There are some important steps we have to follow when we place a student team with your organization. To avoid an overall project delay, we want to make sure you are prepared from day one. Here is an overview of what to expect.
Matching Announcement
The MIT MBAn team will announce the match between the host company, student teams, and faculty advisor in early February. You will receive an email with information about your match. Once the match is made, company sponsors are positioned as executive leaders on the project and students are responsible for driving the process.
The Role of the Advisor
The faculty advisor is expected to advise the students on technical approaches and suggest appropriate research and resources for the students in order to maximize progress on the capstone project. From time to time, the faculty advisor may attend meetings with the host company. Faculty advisors are expected to dedicate 30 minutes every two weeks to advising.
International Students
International students need a Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Letter to begin working. The CPT letter is highly administrative in nature and requires our close attention. As such, students will be provided with clear guidance from David Elwell, the Associate Dean and Director of the MIT International Students Office, who will provide a template and timelines for students to follow.
Milestones
The MIT MBAn faculty team provides structure to the program by establishing five milestones, summarized below. Students are coached and mentored by faculty on how to prepare and deliver these milestones (establishing a meeting cadence, setting meeting agendas, providing deliverables in a timely manner, etc.)
Work Expectations
During the spring semester, each student is expected to dedicate 10–12 hours per week to their work while also taking 2–4 additional electives. During midterms, finals, and MIT’s Spring Break week, students may be less available. Company hosts and the students will formally agree to the work schedule and establish expectations in the Milestone 1 Project Charter. The Project Charter is an informal agreement and is always considered a working document.
Spring Milestones
- Project Charter: Students must obtain sign-off from their company sponsor on their project charter, which will serve as a working agreement between the student team and the company for the entire project.
- Initial Findings and Exploratory Data Analysis: Students must also obtain sign-off on their initial findings and exploratory data analysis, which is data-focused and demonstrates students' understanding of the operating business.
- Project Charter Confirmation: The project charter confirmation is a finalized project charter that ensures the students are ready to shift gears to a 40-hour work week during the summer.
