Would you like to test you business acumen, meet extraordinary and like-minded individuals, and significantly improve you career prospects?
There is a tonne of opportunities to do so. One of them is joining case competitions.
The best case competitions to apply for in 2018
Editor’s note: Some of the featured case competitions have not announced their dates and deadlines yet. Make sure to bookmark this page as we continue updating the info and adding new case competitions. Want to suggest a case competition? Get in touch with us via the contact form.
In case you are not familiar with what these are, case competitions are extracurricular events where participants are challenged to come up with a solution to a business or any other field-related problem within a limited time frame.
Most commonly, case competitions’ problems are solved in teams of two or more participants, and the best solutions are typically awarded with prizes. Be it cash, prestige, access to network, career opportunities, or all of them combined.
Extracurricular activities such as case competitions are great for developing your marketable skills. Not only your field of study or professional curiosity, but also your leadership skills. Which are in high demand among top employers.
“We want to see candidates who are not only willing to walk an extra mile to learn” Laura Kurtz, recruiting manager at Ford Motor Company says. “But also to share knowledge with others and be able to manage more than just your course load.”
There are many case competitions out there that are only available to students studying at their alma matter.
Our team has compiled a list of international case competitions available to other students, too. The opportunities are listed in chronological order.
John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition
Dates: February 18-24, 2018
Location: Montreal, Canada
Each year, the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition prepares the world’s brightest undergraduate business students to become leaders in a globally interdependent, culturally diverse and rapidly changing economic environment, while fostering strategic thinking, innovative problem-solving and sound decision-making.
Demanding and dynamic cases mixed with unique social events inspired by the city itself make JMUCC a one-of-a-kind case competition that allows students to put their creative and analytical skills to the test.
Throughout the week, each team will be required to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired in the classroom towards solving live business cases.
Their analysis will then be presented to a panel of respected judges and industry specialists who will carefully evaluate the presentations and determine one winning team.
If you don’t make it to the competition, worry not! The presentations will be live-streamed on the official JMUCC website.
Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing challenge 2018
Deadline: February 20, 2018
Date: April 13, 2018
Location: London, UK
The Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge harnesses the power of capital markets and student creativity to create positive impact in a world of perpetual resource scarcity and continued population growth.
The competition is an opportunity to apply core finance principles to target the economic, social and environmental challenges that drive the field of sustainable investing.
Pitches might focus on areas like water, energy, food, social mobility, climate change, education or healthcare, among others.
CBS Case Competition OPEN 2018
Deadline: February 27, 2018
Dates: February 28-March 2, 2018
Location: Frederiksberg, Denmark
CBS Case Competition OPEN is an incredible learning journey in which ANY student can participate.
It is an event that will push your boundaries whilst maintaining a strong focus on personal development.
It is a chance to explore your potential by competing against teams of 4 students from universities across Europe, with the first evaluation based upon power-point solutions to a real-life company case that are uploaded remotely.
After all the teams are assessed, a select few are chosen to take part in semi-finals on the Friday of week 9 with the potential final occurring later in the day!
Schulich International Case Competition 2018
Deadline: March 2, 2018
Date: March 3, 2018
Location: Toronto, Canada
The Schulich International Case Competition will be held on March 3, 2018, at the Schulich School of Business.
Teams interested in participating must be comprised of two to four graduate-level students. While the majority of the team should consist of students enrolled in an MBA program, students in sustainability, mining or natural resources programs may also be included.
Teams selected from the qualification round based on their essay submissions will be provided with the full case, and will be invited to attend the event on March 3rd, where they will present their ideas to a panel of judges from the mining industry.
Engineering and Commerce Case Competition 2018
Dates: March 6-10, 2018
Location: Montreal, Canada
The need for breaking down communication barriers within an organization is a major focus in business.
The Engineering and Commerce Case Competition (ENGCOMM) shares this vision and believes that this inter-disciplinary communication should start in University, before students start their careers.
ENGCOMM focuses on combining the technical field of Engineering with the interactive field of Commerce. We believe that this combination of disciplines will provide the necessary tools for students to embrace a cross-functional perspective, which ultimately benefits our corporate partners during recruitment.
McGill Management International Case Competition
Deadline: March 10, 2018
Dates: March 11-17, 2018
Location: Montreal, Canada
The McGill Management International Case Competition is a world-class undergraduate competition with a focus on globalization, innovation and multi-disciplinary thinking.
Founded in 2001, the event has welcomed schools from over 20 countries to date.
Organized with the close collaboration of the Montreal business community, MMICC is one of McGill University’s most prestigious events and the largest student-run event at the Desautels Faculty of Management.
L’Oreal Brandstorm 2018
Deadline: March 18, 2018 (preliminary deadlines depend on your location)
Dates: May 17, 2018
Location: The Grand Final is held in Paris, France
Over the past 26 years, students from all over the world have participated in, learned and grown from this amazing experience.
No matter what university, fields of study or majors you are from, the mission of the 2018 edition remains the same: “invent the professional salon experience of the future”.
Participants form a team of three, and have to pitch their innovative ideas to win up to €30,000 in cash, and claim one of the prestigious awards: the tech award, the brand award and the CSR award.
Use your intelligence, know-how and creativity, and join the innovation movement at L’Oréal.
Belgrade Business International Case Competition
Dates: April 15-21, 2018
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Belgrade Business International Case Competition 2018 (BBICC 2018) is the global undergraduate business case competition that will be held for the sixth time in Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia.
As one of the top global business case competitions, BBICC is a unique opportunity for international business schools not only to take part in challenging case competition, but also to experience Serbia and its culture.
This year our goal is to remain the crossroad of diverse cultures and also to create a good learning environment and to provide all the participants with valuable knowledge. Nevertheless, fair play and a high level of professionalism will be secured.
The competition organizers will bring 20 Universities from all over the world to solve 3 real business problems by generating innovative solutions.
KPMG International Case Competition 2018
Deadline: varies by country
Dates: 9-12 April, 2018
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
KPMG’s Case Competition is a world-class forum for students from across the globe.
Discover the fast paced world of casework and test your ability to develop innovative, real-world business solutions through this challenging and exciting learning experience.
You will compete with talented students from around the world, gaining valuable insight into what it’s like to work with clients.
And once you progress to the top of your national case competition, you’ll find yourself on an all-expenses-paid trip to beautiful Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the 2018 international final.
HEC Montreal International Graduate Competition
Deadline: April 27, 2018
Dates: April 28 – May 4, 2018
Location: Montreal, Canada
The 7th edition of the International Graduate Competition (IGC), the first international academic competition dedicated solely to graduate students worldwide, will be held from April 28th to May 4th 2018 in Montreal, Canada.
The competition offers a thrilling and challenging experience that will enrich your academic experience and broaden your business perspectives.
This year, up to twelve participating teams from internationally renowned business schools are expected to join the challenge.
Each team will have 48 hours to work through 4 interrelated cases, identifying key priorities, weighing benefits and addressing risks.
The university with the highest cumulative score based on the depth of analysis of each individual case, the soundness of the integrated solutions, and the quality of written report as well as oral presentations will be named the winner of the competition.
WBS Case Challenge 2018
Dates: June 1-2, 2018
Location: Coventry, UK
Teams will simulate a consultancy firm that must present solutions to a real business problem currently facing the Healthcare sector.
This competition will test the capabilities of multidisciplinary student teams to derive innovative solutions to a present problem facing organisations within the sector.
Participants will develop key consultancy skills and gain exposure to a multi-trillion pound sector. Leading industry experts and academicians will form the judging and information panels.
This competition will provide an excellent opportunity for networking and the chance to showcase your talents!
CaseIT Case Competition 2018
Deadline: Mid-August 2018
Dates: Late Fall 2018
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Hosted at the Beedie School of Business in Vancouver, Canada, CaseIT brings together top business students and distinguished faculty members from around the globe, experienced industry professionals, and dedicated Simon Fraser University students to collectively challenge conventional thinking, redefine the boundaries of business and technology, and build global connections.
The competition week provides a rigorous platform to test students’ critical business case analysis capabilities, challenge students to think creatively while balancing constraints, and to empower students to present with confidence in front of esteemed industry professionals on an international stage.
Asian Business Case Competition @ Nanyang
Dates: September 5-11, 2018
Location: Singapore
Asian Business Case Competition (ABCC) @ Nanyang is an international undergraduate business case competition that, since 2007, has taken place in Singapore.
ABCC @ Nanyang is a student-led case competition with a focus on sustainability.
Every year, the competition hosts undergraduate participants from business schools around the world, applying their knowledge and skills to solve real-life business problems.
HKUST International Case Competition 2018
Dates: October 20-26, 2018
Location: Hong Kong
HKUST International Case Competition (HKICC) is a world-class business case competition in Asia region organized by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Over a dozen of teams from leading business schools from all over the world have been competing for the championship in Hong Kong every year since 2003.
There will be four undergraduate students in each team. The competing teams will be presented with a business case developed for the event by The Thompson Center for Business Case Studies, HKUST Business School.
Only selected business schools will be invited for the competition.
ModelOff Financial Modeling World Championship 2018
Deadline: sign up before Round 1 (September 22, 2018)
Dates: Round 1 – September 22, 2018 (Online); Round 2 – October 7, 2018 (Online); World Finals – December 1-3, 2018 (London);
Location: London, UK
ModelOff is an innovative and challenging annual global online competition for professionals and students to develop and test their financial modeling skills against friends, colleagues and top modelers worldwide.
Competitors undertake two Online Qualification Rounds before the World’s Top 16 advance to a Live Finals Event held in London at the ModelOff Global Training Camp.
HULT Prize 2019
Date: March 2019
Deadline: December 23, 2018
Location: New York, USA
The Hult Prize is a startup accelerator for impact entrepreneurship which brings together the brightest college and university students from around the globe to solve the world’s most pressing issues through pitching ideas and launching companies.
It’s one of the largest and most prestigious startup events in the world, and awards millions of dollars in investment capital to young budding entrepreneurs, including a grand prize of 1 million dollars.
Which case competitions are you planning to join this year? Are there any other case competitions that we should add? Let us know in the comments below or fill in our contract form.
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