General Information
Target Audience
This course is primarily targeted at students who are interested in careers in strategy, entrepreneurship, local economic development, and consulting. This course is interdisciplinary, will be team based, and will also include graduate students from Urban Planning and Industrial Relations.
Format
Half credit and full-year course: 12 class meetings (approximately one per month)
Course Mission
Rotman CityLab is an exciting elective course that matches talented teams of MBA candidates (Class of 2020 FT, Morning, and Evening Students) with local economic organizations and social enterprises across the City of Toronto, such as Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), for an eight-month consulting engagement. These organizations are located in different neighbourhoods across the city and are all focused on stimulating social and economic activity at the local level. Project teams act as a consulting and advisory resource to these organizations and complete a strategic project based on each organization’s needs. Each CityLab project provides students with hands-on insights into local economic challenges and opportunities in the City of Toronto, as well as exposing students to a particular area of the city.
Evaluation and Grade Distribution
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Presentation to Client (Group Mark) | 20% |
| Final Report to Client (Group Mark) | 50% |
| Client Feedback (Group Mark) | 10% |
| Observational/Learning Diary – Part 1 (Individual Mark) | 10% |
| Observational/Learning Diary – Part 2 (Individual Mark) | 10% |
Required Resources
- Gomez, Rafael et al., Small Business and the City: The Transformative Potential of Small Scale Entrepreneurship. University of Toronto Press, 2015. [referred to as SBC].
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.
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