MBA students reinforce their real-world training through competitions

MBA students reinforce their real-world training through competitions

While students are obtaining an MBA degree, they may discover that acquiring hands-on experience can prepare them for the workforce once they graduate. In fact, some schools hold annual competitions so that these individuals can use their classroom-based training to solve problems that may arise in their future jobs.

The University of Maryland is one of these institutions, as school officials recently announced the winners of this year's Mergers and Acquisitions Competition. The event, which is organized by the university's business department, challenged 10 teams of MBA students from various programs to create and pitch ideas to professionals executives and judges.

Participants were given a hypothetical case for a technology company and were expected to make persuasive arguments pertaining to that business in one night.

Students from the University of Notre Dame took the top award of $5,000, while a team from Carnegie Mellon University placed second, earning $2,500. Competitors from the University of Virginia came in third, winning a $1,000 prize. Other schools that were represented include the University of California Berkley, American University, Purdue University and the University of Chicago.

G. Anand Anandalingam, dean of Maryland's business department, said that "this competition gives students the kind of real-world, problem-solving experience that all MBA students need."

Students who wish to enter the business industry may find that there are similar competitions through which they can use their creative abilities to acquire professional experience.

By Stephanie Hughes