Business Student Partnership Program
Project Examples and Structure
Past Projects Examples
- Business Plans for small businesses completed.
- Management information systems for a small organization designed.
- Costs and benefits derived from changing the fee structure at a training service company determined.
- Demand for a potential competitor to the traditional Multiple Listing System evaluated.
- Accounting system within a firm designed and implemented.
- Non-profit dance company fending off a new competitor, while maintaining its historic traditions, assisted.
Project Structure
Student projects follow a variety of formats, ranging from individual internships to group projects. Typically, group projects are done over the period of one semester (16 weeks). At the end of the semester, the students turn in written project reports to the professor, the firm and the WSU Vancouver Business Student Partnership Program. The project report includes conclusions and recommendations to the firm about the problem or opportunity being evaluated. The WSU Vancouver Business Student Partnership Program will be available to review the report and counsel the firm on maximizing its value, if desired.
Internships, Courses and Projects
WSU Vancouver offers project and internship oppportunities for businesses and students. Click on WSUV Business Programs Internship Program for further information regarding internships.
Click on the following course descriptions listed below for more information about course oriented projects:
Accounting Systems (Acctg 433) - Fall Semester
Marketing Management (Mktg 495) - Fall & Spring Semesters
Small Business Policy (MgtOp 492) - Fall & Spring Semesters
Typical Project Timeline for a Local Firm
- Firm contacts the WSU Vancouver Business Programs and describes the potential project or problem faced by the company prior to the start of the semester.
- Project is matched with a specific class and structured to follow a series of steps throughout the semester.
- Objectives of the project are finalized in consultation with the firm.
- Individual projects are matched with groups of 2-4 students in the class based on both skills and interest.
- Scope of Work will be developed by the students with the firm.
- Firm and students agree on their roles and establish timeline.
- Meetings will be held regularly over the course of the semester (e.g., once every two weeks) with the assigned group of students and the firm.
- Students will sign confidentiality agreements.
- Activity reports are turned in to class according to their timelines.
- Regular contact to discuss changes in plans, progress of the project and provide any new information is maintained with the firm and the student group.
- Student group progress is evaluated on a monthly basis with the firm and the professor.
- Students may undertake primary research, examine secondary sources of data and evaluate the firm's accounting and marketing records in the course of completing the project.
- Report is written on work completed during the semester by students.
Specific recommendations are provided. - Time log and copy of the report are provided to the WSU Vancouver Business Student Partnership Program.
- Report is evaluated by the firm.
- Evaluation form is completed by the firm and forwarded to the professor.
Not All Projects Follow the Same Timeline.
- Completed in shorter durations (e.g., eight weeks).
- Evaluate one aspect of a firm's activities (e.g., accounting).
- Focus on implementing a specific solution (e.g., cut operations costs).
Firm-based projects in the areas of accounting, management and marketing are conducted by the business classes at WSU Vancouver.