Solving Real-World Problems

Katz Graduate School of Business faculty have offered the Consulting Field Project course for more than two decades. This course teaches management consulting as a problem-solving framework, allowing you to apply the analytical tools and concepts you’ve learned at Katz to real-world problems. The final requirement of the projects is the KPMG Cup Competition. Teams present their project summary to a panel of judges who evaluate each presentation based on its rigor and content. Select projects qualify as Global Consulting Projects and involve complex business or organizational problems relative to a global or off-shore issue, challenge, or problem.

If your organization is interested in sponsoring a Consulting Field Project course, contact Bud Smith at 412-648-1547 or budsmith@katz.pitt.edu.

Course Structure

The project includes up to five students assembled as a team, with one student designated by the team as the team lead. The project involves a single “client” organization. The client will provide the team with a project of immediacy, as well as an executive dedicated to assist the team. The team also has an assigned faculty coach to ensure students are procuring the appropriate data and communicating effectively with the client.

Responsibilities of Sponsoring Organizations

• Define the scope of the project, in discussion with the faculty member
• Appoint a coordinator who will meet regularly with students
• Share relevant data and contextual information in a timely fashion with the students
• Identifying executives who participate in the project presentations to make sure project is on track
• Provide feedback on the course

Cup Competition

The final requirement of Consulting Field Project course is for each team to participate in the Cup Competition. Teams present their project summary as well as their findings and recommendations to a panel of judges who evaluate each presentation based on its analytical rigor and content. The judges narrow the field of competitors to three teams that advance to a final round of competition. Finalist teams present their project summaries, findings, and recommendations to another panel of judges who provide feedback before the winner is decided by faculty, administrators, staff, and fellow students in attendance.

2022 KPMG Cup
The winning team of the inaugural KPMG Cup competition is Team FedEx. Students include Ryan Bullett, Chia-Yi Liu, Rachel Sheridan and Yuanzhe Ye, and supported by  Charles Kannair ( executive coach) and Blair Pomeroy (faculty advisor).

2018 McKinsey Cup   The spring 2018 winning team is Team Toshiba. Students include Sumit Singh, Hayley Gardner, Ron Herring (coach), Fumiyuki Okunishi (MBA), Ananya Gupta (MBA), faculty advisor Andrew Bunger (ENG), and Hiroaki Ishii (MBA)

Recent Sponsoring Organizations