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Action Learning
For students
Why MIT Sloan Action Learning?
Whether you are considering furthering your education at MIT Sloan or are one of our current students, welcome! The Action Learning experience is something that sets MIT Sloan apart from its peers, and will remain with you far past your graduation date. The opportunity to learn by doing, invoke and inspire real change, and meaningfully contribute to societal and business problems and issues is repeatedly cited by our students as one of the highlights of their graduate school career.
Priscilla Liu | MBA '21 (MPA '22, Harvard Kennedy School)
Fin-Lab was an amazing opportunity to dive deep into a highly impactful and relevant topic, while honing our finance toolkit beyond an academic setting.
Learn by doing
Action Learning is a chance to utilize your learnings from the core curriculum, flex your leadership muscle and collaborate with like-minded, intelligent and motivated peers.
Seeing how product managers interact with all different parts of a company, from engineering to sales to marketing, got me excited for all the ways that I can drive impact.
—Action Learning labs
Course Title
15.225
China at a Crossroads: China Lab
Spring | 12 Cr.
China at a Crossroads: China Lab
Spring
12 Cr.
China Lab explores current issues in China’s political economy and corporations with a focus on key challenges that global managers need to consider as they navigate their relationships with Chinese organizations and business strategy. The course will use case studies, lectures, class discussion, guest panelists, and team projects to characterize the landscape and explore lessons for multinational and domestic businesses in China. Projects are divided into two tracks: issues involving the political economy and those of corporate management.
SIP credit included
Faculty: Yasheng Huang, John Grant
Eligible students: First or second year Sloan MBAs, MFin, MSMS; other grad students considered on a case by case basis
Bid/Application: Bid
Company profile: entrepreneurial SMEs, Chinese and global multinationals, social businesses
Sample sectors: artificial intelligence, the sharing economy, social media, health care, energy, fintech, and manufacturing
Sample projects: creating a business plan for fundraising, developing a new market strategy, assembling financial models
15.248
Israel Lab: Startup Nation's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem
Fall | 9 Cr.
Israel Lab: Startup Nation's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem
Fall
9 Cr.
Israel Lab studies Israel’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem. It provides context about the country and its social and geopolitical issues as they pertain to business in Israel. During IAP, student teams work with Israeli host organizations on complex problems in critical areas, such as big data/analytics, computing technologies, life sciences, robotics, Fintech, and cybersecurity, with an emphasis on early stage ventures and their growth. Provides students an opportunity to engage directly with startup CEOs and venture capitalists.
Faculty: Jacob Cohen
Term: Fall H2 through IAP
Eligible students: All Sloan grad students, other MIT grad students, undergraduate students with permission of instructor
Bid/Application: Bid
Travel to Israel during IAP
Company profile: early-stage and growing Israeli startups
Sample projects: computer vision tech in agriculture, medical devices, emergency response technology, AI for smart cities, oil flow data marketing, social analytics
15.335
Organizations Lab
Spring | 9 Cr.
Organizations Lab
Spring
9 Cr.
Orgs-Lab addresses the question of how individuals can transform organizations and the communities in which those organizations reside. The centerpiece of the course is a semester-long project in which students assist a local nonprofit organization in improving its efficiency and effectiveness. Recognizing that more corporate leaders are committing to deliver value to all their stakeholders, the goal is to build students' ability to link their leadership priorities and specific interventions to larger transformations, and build their capability to transform both their organization and career.
Faculty: Nelson Repenning, Bridget Akinc
Eligible students: Open to Sloan MBAs and Sloan Fellows
Bid/Application: Bid
Company profile: Greater Boston organizations facing significant challenges in delivering on their chosen mission
15.389
Global Entrepreneurship Lab
Fall | 12 Cr.
Global Entrepreneurship Lab
Fall
12 Cr.
G-Lab is a practical, hands-on study of the climate for innovation and determinants of entrepreneurial success in emerging and frontier market economies. Students work on teams in close collaboration with companies’ top leadership, gaining experience in running and building a new enterprise by tackling critical, real-world business management problems. After their preliminary investigation of the business challenge, teams travel to work onsite with their hosts to test and begin implementing their recommendations.
Faculty: Simon Johnson, Michellana Jester
Term: Fall through IAP
Eligible Students: MBA and LGO 2nd year students; other graduates by permission only
Bid/Application: Bid
Travel: International travel during IAP
Company profile: SME startups, high-growth companies, nonprofits
Sample sectors: microfinance, agribusiness, digital media, textiles, high tech, internet, telecom, medical devices, venture capital, transportation
Sample projects: new market entry, strategy, HR, marketing, financial modeling
15.399
Entrepreneurship Lab
Fall | 12 Cr.
Entrepreneurship Lab
Fall
12 Cr.
In E-Lab, students work with startups on problems of strategic importance to the venture. The goal is for students to gain experience with fast-paced startup companies and to apply their academic knowledge to the problems faced by entrepreneurial firms in a context of uncertainty, extreme time pressures, and decision making based on limited information. Popular sectors include AI solutions, software, hardware, robotics, clean technology, consumer products, and health-care technologies. Meets with 15.3991 when offered concur-rently. This course is offered in both fall and spring semesters.
Faculty: Kit Hickey, Kimberly Boucher, Umar Arshad, Dipul Patel
Eligible students: All Sloan, MIT, Harvard, and Wellesley grad and undergrad students
Sample projects: solving a key strategic problem, primary market research, financial modeling, finding a beachhead market for a new technology
15.399
Entrepreneurship Lab
Spring | 12 Cr.
Entrepreneurship Lab
Spring
12 Cr.
In E-Lab, students work with startups on problems of strategic importance to the venture. The goal is for students to gain experience with fast-paced startup companies and to apply their academic knowledge to the problems faced by entrepreneurial firms in a context of uncertainty, extreme time pressures, and decision making based on limited information. Popular sectors include AI solutions, software, hardware, robotics, clean technology, consumer products, and health-care technologies. Meets with 15.3991 when offered concur-rently. This course is offered in both fall and spring semesters.
Faculty: Kit Hickey, Kimberly Boucher, Umar Arshad, Dipul Patel
Eligible students: All Sloan, MIT, Harvard, and Wellesley grad and undergrad students
Sample projects: solving a key strategic problem, primary market research, financial modeling, finding a beachhead market for a new technology
15.451
Proseminar in Capital Markets/Investment Management
Fall | 6 Cr.
Proseminar in Capital Markets/Investment Management
Fall
6 Cr.
The Proseminar in Capital Markets/Investment Management provides a unique opportunity to tackle original research problems in capital market analysis and investment management that have been posed by leading experts from the financial community. Teams present their solutions at a seminar which is attended by representatives of the sponsor-ing organization and open to the entire MIT community.
Faculty: Mark Kritzman
Eligible students: All Sloan grad students, other MIT students. MIT only
Prerequisites: 15.401 or equivalent
Bid/Application: Bid
Company profile: leading finance industry practitioners investment management, hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, impact investing, risk, consulting
Sample projects: tail-risk hedging; fixed income arbitrage; portfolio construction and risk management; hedging inflation risk
15.452
Proseminar in Corporate Finance/Investment Banking
Fall | 9 Cr.
Proseminar in Corporate Finance/Investment Banking
Fall
9 Cr.
The Proseminar in Corporate Finance/Investment Banking allows students to work on projects sponsored by leaders in corporate finance, investment banking, and private equity. Students work in multi-disciplinary teams (combining MFin, MBA, and Sloan Fellows) to analyze and problem-solve, culminating in reports which the teams present to sponsors for evaluation and feedback.
Faculty: Egor Matveyev
Eligible students: All Sloan grad students, other MIT students. MIT only
Bid/Application: Bid
Company profile: leading finance industry practitioners investment management, hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, impact investing, risk, consulting
Sample projects: value a wind farm acquisition; structure a deal for a new tranche of equity in private venture; develop a financing strategy for city investments in neighborhood development
15.453
Finance Lab
Winter | 9 Cr.
Finance Lab
Winter
9 Cr.
Fin-Lab students partner with leading industry practitioners on important business problems, bridging the gap between theory and practice and introducing them to the broader financial community. Practitioners represent a range of financial institutions, including investment management, hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, impact investing, risk, and consulting.Project work takes place during all of IAP.
Faculty: Gita Rao, Bhushan Vartak
Term: IAP through Spring H3
Eligible students: Preference given to Sloan MFin and MBA students. MIT only
Prerequisites: 15.401 or equivalent
Bid/Application: Application
Company profile: leading finance industry practitioners investment management, hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, impact investing, risk, consulting
Sample projects: VC valuation; PE deal sourcing; equity trading strategies; emerging markets debt research, macro risk regimes analysis; impact investing in private and public markets
15.572
Analytics Lab
Fall | 9 Cr.
Analytics Lab
Fall
9 Cr.
A-Lab allows students to design and deliver a project based on the use of analytics, machine learning, large data sets, or other digital innovations to create or transform a business or other organization. Teams may be paired up with an organization or propose their own ideas and sites for the project. The course culminates with presentation of results to an audience that includes IT experts, entrepreneurs, and executives.
Faculty: Sinan Aral
Eligible students: All MIT students, with permission of instructor
Bid/Application: Application
Company profile: organizations of any industry or size interested in using analytics to solve a business problem or advance an innovation
Sample sectors: big data as a service, sports analytics, fraud detection, finance, e-commerce, medical supply chains, workplace safety, global health
Sample projects: Amazon, Boston Public Schools, Dell Services, eBay, Gates Foundation, GE Transportation, IBM Watson, LinkedIn, MasterCard, Nasdaq
15.679
11.651
USA Lab: Bridging the American Divides
Spring | 9 Cr.
USA Lab: Bridging the American Divides
Spring
9 Cr.
11.651
USA Lab is a hands-on exploration of community revitalization in America's rural regions, small towns, and small to mid-sized cities. With a focus on work, community and culture, this Action Learning lab is a mix of rigorous classroom discussions, research, and team projects with community development organizations, government organizations, and nonprofits. Projects contribute to strengthening the social and economic fabric of the host communities.
Includes SIP credit
Faculty: Leigh Hafrey, Caesar McDowell
Eligible students: All Sloan and MIT grad students
Bid/Application: Bid
Company profile: community-based foundations or other organizations located in regions across the US
Sample sectors: small cities, towns, and rural areas in the US
Sample projects: research the effects of COVID-19 on a region’s immigrant population; identify methods to establish a region-specific index fund
15.704
IDEA Lab
Spring | 15 Cr.
IDEA Lab
Spring
15 Cr.
IDEA Lab explores themes of global innovation ecosystems, stakeholders and experimentation/evaluation.
Faculty: Fiona Murray, Phil Budden
Eligible students: MIT Executive MBAs only
Bid/Application: Bid
Sample projects: projects explore themes of global innovation ecosystems, stakeholders and experimentation. Examples: Philips Healthcare, Oracle
15.708
Global Organizations Lab
Spring | 15 Cr.
Global Organizations Lab
Spring
15 Cr.
GO-Lab focuses on strategic and organizational challenges of international scaling, localization, and cross-border initiatives and integration.
Faculty: Stuart Krusell, Hiram Samel
Eligible students: MIT Executive MBAs only
Bid/Application: Bid
Sample projects: projects investigate international business challenges with multinational organizations. Examples: AB InBev, Corteva, Ferrovial, Pega Systems
15.777
Healthcare Lab: Introduction to Healthcare Delivery in the United States
Fall | 15 Cr.
Healthcare Lab: Introduction to Healthcare Delivery in the United States
Fall
15 Cr.
H-Lab focuses on the business challenges and opportunities to deliver high-quality and reasonably-priced health services. Topics include aspects of healthcare delivery operations and how they are affected by healthcare reform policies, alternative payment models, population health perspectives, and social determinants of health. Discussions include examples from the ongoing healthcare-related work of Sloan faculty, as well as the potential for analytics and digitization to impact healthcare delivery. Student teams work with a provider, supplier or healthcare-related startup organization on an applied project.
Faculty: Jónas Jónasson, Anne Quaadgras
Term: Fall through IAP
Eligible students: All Sloan, MIT, Harvard, and Wellesley grad students with completed prerequisites or permission of instructor
Prerequisites: 15.060, 15.761, or permission of instructor
Bid/Application: Bid
Company profile: organizations dealing with the business challenges of healthcare delivery and healthcare systems changes
Sample sectors: hospitals, clinics, startups, other healthcare organizations
Ops-Lab provides interactive learning in solving operations challenges in small, medium, and large companies across the US and the world. Focus is typically on, but not limited to, problems in operations strategy, inventory and supply chain management, process improvement, operations analytics, and planning. Lectures focus on project management, methods, team report-outs and discussion. Students involved in sourcing specific projects may receive preferential assignment to them.
Includes SIP credit
Faculty: Thomas Roemer, Cathy Iacobo
Eligible students: Sloan MBAs, LGOs and other Sloan and MIT grad students
Co-requisite: 15.761
Bid/Application: Application
Company profile: operations problems in companies ranging from small to multinationals; from Boston-based to overseas
Sample sectors: wide range of industry sectors including healthcare, aerospace, retail, industrial, transportation, and food
Sample projects: supply chain network design, long-range sourcing strategy, inventory policy, cycle time analysis and improvement, product design and deployment
15.786
Digital Product Management Lab
Winter | 12 Cr.
Digital Product Management Lab
Winter
12 Cr.
PM-Lab is an introduction to product management with an emphasis on its role within technology-driven enterprises. Topics include opportunity discovery, product-technology roadmapping, product development processes, go-to-market strategies, product launch, lifecycle management, and the central role of the product manager in each activity. Exercises and assignments utilize common digital tools such as storyboarding, wireframe mock-ups, and A/B testing. Intended for students seeking a role in a product management team or to contribute to product management in a new enterprise.
EM-Lab lays the foundation for the Enterprise Management Track by developing students’ ability to apply integrated management perspectives and practices in their roles in large organizations. Student teams work on live integrative projects focused on marketing, operations, and/or strategy in multinationals and emergent innovators in industries such as consumer goods, technology, and healthcare. The goal is to help students adopt a holistic cross-functional approach to addressing business challenges.
Faculty: Sharmila Chatterjee
Term: Fall through IAP
Eligible students: First-year Sloan MBA students enrolled in the Enterprise Management Track
Co-requisites: 15.810, 15.761, or 15.900
Bid/Application: Bid
Company profile: leading multinationals and innovators in emergent space in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors
Sample projects: BMW, Wayfair, GE Healthcare, SAP, Rave Mobile, iSlide, IDEO, NASDAQ, Citi
15.915
Laboratory for Sustainable Business
Spring | 12 Cr.
Laboratory for Sustainable Business
Spring
12 Cr.
S-Lab students apply concepts, theories, and tools of sustainability working with host organizations on management projects during the semester. Classroom lectures and simulations give greater depth in techniques for managing sustainability. Topics include the business case for sustainability, evaluating the environmental impact of products and services, assessing certification programs, and building collective action for change to advance sustainability.
Faculty: Joann de Zegher, John Sterman, Jason Jay, Bethany Patten
Eligible students: All Sloan grad students, other MIT grad students
Bid/Application: Bid
Company profile: premier companies and NGOs tackling systemic challenges in sustainability, and aligning with business strategy
Sample projects: market analysis for sustainability-oriented product; evaluate operational options for recycling; develop DEI framework for renewable energy finance firm
15.S66
EMBA Israel Lab
Spring | 15 Cr.
EMBA Israel Lab
Spring
15 Cr.
EMBA Israel Lab provides Executive MBA students with a deep dive into Startup Nation, applying theory to practice within Israel’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Lectures address geopolitics, history, military strategy, macroeconomics, finance, entrepreneurship and innovation, leadership, and team dynamics. EMBA student teams partner and work remotely with senior management at Israeli startups.
Faculty: Jacob Cohen
Eligible students: second year MIT Executive MBAs only
Bid/Application: Bid
Company profile: students work with early-stage and growing Israeli startups
Frequently asked questions
Most Action Learning labs are electives for MBA students; however, for a few programs, such as the Executive MBA, the Master of Finance program, and the Enterprise Management track, a specific Action Learning lab may be required. Please check each program's website for course requirements.
Host companies pay for students' airfare and lodging, and MIT Sloan Action Learning covers any required visa costs. Students are required to pay for all other expenses they incur, including food, transportation, evening and weekend tourism, vaccinations and immunizations, and communication expenses, such as phone calls and shipping, before, during, and after the trip.
Action Learning labs are time-intensive. During the on-campus phase, students should plan to spend approximately 10-12 hours per week working on their projects. For labs in which teams have an on-site component, they are expected to work a minimum of 40 hours per week, or for the norm specified by the company.
