Our Approach to Learning

Experiential learning—learning by doing—is at the center of our business education philosophy.

Here you’ll have experiences that fall under this umbrella both inside and out of the classroom. You might help a local business solve a real problem and see the solution you’ve created yield tangible results. You can take your own brilliant idea for a product or service and launch a start-up. Maybe you’ll take a class that culminates in a venture capital competition, leading to internship opportunities as an analyst with VC firms or angel investor groups.

Co-Op Program

The Kogod School of Business is first at AU and the first among its business school competitors to enter the market with a co-op program in the DC metro region. Our co-op program is a long-term internship designed to turn into a full-time job after graduation.

Pro Bono Consulting Projects

On our pro bono consulting projects, teams of undergraduate and graduate students work together to solve real business problems for their clients, who are small and growing businesses in the DC area and beyond.

Internships

Internships are one of the most traditional ways for business school students—undergraduate and graduate alike—to get real-world experience and make connections to boost career prospects.

International Learning Opportunities

Through Kogod and AU Abroad, there are over 100 study and intern abroad programs to choose from, including more than 30 accredited and approved business programs in over 20 countries.

Entrepreneurship Incubator

In the Veloric Center for Entrepreurship's Entrepreneurship Incubator, you can launch your venture with support from experienced entrepreneurs.

Pitch & Investment Competitions

Business competitions—through American University and at other schools—allow you to practice presenting your ideas, with opportunities to win investment money you can use to grow your business.

A First in the DC Area

The Kogod Co-Op is the first co-op program at AU and the first among its business school competitors in the DC area. Participants complete a six-to-twelve-month intensive paid internship intended to turn into full-time employment after graduation. Students gain résumé-worthy professional experience while also earning credit toward their degree.

If you apply and are accepted into a co-op, you'll be working for university-approved employers who have made years-long commitments to build their talent pipelines with Kogod students. As we build the program, our list of partners will continue to grow.

Learn More

Current Co-Op Employers Include:

2U, an online educational services platform.
Aptive Resources, a modern consulting firm focused on human experience, data science, digital services, technology integration, and design.
Assured Consulting Solutions, a firm that partners with federal agencies to solve complex technology, information, security, and data challenges.
Take2 Consulting, creators of Everything as a Service (XaaS), a platform in which expertise is housed in a cloud and delivered to customers, on demand.
Defense Intelligence Agency, a federal intelligence agency under the Department of Defense specializing in defense and military intelligence.

Our Approach

We assemble the teams based on student background and interest, as well as client business needs. You’ll work alongside students whose experience complements your own and learn from one another. A Kogod engagement manager supports your team and the client on a regular basis throughout the project. Plus, you'll have faculty mentors, AU resources, and training and orientation from the AU Consulting Club.

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Past Projects

In past projects, students have developed marketing strategy, set up an operations infrastructure, done financial modeling, and recommended the creation of new roles, among many other deliverables. Clients have included:

Great Dwellings, a multinational hospitality and property management company.
Studio Aorta, a minority-owned creative studio.
Life by Dallas/TruePop Popcorn, a non-GMO, healthier popcorn.
Meaningful Gigs, a company connecting clients to Africa's best digital designers.

Practice Makes Perfect

Kogod students team up to earn résumé-worthy experience as consultants for DC-area clients. “The team far exceeded our expectations. They have given us insights and perspectives that we certainly would not have had on our own,” says Karl Scarlett, founder of Great Dwellings.

Read the Story

How We Help

At Kogod, we encourage our undergraduate and graduate students to pursue internships. You might use an internship to break into your dream industry or to explore a career path you’re considering but not completely sure about.

We’ve identified eight market-focused career paths we help students find internships—and eventually, full-time jobs—in:

Accounting & Taxation
Analytics & Technology
Consulting
Entertainment
Finance & Real Estate
Marketing
Management & Innovation
Sustainability

Unrivaled Location

Because of our location in Washington, DC, we also find many of our students are interested in the intersection of the public and private sectors and choose to pursue government or nonprofit internships.

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From AU to Microsoft

Learn how Kogod MBA student Trinity Sheppard not only landed an interview with Microsoft but got the internship AND a full-time job post-grad. Use her tips to secure your dream job or internship!

Read Trinity's Story

Ocean Spray to MBA

As part of a student "diary" series from our Kogod Graduate Student Ambassadors, Carmisha Louis recounts her experience interning with Ocean Spray Cranberries as a brand marketing manager.

Read Carmisha's Story

Truck at Beacon Building Products location

Kogod Partners with Fortune 500 Company for Summer Internship Program

For the third summer, Beacon Building Products will be welcoming Kogod students as paid interns.

Read the Story

Undergraduate Programs Abroad

Living abroad is an unforgettable experience that changes the way you view the world, the art of business, and yourself.

Through Kogod and AU Abroad, there are over 100 study and intern abroad programs to choose from, including more than 30 accredited and approved business programs in over 20 countries.

Summer Internships Abroad

Through AU Abroad, Kogod students have access to summer international internship programs at the AU Premier centers in Spain, Kenya, and Belgium.

Short Study Tours to Emerging Economies

Kogod's International Management Practices course combines on-campus sessions with travel to dynamic locations across the globe during winter, spring, or summer break.

Through on-site visits to multinational and domestic firms, students with an interest in the global economy learn how the political, economic, and cultural environments of the region/country influence business strategy and management practices.

Graduate Study Abroad Programs

Graduate students have many opportunities to attend short study tours that combine on-campus, in-depth analysis of a specific economy with short-term travel to that region during spring or summer break. While abroad, you'll meet with senior executives of domestic and multinational firms and gain a unique perspective on the real-world issues global managers face and how they are addressed.

Summer Management Programs in Europe

These short-term summer management programs provide great flexibility for graduate students who are able to spend part of their summer abroad before or in conjunction with an internship. The programs are alternatives to a full semester abroad and offer an intense, in-depth analysis of international business topics.

Full Semester Abroad Programs

For dual degree students seeking a longer-term experience abroad, we offer full semester exchange programs with two leading business schools in Europe.

While graduate students must take their core coursework on campus at Kogod, these programs enable students to experience living and studying abroad while deepening their specialization through elective courses.

A Place to Work, Network, and Access Financial Grants

The incubator provides workspace, mentorship, networking opportunities, financial grants, and more. You'll learn how to define and validate customer problems, create viable business solutions, and practice selling your idea, from the 30-second elevator pitch to formal investor presentations. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in our showcases and secure funding from outside investors.

Successful ventures launched from the incubator include:

Casting Depot, a professional network for media and entertainment which allows individual talent to match with opportunities for on-camera gigs.
Digital FastForward, a digital innovation accelerator that delivers innovation consulting by applying design thinking to disruptive technologies.
El Camino Travel, a responsible travel company facilitating authentic experiences led by natives of a destination.
MEANS Database, a last-mile food matching platform for donors with food pantries.
Ruvna, an emergency communications platform for schools.
upace, a leading platform that provides a reservation and member engagement system for community recreation centers across the US.

Helping Start-Ups Start Out

Kogod MBA student Abolaji Omitogun, a winner in the American University round of the 2020 Venture Capitalism Investment Competition, is investing in his own business savvy so he can invest in entrepreneurs back home.

Read Abolaji's Story