Engineering, business and education students can get a taste of the real world without leaving campus at the ISU Business Analysis Lab.

The lab was launched in 1997 as an experiential learning program that allows graduate and undergraduate students from the colleges of education, engineering and business to work in teams to solve real business and manufacturing problems.

Michael Upah, program coordinator for the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, is the program manager for the lab.

“The projects allow students to apply their textbook procedures to real-world projects and gain experience in how market research or process engineering is undertaken by a major corporation such as 3M,” Upah said.

Students in their first semester of the program, known as Phase I scholars, work six to eight hours per week on a project and receive three ISU credit hours. At the end of the semester, the scholars are then evaluated, and the top performers are chosen to become Phase II scholars.

Phase II scholars work 10 to 20 hours per week and serve in paid leadership positions within the program, according to the lab’s Web site, www.bus.iastate.edu/buslab.

Doug Gemmill, associate professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, said the lab is really a student organization.

“The students get the unique experience of managing the business lab,” said Gemmill, a faculty scholar in the program. “In addition to working on their projects, they are responsible for some of the day-to-day administration of the business lab.”

The project helps participants apply what they learn in the classroom to real work situations. Not only does the experience build students’ r‚sum‚s, but it builds confidence, as well, Upah said.

“The students are put on the spot and challenged to deliver,” he said. “Failure is more than just a bad grade.”

Students in the program learn leadership, problem solving, troubleshooting and teamwork skills, and ISU Business Lab graduates have moved on to companies such as IBM, Lucent, Caterpillar, 3M, Proctor and Gamble and Intel, according to the Web site.

“The business lab provides great industrial experience for the students,” Gemmill said.

Students who are chosen to become “Lab Scholars” must have a 3.0 GPA and participate in an interview process. Those interested in applying for the spring or summer semesters should turn in their r‚sum‚s as soon as possible, Upah said. For more information, visit the Web site at www.bus.iastate.edu/buslab.