Independent Projects

Independent Projects in social enterprise complement the classroom-based courses by providing second-year MBA students the opportunity to apply their skills to the real-world challenges facing social enterprises. Under faculty supervision, individuals or teams of students work on a project of strategic importance to the organization and report their recommendations at the end of the term.

Students undertaking a Social Enterprise Independent Project may be eligible for the Social Enterprise Independent Project Grant Reimbursement Program to support their project expenses. Grants are awarded to support these academic projects by providing funding for expenses directly related to research and analysis. The grant does not support expenses related to start–up business expenses. Learn more about how to apply.

Reimbursement grants are awarded on a case-by-case, funds-available basis. In the past the typical amount granted has been:

• up to $1,000 for a team with one HBS student
• up to $2,000 for a team with more than one HBS student

Organizations can find more information about posting a field study on the MBA Recruiting site.

Resources for students

• Overview and Comparison of Field-Based Learning Options
• Independent Projects Opportunity Postings

And, for additional social enterprise-specific information, students can:

• Find team members: join interest groups in the Social Enterprise Club; search class-cards; connect with fellow classmates in SE course
• Find a faculty member: Faculty members for Social Enterprise Independent Projects can be from any area of the school. Students may find faculty members by area of interest through the HBS Faculty & Research site, and in the Faculty & Research section of this site.

Program Contact Information

HBS Social Enterprise Initiative
Telephone: 617.495.6421
Email: se@hbs.edu