Impact Consulting Minor
The Impact Consulting minor incorporates a series of classes that provide students with a path to engage with project partners over multiple semesters. Early classes in the minor guide students in considering their purpose and how to use their time and talents in service to others. Students are then exposed to the basic principles of design thinking, innovation and consulting, collaboratively identifying opportunities to address complex problems. Later classes push students to fully immerse in challenges, develop the fundamental skills of implementing solutions, measuring impact and scaling efforts. Upon completion of the minor, students can critically examine their role as a future business leader and identify how to apply their learnings for professional and personal growth.
Courses
Designing Your Life (3 credits): What makes a purposeful and meaningful life? Thoughtfully consider how to use your time and talents in a meaningful way, and identify your project interest areas.
Business Problem Solving (3 credits): Build out skills for effective team work while learning and applying consulting frameworks, working on consulting sprints with leading firms.
Innovation and Design Thinking (3 credits): Apply design thinking methods with your project partner to conduct ethnographic research, ideate, and develop prototypes. Funding awarded at end of semester for continued research and implementation.
Applied Impact Immersion (3 credits): Conduct research, test prototypes or work on implementing ideas at the client site, with all expenses covered as a part of the course. Both domestic and international sites available. Travel options over semester breaks throughout the year.
Applied Impact Consulting (3 credits): Spend the semester working in teams to build, implement, and track ideas.
For questions about the Impact Consulting minor contact Quin Gallagher, Program Administrator, at qgallagh@nd.edu.
Student Reflections
“I am so grateful for the experience that Notre Dame and more specifically this program has given me, and will continue to use it to do good here, as well as beyond.”
Matthew E. ('24)
“This project has been the most impactful experience that I have been a part of at Notre Dame. It opened my eyes to the fact that I can truly use my education to make a difference in the world. I have been told this many times before, but this class and this project is what opened my eyes to the reality.”
Kayleigh W. ('23)
Foundational Concepts
Tackle Wicked Problems
Consult with partners to have a measurable Impact on the world’s most pressing problems – gender equity, access to education, poverty, climate change, energy and more.
Engage Diverse Communities
Get out of the classroom to work hand-in-hand with those most affected, building foundations as consultants grounded in empathy, collaboration, prototyping and iteration.
Create Sustainable Solutions
Don’t just come up with ideas – build them! Engage with partners around the globe to achieve sustainable value creation. Build solutions that have a sustainable impact, and track and report metrics.
