Student Reactions to the Field Consulting Capstone Course in Operations Management at the University of Dayton

Abstract

The University of Dayton's operations management major offers a unique capstone opportunity for students to apply theory in a live consulting project that addresses real problems of live clients. Projects require students to apply a broad spectrum of skills learned in the major, including, but not limited to, optimization, simulation, and statistical analysis, and apply techniques from business improvement programs such as lean, Six Sigma, and reengineering. As a result, students gain valuable experience applying technical skills in a live environment. This paper, a companion to The University of Dayton Operations Management Capstone Course: Undergraduate Student Field Consulting Applies Theory to Practice, which explores client reactions, presents the student perspectives on the risks and benefits of a course based on field consulting projects. Quantitative and qualitative student reaction to the course are reported from three sources: course evaluations at the time it was taken, a retrospective of the four-year experience upon graduation, and a survey that captures graduate reflections on the course up to seven years after completion of the course. Despite the inherent risks of offering a capstone based on field work, students find the experience both of tremendous practical value and of high academic rigor.