Business Analytics & AI Experiential Learning
Hands-On Experience Through the Carlson Analytics Lab
As a Master of Science in Business Analytics & Artificial Intelligence student at Minnesota Carlson, you get to participate in unique experiences through the Carlson Analytics Lab (CAL). Across all 3 semesters, you'll have numerous chances to translate classroom knowledge into real-world projects with client companies, gaining invaluable practical experience along the way.
- Real-world projects: Immerse yourself in genuine business challenges, offering practical experience and the opportunity to propose actionable recommendations.
- Hands-on experience: Develop proficiency in the latest analytics and AI techniques through practical application. AI is increasingly integrated into CAL experiential learning opportunities so you gain experience applying AI technologies to real business challenges.
- Resume building: Because you work with real companies, you'll have several projects to add to your resume to demonstrate your skills in analytics and AI.
- Industry connections: Foster meaningful connections with industry leaders by leveraging Carlson’s partnerships with top-tier companies. Build your network to grow professional and help in your job search.
What is the Carlson Analytics Lab?
The Carlson Analytics Lab provides project-based data analytics consulting services to client companies and organizations. Graduate students complete projects for real businesses with the support of Minnesota Carlson faculty.
CAL has a long history of partnering with companies to expand their internal analytics capabilities. You gain real-world experience solving analytics and AI challenges and expand your professional network. And companies get quality work to advance business initiatives and meet students they may want to hire. It’s a win-win.
Past Client Companies & Projects
The Carlson Analytics Lab has partnered with a diverse array of clients, from startups to Fortune 100 companies. Collaborators include retailers, medical device manufacturers, consulting firms, agribusinesses, entertainment, government agencies, healthcare providers, and airlines. Some past companies include Sun Country Airlines, Land O' Lakes, Mall of America, and Regis Corporation, among others.
Carlson Analytics Lab partners with Land O'Lakes
The Carlson Analytics Lab worked with Land O'Lakes to use consumer review data from channels including Facebook, Twitter, and Purinamills.com to build and deliver a dynamic analytical model. This model is helping the Purina marketing team better align product marketing messages with the ever-changing voice of their consumers.
Timeline & Structure
One thing that sets Minnesota Carlson's experiential learning apart from other programs is its year-round availability, providing continuous opportunities for you to gain hands-on experience. This unique approach eliminates the need for traditional internships during the program, ensuring that you do not miss out on this invaluable type of applied, practical learning.
Trends Marketplace
Fall Semester: Live Case Competition
Live case projects, integrated into coursework, focus on exploratory and predictive analytics, lasting 3-4 weeks and conducted in small student groups. Sponsored by local companies, these projects provide access to extensive datasets with broad objectives, fostering friendly competition and enhancing resumes as preparation for the final semester's significant ELP.
Live case projects can also expose you to how organizations are adopting AI in practice. You will work directly with companies to analyze business problems, evaluate AI opportunities and develop data-driven recommendations that consider both technical feasibility and business impact. This exposure helps you understand how AI is implemented in organizational settings and prepares you to lead AI-enabled initiatives in your career.
Example Projects
- Building a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) AI chatbot that serves as the foundation of a tool for Hennepin County staff to use when answering questions from the public
- Building an AI tool that gathers and connects information for bids on public works projects for a construction company which in turn cuts down the number of hours that staff have to comb through hundreds of pages
- Creating a tool for a local Fortune 500 company that enables HR leaders to analyze HR dashboards and to gather deeper, faster and more forward-looking explanations behind the data
- Using AI to develop an automated process for a farmland solutions company where students automated the process of creating the maps for their engineering teams to bring to their customers
- Creating a knowledge base solution for Anoka County where individuals who are filling out forms for Medicaid/Medical Assistance and SNAP food benefits would be able to understand what sections were lacking information or missing
I applied the various skills I acquired over the last 12 weeks to a specific project, utilizing all available resources—my peers, the internet—to develop a technically sound solution. This experience gave everyone, including myself, a significant confidence boost, demonstrating our ability to apply technical skills beyond the classroom.
Maria Moy, ‘23 MSBAi
Spring Semester: Live Case Competition & Trends Marketplace
A signature experiential learning opportunity is the annual Big Data and AI Trends Marketplace, a public showcase of student innovation in big data and AI.
During the semester, you work with a team of students to research, design and build AI-enabled solutions that address real business challenges. You then present your work during the Trends Marketplace event to industry professionals, faculty, alumni and peers who provide feedback.
Recent themes have emphasized generative AI, agentic AI systems, cloud-based AI architectures and business applications of large-scale data platforms.
Trends Marketplace gives you experience moving from AI concepts to working prototypes while developing the ability to communicate technical solutions to business audiences.
You also have the valuable opportunity to showcase your skills to potential employers and receive feedback from industry practitioners.
Summer Semester: Experiential Learning Project (ELP)
In the final semester of the Carlson MSBAi program, students work with the Carlson Analytics Lab to embark on a semester-long experiential learning project. This immersive experience, constituting a 5-credit capstone, marks the beginning of their journey into practical application within the field of analytics.
It ultimately involves crafting meaningful recommendations—practical, actionable solutions. It's not just theoretical; what we propose on paper is something that will be implemented and will have a real impact on a significant number of people.
Amlendu Kumawat, ‘23 MSBAi
- Team Formation: Students collaborate in teams of 4-6 members, each assigned their own project, fostering teamwork and collaboration from the outset.
- Skill Optimization: Self-rank skill sets and benefit from faculty optimization to ensure teams are well-balanced and equipped for success.
As students delve deeper into their projects, they become fully immersed in real-world data analytics work. Here's what the project engagement entails:
- Time Commitment: Dedicate 10-15 hours per week per person, accumulating over 1,000 hours per team, to fully immerse in project tasks.
- Hands-On Tasks: From writing code to evaluating data and data engineering, students engage in a variety of practical tasks crucial for data analytics success.
- Deliverables: Produce analyses, reports, code, models, live dashboards, and knowledge transfer documentation to address client needs and implement effective solutions.
As the project unfolds, students reach significant milestones and ultimately conclude their journey with valuable insights and experience. Here's how it all comes together:
- Weekly Client Meetings: Participate in regular client meetings to ensure project alignment and provide updates on progress.
- Midpoint Presentations: Present initial results and project plans to clients, faculty, and staff, showcasing progress and strategic direction.
- Project Conclusion: Earn course credit based on evaluations from faculty, staff, and clients, marking the culmination of hard work and dedication.
Business Analytics & AI Students Partner with YMCA of the North
Carlson MSBAi students partnered with the YMCA of the North to create data dashboards that revealed community impact, connected programs, and shaped future strategy—turning classroom learning into real-world results.
Advance your future with analytics
Need talent for an analytics project?
Companies that work with the Carlson Analytics Lab receive high-quality project work and the opportunity to meet skilled students before they enter the job market.