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Case Competitions

Case competitions are the varsity sport for MBA students. Often sponsored by corporations and organizations, many of which recruit our students, these contests pit teams from UNC Kenan-Flagler against other top business schools to find innovative solutions to tackle critical business challenges.

As an MBA student at UNC Kenan-Flagler, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in these competitions. You’ll collaborate with your classmates to analyze the challenge, brainstorm solutions, and prepare and deliver a powerful presentation to a panel of judges who will provide frank feedback that will help sharpen your skills. Case competitions are intense events that offer valuable experience that mimics what you’ll face in the real world.

Learn what it takes to join the UNC-Kenan Flagler Full-Time MBA program.

UNC Kenan-Flagler not only participates in – and wins! – many case competitions, but we also host and sponsor them. Here’s a look at a few of the competitions we host:

Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC®)

The Venture Capital Investment Competition is the premier event for graduate students pursuing careers as entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Founded at UNC Kenan-Flagler, it is part of the school’s top-ranked program for entrepreneurs. VCIC gives students great experience playing the role of venture capitalists to assess real companies. In this competition, teams are judges on their ability to perform the requisite due diligence, assess the investment decision, prepare and deliver a pitch, and negotiate the terms of a deal.

UNC Kenan-Flagler Real Estate Development Challenge

The first case competition to focus solely on real estate development, UNC Kenan-Flagler Real Estate Development Challenge is an invitation-only event that includes 16 teams from the nation’s top MBA programs. In this week-long event, teams are challenged to deliver a comprehensive solution to a development project, including a site design and budget analysis, to judges from top real-estate firms and financial institutions.

"Participating in a case competition is an incredible experience, and was key for me to secure interview opportunities for big tech companies. As an international student, recruitment opportunities can sometimes be limited. But thanks to my performance in the case competition, I left a great impression with high-level executives I interviewed with."

Ling Ma Full-Time MBA 2021

Alpha Challenge

Created by and hosted at UNC Kenan-Flagler, the two-day Alpha Challenge is one of the world’s premier stock pitch competitions and has become a primary interview hub for investment management recruitment. Teams from top MBA schools worldwide compete on popular hedge fund trading strategies for judges who represent top investment management and buy-side firms from around the world.

Watch “15 Years of The Alpha Challenge – The World’s Premier MBA Stock Pitch Competition” and see what top investors have to say about the career opportunities the challenge provides.

UNC Kenan-Flagler Marketing Case Challenge

The UNC Kenan-Flagler Marketing Case Challenge places top students from business school marketing clubs on teams with members from several schools. The competition simulates business environments where individuals from diverse work and educational backgrounds must quickly demonstrate leadership and teamwork to solve a marketing case.

Invest for Impact Competition

Impact investing is defined by Global Impact Investing Network as “investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.” The annual Invest for Impact competition brings impact-focused startups and investing professionals together with MBA students from top schools worldwide. Students evaluate opportunities by interviewing entrepreneurs, assessing risk, and presenting an investment recommendation to the judging panel.

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