Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business will introduce its redesigned MBA this fall. Offered in person and online, the program was developed in close consultation with corporate partners to ensure graduates are equipped with the skills and experiences required for workplaces constantly transformed by advances in automation and technology.

The new MBA features a streamlined curriculum, shortened time to completion, and pervasive immersive experiences, through which students learn that addressing complex problems requires not only technical and personal acumen but also the collective intelligence of working in teams.

The culminating immersive experience in Robinson’s new MBA is a case competition embedded in the semester-long capstone course, Global Competitive Strategy. Student teams tackle a strategy problem provided by a partner company, then present their recommendations to corporate executives. To ensure proof of concept, Robinson test-drove the new version of the course last fall in partnership with Equifax.

“We piloted the concept with Equifax to see if it would work,” said Satish Nargundkar, assistant dean for MBA programs. “We were confident our students were capable of delivering excellent analyses and recommendations. The question was: Would we be able to convince a company to give them the chance to tackle real challenges?”

Making the ask of Equifax was an inspired choice. The company works with area colleges and universities through its Academic Partnerships programs, including a 2023 project with the Institute for Insight.

“Working directly with university professors and their students helps us bring a fresh perspective to business challenges,” said Gail Wetzel, Vice President of Data & Analytics at Equifax. “The teams are exposed to unique data and leading-edge technology that can provide valuable experience as they graduate and enter the workforce.”

Alex Tawse, clinical associate professor of management, teaches the capstone course and has coached winning Robinson teams in national case competitions. He worked with Antonio Beniamin, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Equifax, to develop the case, which examined the impact of Big Tech companies entering the financial services ecosystem.

According to Tawse, most of the students knew Equifax as a credit-reporting agency, but were unfamiliar with it as a global data, analytics, and technology company. “The case gave the students a chance to dig into fintech and a business phenomenon that many were unfamiliar with. It was a great learning opportunity, and the teams loved presenting to Equifax executives. Student feedback was that this was a highlight of their MBA experience because it pushed them to apply the skills that they had learned and put them under real pressure to deliver.”

Twelve teams competed; two tied for first place. One of the victorious teams included Stephanie Urbas, assistant director of marketing for Robinson’s Doctor of Business Administration program. “The case competition experience is in my top two or three moments in the MBA program, because it was just so valuable.”

For Urbas, who will graduate this spring with a concentration in marketing, addressing the challenge of Big Tech encroaching on the financial services space took her into unfamiliar territory. “I didn’t know anything about blockchain, Web3, fintech, or anything else in that area. Our team did a ton of research and stretched our strategic minds for this project. The case competition and the capstone course tied together everything we learned. I use what I learned in Global Competitive Strategy pretty much every day.”

Equifax’s Antonio Beniamin developed the case with Robinson’s Alex Tawse, held information sessions with the teams, and judged the competition. According to Beniamin, “Hosting programs like Georgia State’s capstone pilot allows Equifax to be a partner in fueling the leaders of tomorrow. We are committed to supporting educational initiatives like Robinson’s MBA program that can expose students to new industries, build new skills, and provide hands-on experience.”

Learn more about Robinson’s new MBA program.