Students in Butler University’s MBA program said they wanted to learn more about the economy of Indianapolis, and the College of Business listened: It created Business Practicum (MBA522), an experiential 2½-day, two-credit course designed to explore a specific local economic cluster.

This spring, the course will focus on the business of sport, including an in-depth look at the finance, marketing, entrepreneurial, and overall impact of sports in Central Indiana.

During the class, which will meet March 4­–6, students will visit multiple teams, venues, and related businesses around Indianapolis.

“In the Butler MBA program, ‘real life, real business’ is not just an advertising tag,” said Tim Bennett, the College of Business’ Director of Graduate Programs. “It’s a guiding force for how we deliver our curriculum. We’re telling the Central Indiana community that if you engage in this graduate education, it’ll be about real life, real business. Every opportunity we can take, we will expose you to that real life, real business.”

Bennett said that after students visit with people involved in the world of sports in Indianapolis, they will be split into groups and assigned to work on a research question. They’ll present their findings to a panel of judges that includes industry leaders in the sports field.

“This course was designed based on student feedback and a desire to look at an entire economic cluster, not just one organization, and to be exposed to a 360 view,” Bennett said.

In future sessions of Business Practicum, students might examine segments of the economy that include life sciences, heavy manufacturing, and energy.

“There are lots of ways we could go,” he said. “For this class, sports just bubbled to the top.”

 

Media contact:
Marc Allan
mallan@butler.edu
317-940-9822