Multidisciplinary Action Projects (MAP) are a unique feature of the Michigan Ross MBA program. During the second half of the Winter term, teams of up to six first-year MBA students participate in a hands-on project at a sponsoring company, providing an action-based learning experience central to Ross’s curriculum.
In 2022, projects in the technology industry accounted for 25.6% of all projects, followed by healthcare projects and financial services projects, at 14.1% and 10.3%, respectively. The five-year average of tech projects as a share of overall projects is 27.9%, which peaked in 2020 at 39.7% of the total. Other industries represented include Financial Services, Healthcare, Education and Manufacturing.
Among companies sponsoring technology projects in 2022 include startups and legacy companies alike. Microsoft and Amazon are both sponsoring multiple teams across several of their business functions, while teams are also working on projects for Intel, Indeed and Linked. Across these projects, students have the opportunity to gain exposure to tech functions such as product marketing and product strategy as they produce their deliverables, which are in the form of a midpoint and final presentation.
Startups include Pave Finance, a robo-advisory fintech company democratizing access to top-tier financial tools. First-year MBA student Maria Sinagra said working on the project has enabled her to gain experience working in a fast-paced environment, “It’s been exciting to experience the dynamics of an early-stage startup and make an impact in a fast-growing space,” she said.
Some projects are for companies outside of the industry but have a technology focus. Students working on the Fidelity Investments project are exploring financial applications for the Metaverse across AR, VR and blockchain technologies. The Riot Games project aims to design a leadership framework for Riot’s Enterprise Technology department to streamline operations.
While the 2022 project list is not yet available, a list of past MAP projects can be found here.