Work with our students

Students bring fresh enthusiasm to your organisation, and they’re eager to learn.

We are eager to connect with organisations that see the mutual benefit of working with our students.

We have many talented students at Oxford Brookes Business School who are eager to learn and apply theoretical concepts learned in academia to real-world situations. There are numerous ways to engage with our students:

Through year-long work placements, students demonstrate how their theoretical knowledge can bring new, innovative ideas and skills to the workplace.
Our students can also offer free consultancy and support throughout the semester period(s). A client project is offered in many of our undergraduate and postgraduate courses, giving students the opportunity to research an issue that has been identified within your organisation and provide a workable and beneficial solution.
Shorter commitments, like our Business Challenge Week, involve teams of postgraduate students tackling challenges put forth by organisations.

Nominate your organisation to participate in the Oxford Brookes Business School Student Consultancy Scheme for summer 2025

Do you have a business problem or innovation that would benefit from some external expertise? If so, Oxford Brookes Business School undergraduate students who have completed a Business Management or Marketing programme of study can help. Spanning across four weeks in May to June 2025, we are excited to launch our summer scheme 2025 involving student consultancy for your business.

How can my organisation benefit?

We have many talented students at Oxford Brookes across a range of business courses. Working in a professional capacity with real and relevant organisational challenges not only boosts students’ employability in the graduate job market, but is also a cost-effective solution for addressing the need for short-term expertise. We are eager to work with organisations that see the mutual benefit of involving students in a live client project. The student consultancy project will allow a small group of students to crack a problem you have been wrestling with, or simply bring you new ideas and a fresh perspective.

Depending on the project, we can promise you:
A thorough analysis of your problem or opportunity
Background research and fact-finding
A solution, prototype or action plan
A short report on findings and recommendations.

The university will assume responsibility and ensure students are briefed on this accordingly and have indicated their willingness to abide by the employer's company policies on this.

Which organisations are eligible and what does it entail?

Organisations large and small, profit and non-profit, can take part (social enterprises are particularly welcome).

You need to have a challenge that a team of between 2-3 students can work on for four weeks, leading to some meaningful problem-solving and idea generation. This could be:

Something strategic, like rethinking your business model
Or it could be more technical, such as a sustainability plan
It could also be highly creative, such as developing ideas for a new product, service, event or public engagement.

What is required of us - and is there a cost?

No, it is absolutely free and does not constitute a contract of employment. Prior to our students working with you over the summer period, you need to develop a realistic and engaging project brief with clear outcomes that students can apply for.

There is an expectation for the students to have some in-person exposure in the workplace and to have a supervisor supporting the students throughout. Supervisors will be expected to offer timely responses and advise the students as work progresses. They will also be expected to attend a mandatory client-student initial meeting and the showcase presentation of results at the end. For more technical projects, you may also need to provide anonymized datasets for the students to work with or access to company systems and software.

Students are expected to contribute a cumulative total of between 40-80 hours across the duration of the project. Progress checks will be conducted by the group’s mentor (appointed by the university). Client support will be provided by the WAVES (Work and Voluntary Services) Team within the Business School.

Timeline of activities

October-February- sourcing of client briefs and expression of interest from students
March - Students matched to available client briefs.
Before w/c 14 April- Clients notified if project has been matched with a group
w/c 28 April- Students attend mandatory training session
w/c 19 May- Client meets students and mentor (either online or in-person)
w/c 26 May- Students start work and site visit arranged.

*Wednesday, 25 June - Students present final report and all attend showcase event to present results (online).

*A commitment to attending this online event is required by all students and clients who agree to take part in the scheme. The specific time will be communicated once numbers of projects are finalised.