The Edwards School of Business currently offers student consulting from within some of its courses.  These courses are listed below according to department.

Undergraduate Programs

COMM 300 : Strategic Communications Plan

The Strategic Communications Plan (SCP) is a project for third-year students enrolled in COMM 300 in the University of Saskatchewan's Edwards School of Business.  Based on industry and stakeholder research and business knowledge shared by the client, student groups create an SCP for the client that includes a situation analysis, objectives , targeted audiences, key messages, strategy (including tactics, responsibilities, timelines, and costs), and measures of success.  The SCP focuses on external communications in the Saskatoon market and may be comprehensive in scope (day-to-day actions and relationships, including public relations) or focused (corporate social responsibility, crisis communications, environmental policies, diversity awareness).  Each student group presents its recommendations in a formal report; clients are free to use any or all of the SCP recommendations.

If you are interested in having students conduct this research for your business, please contact: 

Isobel M. Findlay, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Management & Marketing
Email: findlay@edwards.usask.ca

COMM 340 : International Business Team Project

This proposed research project intends to encourage the students to apply the knowledge they have learned in classrooms to a real life setting by working with real companies in identifying international business opportunities. The students shall form teams of 4-5 people. Each team would contact a company in Saskatchewan that they like to work with and develop an international business expansion feasibility analysis. The student team will first conduct secondary data collection of information on their chosen company from sources in the public domain. The student team will also compare the attractiveness of several countries based on public information. The second part of the study is to identify the opportunity that is appropriate for the client company. This will be based on the analysis of fit between the external environment and the internal factors, such as core competencies and resource endowments.

If you are interested in having students conduct this research for your business, please contact: 

David Di Zhang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Management & Marketing
Telephone:(306) 966 5920, Fax: (306) 966 2516, email: zhang@edwards.usask.ca

COMM 352: Strategic Marketing Plan

The Strategic Marketing Plan is a project for third-year Marketing students enrolled in COMM 352: Marketing Strategy. Based on knowledge provided by the client and extensive industry research, student groups create a full marketing plan for an organization that includes an executive summary; situation analysis; marketing objectives; segmentation, targeting, and positioning strategy; marketing mix strategy (product/branding, pricing, channel/logistics, communications); financials and forecasts; and metrics, implementation, and controls. Each student group presents its marketing plan to the client at the end of the term. There is no charge for these projects; clients are required to have a marketing budget.  Clients may be from across Saskatchewan.  

If you are interested in having students conduct this research for your business, please contact: 

Maureen Bourassa, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Management & Marketing
Email: bourassa@edwards.usask.ca

Marjorie Delbaere, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Management & Marketing
Email: delbaere@edwards.usask.ca

COMM 357: Marketing Research

The aim of this course is to familiarize students with the principles and practices of marketing research methods.  Further to this goal, students are required to work with a real-life client to conduct a small scale, quantitative marketing research project.  This project involves survey research using a formal questionnaire, and can address any area of marketing provided it meets the ethical standards specified by the University of Saskatchewan.  Examples of past projects include concept tests, customer satisfaction and service quality studies, marketing mix assessments, and image measurement.

As the primary purpose of marketing research is to help managers make better decisions, students will work with the client to understand the decision-making environment and the client's information needs. Following this, students will develop the marketing research objectives, design a questionnaire, choose the data collection mode, select the sampling procedure, collect and analyze data, and prepare a written research report.  Client commitments include upfront meetings with the students, phone calls or visits to report progress or clear up issues, review of deliverables, and providing background data.  Since this is a learning activity for students, clients are advised that projects may deviate from what might be provided by a professional marketing research organization. 

For further information, please contact:

Dawn Dobni, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Management and Marketing
Telephone: (306)966-4794
e-mail: ddobni@edwards.usask.ca

COMM 451 (Full Client Specifications)

The Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Campaign is a project for fourth-year Marketing students enrolled in COMM 451.  Based on knowledge provided by the client, student groups create an IMC strategy for an organization that includes a situation analysis, target market selection, communication objectives, creative strategy, and media strategy.  The strategy focuses on advertising in the local Saskatoon market, but clients can request promotions and public relations help as well.  Each student group acts as a competitive agency and presents its ideas to the client; the client chooses the best strategy.  There is no charge for these projects; clients are required to have a local media budget to spend on advertising and promotions. 

For more information, click here.  Contact: bphillips@edwards.usask.ca. 

COMM 456 : International Marketing Team Project

This proposed research project intends to encourage the students to apply the knowledge they have learned in classrooms to a real life setting by working with real companies in identifying international business opportunities and developing a comprehensive international marketing plan. The students shall form teams of 4-5 people. Each team will identify a company in Saskatchewan that they like to work with. The student team will analyze the characteristics of the target country where the company wishes to expand into based on public information. The second part of the study is to develop the marketing plan that is appropriate for the client company. This will be based on the analysis of external environment and internal factors, such as core competencies and resource endowments. Based on the above understanding, students will make recommendations on key business decisions and marketing activities, i.e., the 4 P's. Students will place emphasis on advertising (promotion). The project report will include: A promotion concept, a bill-board ad, and a 30-second television commercial. Additional marketing elements are strongly encouraged.

If you are interested in having students conduct this research for your business, please contact:

David Di Zhang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Management & Marketing
Telephone:(306) 966 5920, Fax: (306) 966 2516, email: zhang@edwards.usask.ca

COMM 498: Management Consulting Project (Full Client Specification)

This fourth year business course is designed to lead students through the management consulting process, including developing and presenting a consulting proposal and completing a consulting project. Students will learn how to specify business research questions, propose appropriate methods of researching the questions, analyze the results of the research, and present conclusions and recommendations. Real business clients are expected for each consulting group (may be two or more students in a group, depending on the size of the consulting project). The most common types of business research requested by clients have been marketing research studies, business plans, feasibility studies, and industry opportunity assessments.

If you are interested in having students conduct this research for your business, please contact:

"Call for Projects"
Edwards School of Business, 25 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A7
Telephone:(306) 966 4785, Fax: (306) 966 2516, email: luczka@edwards.usask.ca

Masters of Business Administration Department (MBA)

MBA 992: Management Consulting Project (Full Client Specification)

This course is designed to lead students through the management consulting process, including developing and presenting a consulting proposal and then completing the consulting project. Students will learn how to specify business research questions, propose appropriate methods of researching the questions, analyze the results of the research, and present conclusions and recommendations. Real external business clients are expected for each consulting group (may be one or more students in a group, depending on the size of the consulting project), including students' employers. The most common types of business research requested by clients have been marketing research studies, business plans, feasibility studies, and industry opportunity surveys.

If you are interested in having MBA students complete a management consulting project for your organization, please contact:

"Call for Projects"
Edwards MBA Program
KW Nasser Centre
256-3^rd Avenue South
Saskatoon, Sk.
S7K 1L9
Fax: 306.966.8812
Tel: 306.966.8678
Email: mba@edwards.usask.ca