Exposure to exceptional talent and expertise 

Many of our MBA students have several years of work experience across different sectors and extensive leadership and strategy skills. 

If you would like to discuss a potential MBA project or internship further, please contact our MBA Careers Consultants at MBAcareers@aston.ac.uk

For more information on how to get involved as an Aston alumnus, visit our page

To mentor one of our MBA students, please visit our MBA Mentoring Scheme.