Like many students in accelerated M.B.A. programs, Katy Moyer JGSM and Dr. Patrick Collopy JGSM are extensively studying the fundamentals of business administration while worrying about finding jobs in the troubled economy. However, thanks to the Johnson School’s Management Practicum course, they will be able to add something unique to their resumes: real work experience.

Associate Dean for Corporate Relations Randy Allen developed the Management Practicum with students in order to fill a void in the accelerated M.B.A. program. Because of its intensive academic nature, students in the program are not able to complete an internship during the summer as traditional M.B.A. students do.

“The Practicum allows students to broaden their experiences,” Allen said. “Students are placed in actual business situations, providing a unique and integral opportunity.”

The Management Practicum, first offered with the Class of 2006, is a course that allows students to work on real business projects. At the start of the semester, faculty members and participating companies put together teams that are each assigned a project related to their field of interest. The teams work on these projects throughout the semester. The Practicum cumulates in the final two weeks of winter break, when the teams work on-site at the company that sponsored their particular project.

“Having some sort of relationship with a company is pivotal experience,” Moyer said. “The Practicum is the extra piece of the puzzle that allows everything to fall into place.”

According to Allen, the companies that participate are generally part of the Fortune 500 and have included Microsoft, Northrop Grumman, Fidelity, Intel, Wyeth and Citigroup.

The value of the Management Practicum has been accentuated by the worsening economic crisis. As companies have been downsizing, there have been fewer job opportunities for M.B.A. graduates. Thus, having work experience and a unique resume is critical.

“The Practicum has provided me with bullets on my resume and given me essential talking points,” Collopy said. “While most students can only discuss what they have studied in interviews, we can talk about our actual experience.”

In fact, Management Practicum students resumes list the project as work experience, thus equating it to an internship in the eyes of employers and bolstering the confidence of students as they begin to interview for jobs.

“Having the work experience carries an air of credibility,” Moyer said. “It is more tangible and credible then reviewing a case study or reading about theory.”

The Management Practicum fits in well with the Johnson School’s focus on performance learning, according to Associate Dean of M.B.A. Programs Douglas Stayman.

“The Practicum allows students to put theory into practice,” he said. “Students can both apply topics they have been studying and gain valuable experience in their field of interest.”

Stayman also noted that the Practicum complements the focus of the accelerated M.B.A. program, which is to provide students with advanced technical degrees the opportunity to gain a degree in business administration. This stands in contrast to other programs that are designed for those with only undergraduate degrees.

“Our students already have direct experience in particular industries, and the Practicum provides them with a different experience on the business side,” he said.

For example, Moyer has experience as a mechanical engineer and is working on a project for Northrop Grumman, while Collopy has experience in biotechnology and is working for Boston Scientific.

Dean Allen has continued to modify the Practicum in order to make it as effective as possible. For example, this year it was opened to traditional, two-year M.B.A. students.

“The addition of traditional M.B.A. students to the Practicum has increased the diversity of thought and strengthened the teams,” she said.

These changes have resonated with the student body, as 25 percent of those enrolled in the Management Practicum this year are in the traditional M.B.A. program. While these students have the ability to find internships during the summer and gain work experience, they also benefit from the Practicum’s focus on leadership and teamwork.

The popularity of the Management Practicum is evident as 75 percent of accelerated M.B.A. students chose to enroll in the course this year. Many of the companies that participate make job offers, and even those that do not give students valuable, practical experience.

“For our students, it’s the difference-maker,” Allen said.