ProgramsSchulich Graduate Business Consulting Projects (Fall 2026)

Schulich Graduate Business Consulting Projects (Fall 2026)

Program Overview
Program Title Schulich Graduate Business Consulting Projects (Fall 2026)
Organization York University
# of Students Enrolled
0
# of Projects Running
0 Project/s Added (of 15 Projects Expected)

Program Timeline

Project Duration

Start Date: 09/07/26      End Date: 12/04/26

3 months
Collaboration Overview
About Students

Students participating in this program are graduate business students at the Schulich School of Business at York University. Depending on the course section, students may come from the MBA, Master of Management, or Master of Marketing programs. 

These students are developing advanced capabilities in strategy, marketing, management, entrepreneurship, analytics, and business communication. They are prepared to work in consulting-style teams, engage with organizational stakeholders, conduct market and business research, and produce recommendations that are practical, evidence-informed, and presentation-ready. 

Because Steve’s courses are structured as business consulting capstones, students are expected to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real organizational challenges. They work with partners to understand the business context, clarify the problem, evaluate opportunities, and present insights that can support decision-making. 

Students are well suited for projects involving marketing strategy, brand positioning, customer research, growth planning, operational analysis, venture development, and management problem-solving.

Student Level:   Graduate Degree

Student Time Commitment:   Full Time

Team Structure:   3 - 6

Program Goals
Through this consulting capstone experience, students will: 

  • Apply graduate business frameworks to real organizational challenges
  • Practice client discovery, problem definition, and consulting-style communication
  • Conduct research related to markets, customers, competitors, operations, or organizational strategy
  • Analyze business opportunities and constraints using structured decision-making methods
  • Develop practical recommendations that reflect the organization’s goals, resources, and market context
  • Strengthen teamwork, project management, executive communication, and presentation skills
  • Produce deliverables that demonstrate applied business judgment and professional readiness
  • Build resume-ready experience working with real organizations on meaningful business problems
Format Structure

Multiple Projects Multiple Teams
Format Title Capstone
Format Description
The Graduate Business Consulting Capstone is a project-based consulting experience that connects Schulich School of Business graduate students with organizations seeking fresh insight on real business challenges. 

Through this format, participating organizations submit strategic, marketing, management, operational, or growth-oriented challenges suitable for graduate business students. Students work in teams to analyze the organization’s situation, conduct research, evaluate alternatives, and develop actionable recommendations that can support business decision-making. 

Projects may include market positioning, go-to-market strategy, customer segmentation, brand strategy, growth planning, operational improvement, new venture development, nonprofit strategy, or other business challenges that benefit from structured analysis and outside perspective. 

This format is designed to support Steve Pulver’s existing teaching model: CapSource helps source and introduce qualified industry partners, while Steve retains control over project selection, student matching, academic oversight, client communication, evaluation, and course delivery. The goal is to provide Steve and Schulich with a reliable pipeline of relevant project opportunities without disrupting the instructional approach that already works. 

The experience allows students to apply graduate business training to real organizational problems while giving partners access to thoughtful, practical recommendations from emerging business professionals.
Benefits For Industry Partners
Participating organizations gain access to graduate business student teams that can provide structured analysis and fresh perspective on real business challenges. 

Industry partners benefit through:

Strategic Business Insight
Student teams evaluate business challenges using graduate-level strategy, marketing, management, and entrepreneurship frameworks. 

Fresh Perspective
Students bring outside thinking to questions related to growth, positioning, customer engagement, operational improvement, and market opportunity. 

Practical Recommendations
Teams develop actionable recommendations that organizations can use to support planning, decision-making, or future implementation. 

Flexible Project Fit
Projects can be designed around marketing, management, entrepreneurship, operations, nonprofit strategy, or broader business challenges. 

Talent Visibility
Partners gain early access to graduate business students who may be strong candidates for future internships, consulting work, or full-time roles. 

Low-Barrier Collaboration
Organizations contribute a project, participate in key conversations, and provide feedback, while Steve manages the academic structure and student evaluation.
Project Modality Fully Remote
Industry Partner Requirements to Participate
Project Topics Customer Service & Account Management Entrepreneurship Growth Strategy Innovation Marketing Operations Organizational Culture PR & Communications Product Design & Development Research & Development Research, Analysis, Evaluation Sales & Business Development Strategic Planning Training & Development
Target Industries Aerospace & Defense Agriculture & Farming Arts & Recreation Biotech & Pharmaceuticals Computers & Hardware Construction, Repair & Maitenance Consulting & Professional Services Consumer Products & Services Education & Ed-Tech Energy & Utilities Fashion & Apparel Finance & Investment Food & Beverage Government Health Care & Life Sciences Insurance Manufacturing & Industrial Media, Publishing & Content Natural Resources Non-Profit & Social Impact Public Works Real Estate Restaurants, Hospitality & Food Service Retail & E-Commerce Semiconductor Software, AI & Data Sports & Entertainment Sustainability & Climate Telecommunications Transportation & Logistics Travel & Tourism
Skills & Expertise Brand Positioning Business Model Analysis Business Strategy Business Writing Competitive Analysis Consulting Communication Customer Discovery Customer Segmentation Entrepreneurship Executive Presentation Development Financial Analysis Go-To-Market Strategy Growth Strategy Market Research Marketing Strategy New Venture Strategy Operations Analysis Presentation Design Pricing Strategy Process Improvement Project Management Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Stakeholder Interviews Strategic Planning Survey Design Team Collaboration
Location Information & Preferences

4700 Keele St, North York, ON M3J 1P3, Canada

Located Anywhere

Greater Toronto Area organizations are especially encouraged to participate when in-person or hybrid engagement is useful, but remote projects can also be supported.
Sponsorship

No Sponsorship Required
Compensation

No Compensation Required
Other Requirements
Participating organizations should be prepared to: 

  • Provide a clearly defined business, marketing, management, operational, or growth challenge
  • Participate in an introductory project discussion with Steve and/or CapSource
  • Designate a primary point of contact for the student team
  • Provide relevant background information, context, and non-sensitive materials
  • Participate in a kickoff meeting with students
  • Be available for periodic questions or feedback during the project
  • Attend final presentations or review final deliverables when possible
  • Scope the project so it is meaningful but achievable within a summer semester consulting course 
Projects should be appropriate for graduate business students and should not require access to highly confidential data, production systems, or mission-critical internal processes.
Expected Time Commitment For Project Managers 1 Hour per week
Key Program Dates Due Date
Request for Proposal published

Collaboration request published. Industry Partners may express interest in participating.

Jul 24 2026, 03:40 PM UTC
Interview

Educators will begin interviewing interested Industry Partners to discuss project ideas.

Jul 28 2026, 03:40 PM UTC
Proposal Application Deadline

Final date for Industry Partners to express interest in participating.

Aug 24 2026, 03:40 PM UTC
Finalize Project Charter

Educators and Industry Partners finalize project charters, legal documents, and background materials.

Aug 29 2026, 03:40 PM UTC
Official Program Launch

We’ll find a time on this day for you to meet with the students to kick off your project.

Sep 07 2026
Official Program End

We’ll find a time on this day for you to meet with the students to wrap up your project.

Dec 04 2026

Program Timeline

Due Date
Activities
Deliverables
Status
Action
Mon, 09/07/26
Program Kickoff
No Deliverables
No deliverables are required for this action item.
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Projects

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Program Managers

Name Organization
Steve Pulver York University

Teams

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