The Student Consulting Lab is a collaboration between small teams of Evans School students, their faculty advisors, and our public, private, and nonprofit partners to co-create solutions to policy and organizational problems.
Benefits to Partners
We are proud that this program has built organizational capacity for more than 20 years with support from our MPA students. We have delivered powerful recommendations for organizations and improved equitable outcomes for everyone in our shared community. By partnering with a Student Consulting Lab project, your organization will:
How It Works
Under the guidance of faculty advisors, teams of three to five skilled, second-year Master of Public Administration (MPA) students dedicate approximately 10-12 hours per week to their selected projects over a five-month period.
Participation in the Student Consulting Lab includes a project fee of $2,500. If the project fee is a financial barrier to participation we also provide fee waivers, which can be requested through the proposal form.
What makes a good proposal?
- A feasible program scope for a team of three to five consultants and a five-month timeline
- A clearly-stated problem, challenge, or opportunity to be addressed by the project
- An emphasis on value-added research that can be conducted by an offsite team
- Clear and achievable deliverables, including but not limited to written reports, presentations to decision-makers or board officers, or tools to aid in program implementation
- Alignment with the Evans School mission: The Evans School of Public Policy & Governance educates leaders, generates knowledge, and hosts communities to co-create solutions to pressing societal problems.
Review Sample Projects
Meet the Student Consulting Lab Team
AK Sterling
Erica Barnhart
Executive MPA Program Director
