When Dr. Kaitlyn DeGhetto was selected as one of the University of Dayton School of Business Administration’s nine AI Fellows, she went straight to industry leaders with a key question: What AI skills do you expect from new graduates?
The response was clear. Students need AI fluency, but not at the expense of the human strengths that define great business leaders.
In response, Dr. DeGhetto incorporated AI into two senior-level management courses: MGT 410, Senior Seminar in Management and MGT 490, Strategic Management.
These courses provide students with hands-on experience that mirrors the decisions and challenges they will face in their careers. Her goal is to teach students to use AI as a strategic tool while strengthening core skills such as communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and the ability to navigate complex problems with no single correct answer.
MGT 410: Consulting With a Real Company on AI Solutions
In MGT 410, students not only learn about consulting but also gain hands-on experience. They are consultants for a real business partner.
“Client-based projects challenge students to lead and to take ownership of their work. There are definitely unforeseen obstacles and ambiguity that force our students to pivot or be adaptable,” said Dr. DeGhetto. “I encourage them to take initiative: develop and ask questions to understand their client’s needs.”
This year, the client is a large logistics company in Cincinnati exploring how AI could support sales and recruiting efforts.
Student teams work as analysts and strategists. They:
- Research three to five AI tools based on their interest area
- Analyze industry best practices
- Evaluate ROI, ethics, and alignment with the company’s goals
- Build a recommendation toolkit with an implementation and training plan
Students meet with the client three times: a kickoff Q&A, a midpoint review, and a final presentation, during which they defend their recommendations in real time.
This is where technical and human skills come together. Students must ask thoughtful questions, handle ambiguity effectively, collaborate efficiently, and communicate clearly, all while integrating AI into their research and presentations.
“When meeting with our client, it was important to ask the right questions,” said Megan Miller, senior management student. “The client was impressed with the research we had completed and the recommendations we were suggesting.”
The Outcome: Critical Thinking in Action
In some business assignments, there are clear right and wrong answers. But consulting work isn’t formula-based.
“With this course, the students are given a project scope and some guidance, but it is a messy problem that any business would have,” Dr. DeGhetto said. “The students are responsible for going out and doing the difficult work of researching and evaluating those options. There’s no one correct answer. There are many answers. The challenge is that they have to think critically and make the best recommendation."
MGT 490: Running a Company with an AI “Colleague”
In MGT 490, a required course for all business students, students work in teams and assume executive roles as they lead a simulated company through a semester-long Capsim competition. They make decisions in:
As a team, they make executive-level decisions about:
- Strategy and competitive positioning
- Marketing and pricing
- Operations and capacity
- Financing and investments
Along the way, students have access to an AI tutor who helps them refine their work. They utilize AI to verify assumptions, explore alternative perspectives, and assess performance data. Dr. DeGhetto tells her students to think of the AI Tutor as an “informed colleague” who can pressure-test their ideas.
“Through the Capsim AI Tutor, I was able to clearly evaluate the performance of our company and how different strategies change the business decisions we made,” said Megan. “AI allowed me to think about our strategy and how to improve our decisions to gain an advantage over our competitors.”
Who are their competitors? Other business students! Their performance is measured against other teams and often provides a weekly outlet for friendly competition.
Outside of the simulation project, students also complete at least 5 hours of an AI course or certification of their choice, based on their interests or major, to develop industry-specific AI fluency that they can confidently highlight in internships and job interviews.
One of the most encouraging trends Dr. DeGhetto has seen is students' natural ability to balance teamwork and technology.
“I’ve noticed that for most of our students, they’re collaborating first and foremost with their teammates, and using AI as an assistant,” she said.
Students brainstorm together, debate options, make decisions, and then turn to AI to refine their work.
“The weekly discussions forced me to slow down and actually justify the moves I was making in the simulation. With my philosophy minor, I enjoy digging into the reasoning behind things, and the AI tutor acted like a sounding board that challenged my strategy,” said Elayna Brdecka, senior management major and philosophy minor. “Instead of just reacting to what happened in the previous round, it pushed me to look at the data more critically and anticipate how competitors might pivot.”
To reinforce that balance, Dr. DeGhetto incorporates both “tech days” and “tech-free days.” Tech days encourage students to explore AI tools and technologies. Tech-free days foster stronger communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills by eliminating the reliance on technology.
“Soft skills are critical. AI cannot deliver feedback to a peer or a subordinate. That’s on you. You have to be able to defend your ideas,” Dr. DeGhetto said. “Critical thinking, communication, adaptability, and negotiation skills are more important than ever, and those are skill sets that AI cannot replace.”
Preparing Future-Ready Business Leaders
Together, MGT 410 and MGT 490 offer students a powerful combination: AI experience that mirrors the modern workplace and human-centered skills that employers consistently rank as most valuable.
Through consulting projects, high-level simulations, certifications, and structured practice, UD students learn not just how to use AI, but how to lead with it.
I think being able to show that I’ve used AI for actual strategic analysis rather than just basic automation will be a huge advantage,” said Elayna. “Most people know how to use AI for simple tasks, but I can show that I know how to apply it to business performance and competitive strategy. It gives me a more modern approach to management and shows that I can adapt to the tech that is currently changing the industry.”
AI in the Business Classroom: About the AI Fellows Initiative
This article is part of the AI in the Business Classroom blog series, highlighting how the University of Dayton’s business faculty is shaping the future of business education through artificial intelligence.
The AI Fellows Initiative at the University of Dayton’s School of Business Administration equips students with hands-on AI experience and the ethical mindset needed to lead in a rapidly evolving business world.