Capstone
"The Capstone course will allow our students an opportunity for community-based learning and community engagement, while benefitting the economic and social vitality of our region." - Darrell Brown, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs
Senior Capstone: Business Strategy - The Formulation and Implementation of Business/Organization Strategies
Small and emerging businesses can find the support they need at Portland State University. The Business “Strategy” Capstone is a way for business students from different majors to combine their knowledge and work together in the field with an external partner on pressing strategic issues. Students will conduct comprehensive analysis of an organization, its industry, competitors, and general environment, to inform viable strategic alternatives. Deliverables will range from a business plan to more targeted analyses such as a feasibility study for a new product or service.
These services will be provided to community partners at no cost and will happen over a ten-week academic term. Any small business, start-up or non-profit agency interested in becoming a community partner for this program should contact Bill Jones at wmj@pdx.edu for more information
A new Capstone course will be offered starting in the Fall 2011 that will affect all undergraduate Business majors at Portland State. The course, Business Strategy: The Formulation and Implementation of Business/Organization Strategies, will be the first capstone class offered by the School of Business, and students across all business disciplines will be expected to complete the six-credit course during their senior year.
The course will be structured around interdisciplinary student teams working directly with a community partner. The community partners could be any type of organization in the Portland Metro area, from start-ups to non-profit agencies, needing thorough analysis to address important strategic issues. The student teams will work to identify their partner organization’s strengths and weaknesses while developing a comprehensive written business plan.
The final weeks of the course will feature team presentations of their business plans, with the most compelling plans being selected for presentation to the external client.
A key component of the course will be ethical and social responsibility, and specifically in the area of sustainability. Students will be exposed to some of the leading strategies in the pursuit of social and environmental missions as well as the traditional economic mission. These strategies include the entry into green energy and the pursuit of the triple bottom line by companies in different sectors. The students will be encouraged to consider these approaches in the context of their client projects.
