Experience Stern | News & Events

The NYU Stern community is powered by the challenge to not only embrace but to lead change. This guiding call to action sparks innovation across the School, and the Undergraduate College’s (UC) new capstone course for seniors is the latest case in point. 

Experiential Learning as a Capstone in Senior Year
Introduced this academic year, the NYC Consulting Capstone is in a class of its own in terms of scale and with its ambition to build skills such as judgment that can’t be automated in an era of artificial intelligence. The required, semester-long experiential learning course, which will be taken by all BS in Business seniors in either the fall or spring, is the culmination of each student’s Stern experience in this highly hands-on class.

Faculty-led student teams are paired with corporate partners across various industries to explore some of today’s most complex, pressing, relevant global business challenges – from artificial intelligence to social impact to fintech and everything in between. Students gain experience that will serve them as they prepare to transition to the world of work, including strategizing creative proposals while also managing stakeholder partnerships, navigating team dynamics, and learning how to hone and utilize their own unique strengths to optimize their contributions.

An “Only at Stern” Offering in Vision and Scale
“In offering this brand new NYC Consulting Capstone course, I cannot help thinking that there is not another school in the country that could have pulled this off,” said Undergraduate College Vice Dean Robert Whitelaw.

Undergraduate College Vice Dean Robert Whitelaw addresses students during the capstone’s fall semester final plenary

Sharpening Skills That Can’t be Automated
The course builds on Stern’s pioneering foundation in experiential learning, and throughout the semester, students worked in iterative cycles of action and reflection. 

According to Clinical Professor Matt Statler, who designed and led the course, "Students in the NYC Consulting Capstone develop their capacity to empathize with the needs of a client organization, work together in diverse teams, and become more self-aware through reflection on their experiences. In an era of increased automation, these skills will become increasingly important for all kinds of business functions, so the course allows our students to build on what they've learned throughout their time at NYU Stern and prepare themselves for long careers as leaders."

Clinical Professor Matt Statler speaks with students during the capstone’s fall semester final plenary

What the Students Say
Senior Alex Isaac (BS ’24), who is concentrating in Finance and Data Science, worked on a project as part of Vice Dean Whitelaw’s group. “What surprised me the most was the opportunity to have a real impact through our suggestions. It was encouraging and inspiring to see a company genuinely consider student-led consulting advice and show openness to implementing our strategies,” said Isaac. Looking ahead, Isaac noted, “I'm taking away a deepened appreciation for the value of thorough research, the power of teamwork, and the ability to present complex ideas succinctly, skills that will be indispensable to my future career in financial research.”

Senior Paula Sandoval Santamaria (BS ’24), who is concentrating in Finance and Computing & Data Science with a Minor in Math and Computer Science, worked on a project led by Professor Bruce Buchanan with nonprofit Welcome to Chinatown focused on empowering small businesses. “This course has been one of the most impactful classes I have taken at Stern and will be something I carry with me through my professional career. I learned a lot about tackling challenges in unique ways and embracing the unknown. While daunting at first, the structure of the class encourages us to carve our own path and look at unconventional approaches to everyday problems,” explained Santamaria. 

Senior Paula Sandoval Santamaria engaging in her group presentation to Welcome to Chinatown client leads 

Paula continued, “Working with a non-profit like Welcome to Chinatown, which does such incredible work for underserved communities, emphasized and showed me the importance of integrity and placing people before profit.” 

What the Companies Say
A graduate of Stern's Executive MBA Program, Julie Dwyer (MBA ’20), chief operating officer, Space, which offers on-demand, by-the-box storage, noted the benefits of engaging with Stern UC students as the client lead on her project.

“When you work tirelessly on something every day, you can easily get stuck in your own ways of thinking,” Dwyer said. “I allowed myself to be open-minded — after all, Space is solving a big pain point for many people, including students. My team and I were surprised by some of the simple but potentially impactful ideas presented to us. Being in the classroom has been so valuable that we're doing it again next semester!”