CSUSM’s Senior Experience connects students, businesses

Through California's only undergraduate program of its kind, CSUSM seniors solve business problems for companies and nonprofits while gaining hands-on experience

California State University San Marcos students from left Julianna Guel, Corban Arnold, Gia Poston, Francis Hernandez and Isabella Merrick participated in the College of Business Administration’s Senior Experience in the spring semester. The five worked as consultants for a local business. Courtesy photo

SAN MARCOS — A unique undergraduate program leverages the skillsets of students and the needs of businesses and nonprofits through California State University San Marcos’ Senior Experience.

The program connects businesses with a team of five seniors to solve problems, develop specific plans, tackle social media or other current or future needs for the business, said Sara Vaz, director of business and community collaboration at CSUSM and who oversees the program. The teams work for about 14 weeks, and the team leader typically meets weekly with the business, known as a sponsor, to review progress, ask questions, take feedback and direction from the sponsor. Each team is provided with an advisor, who helps guide them through the semester and can be a liaison with the business at times.

As the student population at CSUSM has swelled, so has the Senior Experience, which is run through the university’s College of Business Administration. Known as CoBA, the college is the largest on campus with 3,300 students, all of whom are required to participate in the capstone program.

The fall semester deadline for business to apply has been extended until Aug. 15, Vaz said. The cost is $1,500 to offset program costs.

“We look at it as a real-world business consulting project,” Vaz explained. “They really are working on a business-case scenario. They can complete any kind of business-related project. These are things you’d hire a consultant to do, and these teams work on.”