Applying theory to practice at Warwick Business School

Our innovative Business in Practice module is available across many of our Master’s courses. Here, MSc Marketing & Strategy student, Shreenidhi Nagda, details her journey so far.

The Business in Practice module is a three-week, dynamic real-life business simulation that allows us to put all of our course learning into practice.

We form groups of seven, with roles spread across multiple courses, nationalities and genders, wherein each one of us represents a different business function: Finance, HR, Innovation, Operations and Marketing. The module is innovative and fast-paced, placing us in high pressure situations that require creative thinking and problem solving in a time-bound atmosphere. 

One of the major reasons I chose this route was the opportunity to meet different students from diverse walks of life, which definitely pushes you out of your comfort zone. The interactions and meetings prepare you for life post-university, strengthening our teamworking and leadership skills.

Gaining hands-on experience at university

I got to play the position of a Finance Director, and as a marketing student it pushed my capabilities and fuelled my academic growth. It allowed me to gain a more holistic perspective of how a business operates, which isn't present in a traditional course module. 

The experience so far has been exhilarating. Akin to a real-life business, challenges such as recessions and tariffs were thrown at us, making the experience even more exciting. Every session, we found ourselves making difficult decisions - whether we should discontinue this product, open a new factory and do we even have enough cash flow to make it till the next quarter? One wrong move and our score would plummet.

What made the experience even more special was my absolutely hilarious and lovely team, from the never-ending brainstorming sessions, to crossing our fingers every time we moved to a new quarter, to jumping with joy when our scores increased.  

The module truly helped me understand the importance of being united as a team. It highlighted the interdependence each business function has on another - the Marketing team cannot have aggressive strategies unless they have Operations and Human Resources backing them up, while Innovation cannot launch new products unless Finance arranges the funds for it.

How a Master’s degree can help your career

The module has equipped me with skills valuable for any career I choose to pursue in the future. It gave the confidence to make calculated decisions while trusting my instincts, all while adapting to different situations and circumstances. 

My advice to anyone considering this route would be to not get overwhelmed to start. The endless resources, the competition between teams and the hectic sessions can be a bit much to handle - but the key is staying calm throughout it all.

Don’t be afraid of setbacks and challenges, take them in your stride and tackle them. Learn more about your role beforehand, prepare before every session and most importantly - do not forget to have fun!