Careers in Consulting

A vast field with many diverse opportunities.

Consultants can advise on subjects ranging from management and strategies to sector-specific topics such as IT, finance, marketing, HR, and operations.

Interested in Consulting? You’re in the right place.

By choosing a consulting concentration at Simon Business School, you will learn from leading business researchers and innovators at one of the top MBAs for consulting in the US. Our MBA faculty have deep knowledge and practical experience in a range of business topics, which will prepare you for a successful consulting career.

IT
Careers in IT Consulting

Information technology (IT) consultants leverage in-depth knowledge of computer and telecommunications hardware, software, and the structure of the internet to help clients overcome challenges and achieve business objectives.Recruiters look for candidates with technical insight, strong problem solving and communication skills, and an aptitude for qualitative and quantitative analytics. The ability to understand internal and external audiences is also helpful.

Employment Outlook and Career Opportunities

The majority of Simon MBAs entering the field are hired by information technology (IT) consulting firms that place a high value on the qualitative foundation of our curriculum. IT is a high-growth sector, so employment prospects are strong for IT consulting career paths, and firms are typically open to sponsoring international students as well as hiring domestic MBAs.

IT Consulting Career Preparation at Simon

As you pursue your MBA, you are encouraged to explore the Competitive and Organization Strategy and Computers and Information Systems concentrations to help prepare you for your career.

Co-Curricular Opportunities

The Simon Consulting, Operations, Technology & Analytics Club (COTA) hosts alumni panels, case competitions, and educational seminars to help students explore the various consulting fields. Members gain valuable exposure to consulting organizations and benefit from strong preparation for behavioral and case interviews. Students may also wish to join the Simon Toastmasters Club to build and polish their presentation skills.

Management
Careers in Management Consulting

Management consulting is a broad field packed with opportunities. Simon graduates are prepared to assume many different functions, across all verticals.

Employment Outlook and Career Opportunities

Management consulting is a broad field packed with opportunities. Simon graduates are prepared to assume many different functions, across all verticals.

Management Consulting Career Preparation at Simon

Students pursuing their MBA are encouraged to explore the Competitive and Organization Strategy concentration to help prepare them for a career in management consulting.

Co-Curricular Opportunities

The Simon Consulting, Operations, Technology & Analytics Club (COTA) hosts alumni panels, case competitions, and educational seminars to help students explore the various consulting fields. Members gain valuable exposure to consulting organizations and benefit from strong preparation for behavioral and case interviews. Some students may also wish to join the Simon Toastmasters Club to build and polish presentation skills.

Strategy
Careers in Strategy Consulting

Strategy consultants specialize in helping senior executives understand and address macro-level challenges. Similar to management consultants, strategy experts may provide council to companies across all vertical markets to assist with their HR, finance, operations, technology, and marketing functions.

Employment Outlook and Career Opportunities

Opportunities Strategy and management consulting both garner strong outcome results for Simon MBAs. A small, yet steadily increasing number of our graduates are hired by specialized boutique firms looking for consultants with several years of demonstrated experience in specific industries or sectors. Depending on the organization, sponsorship may be available for international students.

Strategy Consulting Career Preparation at Simon

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in strategy consulting, the competitive and organizational strategy concentration will help prepare you to take the next step when you graduate.

Co-Curricular Opportunities

Industry insight and practical experience are critical in the consulting field. The Simon Consulting, Operations, Technology & Analytics Club (COTA) helps students gain that insight and experience with alumni panels, case competitions, and educational seminars. Members gain valuable exposure to consulting organizations and benefit from strong preparation for behavioral and case interviews. The Simon Toastmasters Club is also available to help students build and polish presentation skills, which are essential to a consultant’s success.

30%

MBA Class of 2023*

Hired into Consulting Functions

$150,723

Mean base salary for Simon MBAs*

Hired in Consulting Roles
Class of 2023

*This data is accurate as of December 28, 2023, and conforms to the MBA Career Services & Employer Alliance standards for reporting Full-Time MBA employment statistics.

Faculty

Get to know the experts who drive our Consulting program. Meet our esteemed faculty.

Internships

Students preparing for careers in finance are strongly encouraged to gain hands-on experience through an internship. MBAs benefit from not only real-world experience, but also expanded professional networks gained through internships. For information on employers who have hired Simon interns and our placement data, please refer to our detailed report.

Where do our consulting graduates go?

Simon’s specialized approach to Career Services includes dedicated professionals covering major industries and job functions that target graduate students. The following companies have recruited Simon MBA talent for IT, management, or strategy consulting positions:

Accenture

Cognizant

Deloitte

EY

EY–Parthenon

Simon-Kucher & Partners

Syneos Health

 

Please see our Employment Report below for additional career data and information.

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Course Highlights

Position yourself to be competitive in the global marketplace. As you plan your academic path, consider the following courses. You’ll gain invaluable insights, experiences, and skill sets to help you excel in your career.

Click each tile below for a brief course description.

CIS 461 Strategy and Business Systems Consulting Practicum

CIS 461

Strategy and Business Systems Consulting Practicum

This course provides an introduction to strategy and business systems consulting. It is primarily aimed at those exploring career opportunities in consulting but will also help students become savvy consumers of consulting services. It includes a live project helping a client at a real organization answer an important question or achieve a significant business objective. Student teams work together to deliver a set of well‐reasoned impactful recommendations based upon thoughtful analysis of the relevant facts. In this way students consolidate their understanding of the problem solving approaches introduced in GBA401 through experiential learning.

STR 421 Competitive Strategy

STR 421

Competitive Strategy

Competitive strategy deals with the most significant decisions that companies make in the marketplace, including entry into a market, product positioning, pricing, investments, technology choice and acquisitions. This course provides tools and concepts for analyzing these decisions and for designing business strategies that help firms make above-normal profits in the long run. Throughout the course, there is an emphasis on how firms interact with existing or potential competitors and other parties in the market. The tools and concepts used to understand this interaction are partly those of the traditional field of Strategic Management, but more importantly those of modern microeconomics, especially the field of Industrial Organization.

The first half of the course looks at the “big picture” and covers industry analysis, value creation and competitive advantage, and integration and diversification decisions. The second half of the course focuses on strategic interaction among firms, and covers specific topics such as the dynamics of price competition in oligopolies, commitment strategies of firms, entry and exit, networks and standards, and technological competition. The course is largely case-based. About one third of all classes are lectures; the other two thirds are case discussions.

Prerequisite: STR 401