Turning Ideas into IMPACT: Inside UC Davis MBA Integrated Management Projects

If you’re thinking about an MBA and want a program where you can make a difference rather than just learning about how others have done so, UC Davis is it. 

Our Integrated Management Projects (IMP) give MBA students the opportunity to work with an organization to effect significant improvements. The student teams address a real issue or opportunity. Previous MBA student IMP teams have partnered with companies large and small, nonprofits and UC Davis researchers looking to bring breakthrough technologies to market.

The projects are immersive, fast-paced and deeply rewarding.

Projects With IMPACT

When I talk with employers and GSM alumni turned executives, one theme keeps coming up: employees at all levels must be able to work through ambiguity, collaborate across disciplines and drive results that stick. 

That’s exactly what our IMPs deliver. Each 10-week project engages with a “sponsor” that expects implementable solutions. These sponsors trust UC Davis MBAs to deliver insights and findings on which future organizational decisions are based. These projects are not classroom exercises or academically focused case studies.

“This experience reminded me why I pursued my MBA: to tackle meaningful challenges, develop as a leader, and create lasting value for organizations.” 
— Nahid Taj MBA 25

Our IMPs are the cornerstone of our MBA curriculum: Integrated Management Projects and Articulation and Critical Thinking (IMPACT).

It’s all about harnessing the power of hands-on learning.

The IMP Experience

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Every quarter, teams of three to five MBA students are matched with a project sponsor that has identified the issues to be addressed. The student teams and their faculty advisor then contribute their input in shaping each project’s scope and deliverables. Often, the projects include market research and competitive and data analysis initially.  

As the project evolves, the student teams turn these initial findings into insights and options for sponsor actions. The sponsor stays engaged with the team throughout each project through a series of checkpoint meetings. 

Along the way, the students build project management and teamwork skills, stakeholder communication savvy and key insights into a specific industry or societal issue.

“It was one of the most hands-on, high-impact opportunities I’ve had during my MBA journey.”  
— Minh Nguyen MBA 25

As an example of UC Davis’ national and international recognition for societal and community impact, IMP teams have partnered with various mission-driven nonprofits. These IMPs have helped non-profit leaders and their boards prioritize their strategies and resources to create a much larger impact more effectively.  

These nonprofit leaders often express tremendous gratitude to the students, sharing that the IMP student teams have not only addressed their short-term concerns, but have placed the nonprofit on a sustained trajectory toward greater long-term success.

“UC Davis MBA students have infused our organization with a level of business savvy that we would not have been able to achieve ourselves.” 
— Lucy Morse Roberts, CEO of Hui International, a nonprofit committed to enhancing the wellbeing of women, their children and families worldwide

Innovation in Action  

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About the Integrated Management Projects (IMPs) 

• Integrated Management Projects (IMPs) are the UC Davis MBA Program’s signature experiential learning component. Over 10 weeks, teams of MBA students partner with organizations—corporations, startups, nonprofits, and UC departments or researchers—to address high-impact business issues and opportunities.
• Students tackle strategic, marketing, financial and operational topics while working directly with sponsor managers or leadership. Each project culminates in actionable outcomes conveyed through professional-level analyses and presentations.
• The result: real-world experience, professional connections and career-ready skills that set UC Davis MBAs apart.

This fall, nine IMP teams are conducting projects that stretch across industries and social impact sectors: 

• Agribusiness Innovation (4 projects): Partnering with global seed companies to assess brand perception, improve internal communications, explore how AI can transform agricultural productivity and improve service and product offerings to a key customer sub-segment.
   
• Energy and Infrastructure: Evaluating tools and software that can boost grid reliability, cut costs and accelerate sustainability in the power industry.
   
• Construction Robotics: Researching market growth opportunities for robotics technologies that are reshaping construction industry efficiency and safety.
   
• Go-to-Market Strategy: Conducting a retail market assessment for a new software product expanding from enterprise (B2B) to consumer markets.
   
• Social Impact: Helping a Colorado-based nonprofit that is focused on substance abuse prevention and recovery diversify its funding sources as federal grant priorities evolve.
   
• Global Affairs Collaboration: Working with UC Davis Global Affairs to identify new ways to scale and monetize expertise aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

These aren’t hypothetical or “make work” projects—their sponsors are counting on our students’ insights to inform real business decisions. 

Why It Matters for You

 If you’re an MBA candidate who wants to lead with purpose and confidence, the IMP experience gives you a distinct advantage.

• Career Readiness: You graduate with stories that can start with “I led a team that…” vs. “I studied a case about…”
   
• Expanded Network: You’ll connect with alumni and industry contacts who open doors and can act as potential references in the future.
   
• Proven Impact: Many sponsors adopt or build upon student recommendations, giving you tangible results to talk about in interviews. At UC Davis, IMPs are where theory meets traction—and where future leaders prove their ability to make a difference before they even graduate. 

Join Us 

If you’re ready for an MBA that challenges you to learn by doing, that turns classroom insights into implementable solutions, and that helps you grow as a leader through experiential learning—come join us at UC Davis. We’re not just preparing you to enter business. 

We’re preparing you to shape it.

Now it’s your turn.