GET AHEAD.
BUSINESS FUNDAMENTALS. CAREER PREPARATION. RESUME-BUILDING EXPERIENCES.
SUMMER IMMERSION PROGRAM
WH Y AC CE L E RATO R AT VAN D E R B I LT? Accelerator® Summer Business Immersion is a 3-week certificate program that equips students with business knowledge, hands-on experience, and career preparation. Learn business fundamentals from Vanderbilt’s world-class faculty, then work in teams to tackle real business challenges and present solutions to companies like Starbucks, Amazon, Nissan, and Warner
Music Group. Our program will expand your skillset, prepare you for the future through personalized career resources, and provide a valuable network that you can count on. Undergrads and recent college graduates benefit from this transformational program, which is proven to help you get one step ahead of your peers. Students from all institutions and majors are welcome.
Learn from the best.
Experience immersive instruction.
Benefit from one-on-one career preparation.
Join our community. Everyone is welcome here.
Gain business insights and exposure to real-world scenarios with a curriculum that is hands on and puts your critical-thinking skills to the test. The Accelerator team will support you every step of the way and encourage you to reach your full potential.
Build your resume as you solve real business-related problems and learn how to leverage your experience through career coaching and leadership development. A team of career coaches and mentors will guide you as you explore career paths and will prepare you for your next step in the professional world.
We’re committed to an inclusive and diverse learning community, because we believe that we thrive best with a wide variety of perspectives and experiences. Expect to meet and engage with people from many different regions, countries, and walks of life. #OwenLife
Experience classroom instruction from world-class Vanderbilt faculty. You’ll learn business fundamentals, enhance your professional skills, and build lifelong relationships in and out of the classroom.
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Top
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among all business schools around the world
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Best Professors (The Princeton Review 2022)
“Over the years, Accelerator has proven to be a life-changing experience for hundreds of students: they learn and apply skills immediately for clients, with feedback and coaching at every step. Plus, students can explore and find their future career path. There truly is nothing quite like it.”
The Vanderbilt Advantage. Accelerator® Summer Business Immersion at Vanderbilt is part of the Owen Graduate School of Management. You’ll quickly learn that Owen is a different type of business school. We’re competitive, not cutthroat. We’re interested in your ideas and invested in your success. #VandyAccelerator
CHERRIE WILKERSON
Assistant Dean for Young Professional Programs Faculty Director, Accelerator ® Summer Business Immersion VA N D E R B I LT U N I V E R S I T Y O W E N G R A D U AT E S C H O O L O F M A N A G E M E N T
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DISCOVER
T H E D I F F E R E N C E. 4 Accelerator ® Summer Business Immersion
BUSINESS SKILLS FOR ALL MAJORS
PERSONALIZED CAREER PREPARATION
REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE
Accelerator is designed to help any college student or recent graduate learn business by doing business— no matter your major. The program combines fundamental coursework with real, hands-on client projects.
From career exploration to resume building and networking, we’re here to help you grow and prepare you for your next step. Plus, we’ll teach you how to leverage your experience in ways that make you stand out to future employers.
You’ll work in teams to solve real business challenges for a diverse mix of companies. Then, you’ll present your ideas to executives and receive valuable feedback. It’s like gaining the experience of multiple internships.
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most hands-on summer business immersion in the country
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client consulting projects for real companies during the program
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different majors represented in the most recent class
“I did not know exactly what I wanted to do after I graduated. I loved the fact that we would be able to work with companies. I have made amazing friends, and the professors are very open to questions, talking about life experiences, and helping you as you figure out your next steps.”
RAQUEL CADENA DePaul University
A C C E L E R AT O R ® S U M M E R B U S I N E S S I M M E R S I O N
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3 C L I E N T P R O J E CT S . 3 W E E KS . 1 AMAZING EXPERIENCE. Accelerator students gain real-world experience that leads to deeper learning and lifelong lessons. Instead of working on case studies or simulations, you’ll work as a consultant for 3 different companies to develop real-life business solutions, and you’ll present those ideas to each company’s key executives. They will evaluate your
presentation and provide your team with feedback, which is an invaluable experience and critical to your growth as a young professional. The hands-on learning experience between the multiple client projects goes beyond a single internship and is an excellent resume builder.
“You learn very quickly and are exposed to a great deal of information. I learned so much about business and about working in groups. I feel like I will be ahead of the game compared to those in my [undergraduate] class.”
RASHAD TOWNSEND Morehouse College A C C E L E R AT O R
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SUMMER BUSINESS IMMERSION
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A G L I M P S E AT A F E W PA ST P R O J E CT S .
AMPLIFYING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
REDUCING CONSUMER FRAUD
GROWING THE CUSTOMER BASE
Warner Music Group
Asurion
Google Fiber
Accelerator teams consulted with Warner Music Group and were challenged to develop ideas on how to increase paid streaming subscriptions.
Asurion, a global tech care company, asked students to develop strategies to discourage customer fraud and to identify risk factors associated with the fraud.
Accelerator students had the opportunity to meet with representatives from Google Fiber and were tasked with developing a plan to recruit new customers.
A few of our past client partners that have provided consulting projects:
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21 DAYS. A L IF E T I M E O F B EN EFI TS . Our students tell us that 2 of the best things about Accelerator® Summer Business Immersion are that they can explore different career fields and immediately apply their newfound knowledge to solve real business challenges for companies. What you learn in and out of the classroom is a game changer that will help you stand out, and set your career on the right track. You’ll immerse yourself in the business world with fundamental coursework combined with team-based learning to expand your skillset. Accelerator provides career resources—including career exploration activities, The curriculum includes: n Career Perspectives n Career Planning n Communications n Digital Marketing
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Finance Innovation Marketing Marketing Strategy
EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT OUTCOMES Discover what drives our students’ passions, why they chose Accelerator, and how the program helped them get ahead. Learn more at: business.vanderbilt.edu/accelerator-outcomes
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skill-building workshops, industry panels, and opportunities to develop your resume and enhance your networking skills. Our nurturing team environment allows you to build life-long relationships with world-class professors, top-notch coaches, bright-minded mentors, and high-achieving classmates. No matter your college major or intended career path, fundamental business skills are highly sought out by employers. This unique experience prepares students for the future and has far-reaching career benefits.
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Negotiations Operations Personal Branding Presentation Skills
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Problem Solving Process Improvement Strategy Team Dynamics
Discover some of the notable companies that employ our past participants: American Express Aspire Health Asurion Bain & Company Bread Ventures Citi Coca-Cola Deloitte Delta Air Lines EY FedEx Goldman Sachs Google Grant Thornton GS&F
HCA Home Depot Huron Consulting KPMG Kraft Heinz McKinsey & Company Microsoft Morgan Stanley One Acre Fund PwC Red Ventures Reebok ReviveHealth Truist Uber
P ERSONA L PE RSP E CT I V ES . “Students not only learn the fundamentals, the language of business, how to excel at resume writing and interviewing, but also a general knowledge or Swiss-army-knife skillset of business concepts. One of the most common complaints I hear from my corporate recruiters is that their early career candidates often have either the right classroom or right realworld experience, but rarely both. The projects my Accelerator teams worked on were exactly the type of examples that toptier companies are looking for during the interview process, and they show companies that these students have the right experience—not just the education—to get the job done.”
“Accelerator is the best real-world business experience your student will have as an undergrad. My son has learned a lot in college, but he learned more about what it is actually like in the world of business in this short time than he did in 2 years of college classes and internships.”
DAVID JONES
Parent of Accelerator Student
TREVOR VOSS
Accelerator Coach Senior HR Product Manager at Amazon Web Services
“My experience has been life changing. I have learned more practical knowledge here than in the past 3 years at my [undergraduate] institution.”
MATHEW SAUNDERS
The University of Alabama in Huntsville A C C E L E R AT O R ® S U M M E R B U S I N E S S I M M E R S I O N
“Accelerator is an excellent way to learn about business fundamentals through hands-on experience. My daughter has been equipped with skills that will help her to succeed in any field she chooses. She has gained confidence in communication skills, teamwork, leadership skills, and resume building and learned how to broaden her professional network. It has also given her clarity on which direction she will go with her business major. This program exceeded our already high expectations, and I would highly recommend it to everyone!”
SUE FISHER
Parent of Accelerator Student
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A G R E AT P L A C E T O LIVE AND LEARN.
Learning at a world-class university in one of the best cities in the U.S. will provide a great balance of possibilities and fun. Vanderbilt’s hometown of Nashville is a friendly, vibrant, and engaging city known proudly as “Music City, USA.” The park-like campus is conveniently located about a mile from downtown. Eclectic and diverse, Nashville offers professional sports and music every night of the week, and it boasts some of the region’s best restaurants and parks. You’ll easily see why The New York Times, Forbes, and Fortune rank Nashville high among places to live and do business.
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“College City Gets High Marks” category in The Princeton Review (2021)
Vanderbilt also received high marks in several other categories, including: #2 Happiest Students #2 Best Quality of Life #2 Most Beautiful Campus The Princeton Review (2021)
Vanderbilt is designated as an arboretum and home to more than 300 tree and shrub varieties on 340 acres.
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Condé Nast Traveler named Nashville one of the "Top 10 Friendliest Cities in the U.S." (February 2022)
Nashville was named in the Top 15 Cities in the U.S. in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best” awards. (September 2021)
Nashville has more than 180 live music venues throughout the city, and fewer than a third play country music.
Y O U ’ L L F E E L R I G H T AT H O M E .
WALKER MANAGEMENT LIBRARY
Students have access to knowledgeable librarians and resources at Owen’s state-ofthe-art study and research library that will help you with all your research needs. You can enjoy a cozy, welcoming environment and choose between private group study spaces or a variety of quiet nooks and crannies. Check out the Bloomberg terminals, databases, reports, specialized market software, and data, as well as business bestsellers.
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How can we help you? 615.322.2534 accelerator@vanderbilt.edu 401 21st Avenue South | Nashville, TN 37203-2422 Hours: 8 AM – 5 PM U.S. Central Time
business.vanderbilt.edu/accelerator #VandyAccelerator #OwenLife
Vanderbilt University is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. Vanderbilt®, Vanderbilt University® and the Vanderbilt logos are trademarks of The Vanderbilt University. REV. 05/22