20 Jul 2009

Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP) Introduces Students to Management Education

Select group of rising college seniors spend an intensive week at HBS
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BOSTON — What's it like to go to Harvard Business School (HBS)? More than 60 students from a wide variety of colleges-all of them about to enter their senior year - recently found out by participating in the HBS Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP).

Founded more than 20 years ago, SVMP is a one-week management training program for "rising" college seniors designed to increase diversity and opportunity in business education and leadership.

Participants live on the School's campus in Boston, study HBS cases that present them with real management situations and decisions, work together in interactive study groups, and attend discussion-based classes taught by HBS faculty members. A number of activities take place outside the classroom as well, including social events and panel discussions with current HBS students and SVMP alumni.

2009 Summer Venture in Management
Program students
Photo Credit: Evgenia Eliseeva

"SVMP provides students with a unique opportunity to learn about the many options offered by earning an MBA degree -- from entrepreneurial ventures to executive positions in all kinds of organizations in this country and around the globe," said Professor Benjamin Esty, faculty chair of the program. "Effective management is a powerful force for creating value in society and effecting change in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Participants in this program get a good sense of that during their week here."



Admission to SVMP is competitive and based on academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, and personal characteristics. Academic studies in the field of business are not necessary for selection to this program.

In keeping with SVMP's mission of promoting diversity in business leadership, the admissions committee will consider, among other factors, whether the applicant is:

  • The first family member to attend college,
  • A member of a group that is currently underrepresented in business schools and corporate America (e.g., African American; Latino; Native American; Lesbian, Gay, or Transgender), and/or
  • From a family with little business education or experience,
  • From a school whose graduates are sometimes underrepresented (e.g., a community college or a predominantly minority college).

In addition, SVMP participants must be employed in a summer internship and be nominated by and have sponsorship from their company or organization to attend. Sponsoring organizations can include public or private companies, government agencies or entities, and nonprofit organizations. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents.

Harvard Business School pays for tuition, meals, and housing, while sponsoring organizations cover salaries and transportation to and from the HBS campus.

About Harvard Business School

Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. Its faculty of more than 250 offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and PhD degrees, as well as more than 175 Executive Education programs, and Harvard Business School Online, the School’s digital learning platform. For more than a century, faculty have drawn on their research, their experience in working with organizations worldwide, and their passion for teaching, to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. The School and its curriculum attract the boldest thinkers and the most collaborative learners who will go on to shape the practice of business and entrepreneurship around the globe.