Kogod School of Business

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Our Approach to Learning

Undergraduate Programs

MBA

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Online Degrees

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Non-Degree

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.

Kogod's Experiential Learning

At both the undergraduate and graduate level, we offer hands-on learning opportunities that match our students’ interests with the skills and experience employers want. These opportunities include:

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.

Our Team

Christina Smith
Associate Director of Graduate Studies
Graduate Advising, Online Programs
(202) 885-6375
Email Christina Smith
Emma Hershfield
Assistant Director of Graduate Programs
Graduate Advising, Online Programs
202-885-7150
Email Emma Hershfield
Modern kitchen
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

Internships

Internships are one of the best ways for business school students to practice skills they’ve learned in class, get real-world work experience, and make connections to boost career prospects. 

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. 

Learn More

Trinity Shepard
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

Carmisha Louis
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

International Learning Programs

Adapting to new situations and communicating with people from other cultures is incredibly appealing to a prospective employer. Graduate and undergraduate programs abroad offer students an opportunity to obtain credit towards their degree while expanding their cultural horizons and practicing their skills in challenging environments.

 

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.  

Students in Dubai
Get a Preview

Check out just a few of the highlights from our students' trips to India, Denmark, Kenya, and more!

Take a Look

Entrepreneurship Incubator

While many of your classmates dream of working for start-ups, perhaps you’ve got an idea to start your own. In the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship's Entrepreneurship Incubator, you can launch your venture with support from experienced entrepreneurs. Over 120 student ventures have been launched since the center's inception.

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.
Korey Salter
Building Sustainable Solutions

The Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship has been an information pipeline for online MBA student Korey Salter, co-founder of the start-up Hydronomy, which aims to address the global water crisis.

Read Korey's Story

Pitch and 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. Competitions include the Meaningful Change Pitch Challenge, Kogod Case Competition, Venture Capital Investment Competition, and Hack-for-a-Change.

Abolaji Omitogun
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

Don Myers Technology and Innovation Building
Student Ventures Stand Out with Veloric Center Summer Program

Budding entrepreneurs learned how to launch their ventures during the three-week program that culminated with a video pitch competition.

Read the Story

We Practice What We Teach

November 20, 2024
Kogod Professor Tim Timura’s Impact Honored in Nulsen Endowed Professor of Practice Ceremony

The ceremony highlighted Timura’s commitment to applied learning, his innovation, and his ability...

October 23, 2024
From Classroom to Concert: Kogod School of Business Students Take Center Stage

Flo Milli's performance at AU marks the culmination of months of work for Kogod Business and...

August 14, 2024
Entrepreneurship Takes Center Stage with Annual Mid-Summer Festival

Kogod School of Business and Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship host the Fifth Annual Startup and...

August 8, 2024
Banking on Transferrable Skills

Kogod School of Business MBA student Kael Lopes combines his previous experience with his open mind...

July 23, 2024
SXSW Is a Networking Mecca for Business and Entertainment Students

Kogod School of Business professor Linda Bloss-Baum attended the SXSW music festival with Business...

July 11, 2024
Advancing Business Transformation at Marriott with AI

During his summer internship with Marriott International, a Kogod School of Business MBA student...

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