• The Strategy Field Study is the capstone course of the Schulich MBA program. It is an intensive, 8 month project where groups of 7 to 8 second year students undertake a comprehensive strategic analysis of an organization ("client site") and its environment.
  
  
• The group is comprised of students with a strong grounding in all aspects of management and varied backgrounds and experiences.
  
  
• The group finds a company or organization that is willing to take part in the study (85 organizations participate in the Strategy Field Study every year) and then spends eight months studying the company and preparing the study.
  
  
• An Advisory Panel of three Schulich professors oversee the process and provide direction to the group throughout the project.
  
  
• Every report must include an evaluation of alternative strategies and their implications for the organization, supported by a detailed financial analysis and an implementation plan.
  
  
• The Strategy Field Study is broken into 5 Phases. In the final Phase of the Strategy Field Study (Phase 5), the student group presents its final report to the client site's senior management. The client is left with a report and presentation that:
  • Exhibits a thorough understanding and analysis of the client site and its internal and external environment
  • Provides a detailed financial analysis of the organization
  • Identifies the key strategic issues that it is facing
  • Identifies and evaluates the strategic alternatives open to the organization
  • Provides recommendations to most effectively address the key issues facing the organization
  • Provides a detailed implementation plan to execute the recommended courses of action.

Strategy Field Study: Phases & Deliverables