MBA students gain real-world agentic AI consulting experience through new course

This fall, the Warrington College of Business launched Strategic Consulting and AI-Driven Practices (MAN6930), a pilot course that strengthens consulting fundamentals while integrating agentic, AI-driven analysis for a real client. Designed for MBA students, the course provides an experiential learning opportunity aligned with careers in leading global advisory firms and strategic divisions of Global Fortune 2000 corporations.

Michael A. Carrillo, Clinical Associate Professor in the Marketing Department of the Warrington College of Business, taught the course.

“Organizations are no longer asking if they should use AI—they are asking how fast they can scale it,” he explained. “Companies are adopting Generative AI for efficiency, automation and insight generation, while agentic AI systems are emerging as the next frontier for orchestrating complex workflows and decision processes.”

Students worked with Silicon Labs, a global technology company on a mission “to be the undisputed leader in embedded wireless.” After a series of virtual client sessions throughout the semester, the students traveled to the company’s headquarters in Austin, Texas. There, the students presented fully functioning agentic AI minimum viable products (MVPs) that automate complex workflows.

“We received extremely positive feedback from Silicon Labs,” said Carrillo. “Their head of university recruiting shared that our MBA teams delivered exceptional work: deep research, sophisticated analysis and presentations that exceed expectations.”

Among the students contributing to this success was Réka Holicsek (MBA ’26), who enrolled in the pilot course to gain hands-on experience at the intersection of consulting and AI.

“A course like this shows not only what AI can do, but how to think critically about when and where it adds value,” she said. “When used thoughtfully, AI can make complex projects more manageable and help uncover insights that may not appear through traditional analysis alone.”

Sarah Carlson, Senior Director of MBA Student Experience, led the curriculum’s innovation.

“When we designed this course, we set out to give students practical frameworks for consulting engagements and [the strategies] needed for todays and tomorrow’s project work,”  Carlson said. “Dr. Carrillo’s use of AI in strategic consulting showcases the exact skills MBA students must develop for the future workplace.”

The partnership proved valuable for the company, the Warrington College of Business and students preparing to enter the industry. It sets a foundation for building a sustained, forward-looking capability in agentic AI-enhanced consulting education and reflects Warrington’s commitment to leading the future of strategic AI practice.

“This course represents a distinct differentiator for the University of Florida and the Warrington College of Business,” Carrillo said. “We are not simply teaching AI concepts, we are training students to apply advanced AI and agentic workflows to real organizational problems, responsibly and strategically.”