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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: The Powerful Means of Creating Purpose and Impact (MGTO 30317, 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. This course will help you: clarify your core values, strengths, passions and sense of purpose; apply design thinking mindsets—including empathy, ideation and experimentation—to prototype and test life paths; analyze how personal development can be informed by foundational management and leadership theories; cultivate a growth mindset, develop resilience and navigate ambiguity with adaptability; design a personalized life plan aligned with your purpose and goals; and empower others by translating and delivering Designing Your Life (DYL) concepts to peers or community members.
Business Problem Solving (MGTO 30300, 3 credits): Build out skills for effective team work while learning and applying consulting frameworks, working on consulting sprints with leading firms. This course will help you: diagnose business problems and prioritize areas of focus based on the constraints of the situation; efficiently gather and analyze data using appropriate frameworks to define and articulate solutions to business problems; produce professional quality presentations and memos, and deliver impactful business presentations; work collaboratively in high-pressure team environments to deliver solutions; and recognize key strategic and organizational issues facing businesses today.
Innovation and Design Thinking (MGTO 30310, 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. This course will help you: understand and apply design thinking methodologies to drive innovation; conduct and analyze ethnographic research; deeply understand the needs of another; ideate and prototype tangible manifestations of ideas; translate broadly defined opportunities into actionable innovation opportunities; and drive value for project stakeholders measured in impact.
Applied Impact Immersion: The Powerful Means Experience (MGTO 35310, 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. This course will help you: immerse yourself deeply in a community; conduct ethnographic research; test prototypes and capture feedback; coordinate and deliver team building activities; and communicate your experience with the greater ND community to drive broader engagement. *Innovation and Design Thinking (MGTO 30310) is a prerequisite for Applied Impact Immersion, or the two courses can be taken concurrently.
Applied Impact Consulting Capstone (3 credits): Spend the semester working in teams to build, implement, and track ideas. This course will help you: identify and prioritize impact opportunities; apply tools and frameworks to understand, communicate and manage projects; engage with stakeholders in a professional manner; work professionally and effectively across different cultural environments; work effectively in a team environment; and measure, evaluate and report impact to advance the goals of project partners. *Applied Impact Immersion (MGTO 35310) is a prerequisite for Applied Impact Consulting Capstone, or the two courses can be taken concurrently.
How to Apply
Applications for all minors offered by Mendoza College of Business open once in the Fall Semester and once in the Spring Semester. For Fall 2025:
Application Opens: Monday, September 15, at 12:00 PM
Application Closes: Friday, October 17, at 5:00 PM
For questions about the Impact Consulting minor contact Quin Gallagher, Program Administrator, at qgallagh@nd.edu.
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.
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)
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