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Home » Course Catalogue » MBA Electives » RSM2700H – Independent Study Project: Pan-Canadian Practicum: Design-Driven Innovation Immersive Tours

RSM2700H – Independent Study Project: Pan-Canadian Practicum: Design-Driven Innovation Immersive Tours

General Information

Instructors

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Applicable Major(s):
(c) = Core, (r) = Recommended

  • Business Design (r)

Instructor Bio

Dr. Angèle Beausoleil is a ‘pracademic’ who teaches design methodologies for business innovation and leads research inside organizations on innovation process design, navigation and management. A former communications designer, senior strategist and innovation lab executive, she applies her 25 years of business design expertise to crafting high impact teaching and learning experiences for students and industry executives. She has worked closely with companies including Starbucks, McDonalds, Sony, Gap, Telus, etc., and on global initiatives such as the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Professor Beausoleil is also the Academic Director of the new Business Design Initiative, championing human-centred design curriculum and innovation leadership research. Dr. B is a visiting lecturer of Applied Innovation at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

Target Audience

Students interested in understanding design-driven innovation inside globally recognized Canadian corporations, agencies and professional services firms. Students will discover the leading and sustainable approaches to innovation through direct engagement with firms based in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver*. (e.g. Canada Goose, Shopify, Tangerine, Ubisoft, Molson Coors, Lululemon, MEC etc.) (*pending travel approval from University of Toronto and COVID domestic travel guidelines).

Course Format

Pre-tour class sessions (4) during Winter/Spring term via Quercus; mandatory travel component to Canadian design-infused organizations will occur the first week of May 2022 (5-7 days – details TBD).

Course Design: Pending final approval and COVID protocols, this course may be delivered one of three options:

  • Option A: Study tours to Halifax, Montreal, and Vancouver – 7-9 days (flight, hotels, and site visits)
  • Option B: Study tours to Toronto, Halifax, and Montreal – 5-7 days (flights, hotels, and site visits)
  • Option C: Study tours to Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal – 5-7 days (trains, hotel, and site visits)

Estimated fees/costs per students:

  • Option A: $2,750 – $3,500 (flights, hotels, transportation, and meals)
  • Option B: $1,750 – $2,500 (flights, hotels, transportation, and meals)
  • Option C: $1,500 – $2,000 (trains, hotels, transportation, and meals)

Note: These are estimates only, based on group rates. Rotman will offer a $500 bursary to each student.

Course Mission

Students will be introduced to and gain understanding of the diverse new product, service and experience design approaches from Canadian-based global brands. The ultimate goal is to understand how innovation happens inside a variety of sectors and discover new ways for you to navigate and manage corporate innovation initiatives post-MBA. A reflection paper and group discussion will follow each company visit.

Course Scope

This course involves light lectures, live discussions and a seven-day Pan-Canadian coast to coast tour * (pending travel approval from UofT). The coursework will blend online readings with light in-class lectures to provide students with the knowledge of industry-leading design methods, models and case study frameworks for business innovation. The site visits will offer unique engagement with firms based in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver that use design-infused methods to innovate new products, services and business models. This course will expose you to relevant and resilient ways to engage in business innovation and transformation. Your site visits will encompass dialogues, storyshares and cultural immersion. *Note: if travel is not approved, we will offer a hybrid course (online and in-person).

Evaluation and Grade Distribution

ComponentDue DateWeight
Class ParticipationOngoing20%
Individual Reflection PapersWinter Term (TBD)60%
Group Case Study PaperWinter Term (TBD)20%
Note: This experimental course will be using the Honours/Pass/Fail grading scale

Required Resources

A course pack which includes a physical ‘innovation travel guide/journal’ is required.

Experiential Course Limit

There are limits to the number of RSM27XX range courses that students may take for credit toward their degree. Please refer to the Experiential/International Course Eligibility Specifics and Limits section on the RO website for all details.

Last Updated: 2022-10-13 @ 11:41 am