Capstone Project

The capstone project is your opportunity to apply the tools from the first two years of the program to a real-world business challenge in real time. Whether you’re part of a consulting team working for an international tech company or creating your own business from the ground up, UCLA Anderson offers proven and exciting options to satisfy this requirement.

Global Access Program

 
A real-world, international consulting project that takes you beyond the classroom and into a multinational company — transforming you into a global leader.

Real World Challenges

 
UCLA Anderson’s Global Access Program (GAP) partners students in their final year of FEMBA with high-growth global companies in a cross-cultural, market-entry consulting project.
The Assignment: Results-driven, real-world benefits
  • Form five-person team made of students from diverse professional backgrounds
  • Bid on unique opportunities to partner with a select international company
  • Spend six months gaining consulting experience conducting in-depth primary and secondary research, including market assessment, competitive analysis and other critical functions
  • Travel internationally to consult with top company executives and attend industry conferences domestically conducting interviews
Master the cultural and structural challenges of growing an international business
Gain insights from an experienced faculty advisor, many of whom have directly managed and provided consulting services to leading companies worldwide
Develop an effective strategic and investment quality business plan focusing on various facets to help advance the company's growth
Present the finished business plan to company executives, three industry professionals and potential investors

By The Numbers

 

$ 940,000,000

In value added through capital-raising and mergers & acquisition activity

 

17:1

Return On Investment for Finnish Companies

GAP companies are selected based on their track record, their potential for growth and must meet specific corporate and investment requirements.

If you are an organization interested in participating in the Global Access Program

Hear the Student Experiences

 

"The team identified a cultural divide with the organization. We immediately implemented the recommendation and saw a cultural shift, which boosted morale. It was as though we had a different company."

SIMON OXENHAM
Managing Director of Convic (Australia)

Access a world of information

 
During the six-months project students are counseled by faculty advisors who in addition to their academic accomplishments have also directed, invested in and provided consulting services to leading companies worldwide.
Janis Forman

19 years advising GAP

Eric Sussman

14 years advising GAP

Jonathan Lasch

11 years advising GAP

Peter Cowen

9 years advising GAP

Daniel Nathanson

6 years advising GAP

Terry Kramer

5 years advising GAP

Jeffrey Lapin

3 years advising GAP

Todd Senturia

3 years advising GAP

Gary Hutchinson

3 years advising GAP

Molly Schmid

2 years advising GAP

Business Creation Project

 
With BCP, entrepreneurs will launch their companies while still in school and working full time. You’ll take two prerequisite courses to prepare your business plans, work with teams made up of fellow students and apply to BCP during your second year. Selected projects will span two academic quarters during the summer and fall quarter . You’ll have the opportunity to formulate strategies for the sales, marketing, operations, finance, accounting and management departments, develop and test hypotheses, and conduct effective research that leads to a strategic business or implementation plan for your startup.

BCP Success Story: Bellanove (Class of 2017)

BellaNove offers a monthly rental service for modern, sophisticated, professional maternity clothing items, aiming to help all women stay sharp and stylish from boardrooms to doctor check-ups with less hassle and fuss.


BellaNove Founder and Wolfen Fellow, Jenny Leung (’17) launched the company October 2017.

BCP Stats

 

AMR

BCP Mentors

 
Jeffrey Cohen
“I truly believe that the Anderson BCO program is a fantastic educational tool that gives students a level of real-world experience typically gained only after years of trial and error. It also serves as an opportunity to obtain a realistic head start on a viable business opportunity with the benefit of unparalleled resources.”

Internet, Business and Intellectual Property Attorney
Cohen Business Law Group

Chang Xu
“We are great supporters of the early-stage tech ecosystem in greater L.A. and I’m always excited to see student startups at UCLA. Our motto: #LongLA.”

Investor
Upfront Ventures

Sarah Ferguson Chambless
"Mentoring BCO teams provides me with an opportunity to pay it forward by helping start-ups proactively address potential legal issues. This is highly rewarding!"

Hear the Student Experiences

 

Anderson Student Asset Management

 
Student portfolio managers work as a team to strive for superior long-term performance. With guidance from an advisor and oversight committee, students determine an optimal mix of equity, fixed income and cash investments.

Subject to minimum liquidity requirements, the Fund may hold the stock of any publicly traded U.S. firm on an approved list of stocks. A portion of the long-term profits of the fund will be donated to the UCLA Anderson School of Management for support in student scholarships and for support of research in finance.

Class meets every Monday evening on campus at 6:30 PM
Each team manages roughly $200k
Background or work experience in finance is not a requirement, but please bring a strong interest in investment strategy, particularly the quantitative approach
Workload fluctuates throughout the course, and each member of each 4-person team will participate in the following roles: Executive Board Member, Strategy Lead, Risk Manager, Programmer