School of Information students work on projects for client partners from all types of organizations and industries: small businesses, non-profits, major corporations, governments, research institutions, museums, libraries, and educational institutions. To ensure success, all projects require the following:

Key Client Requirements

• Project contacts. Clients must provide UMSI with two contacts per project who can be reached consistently during the project by the client engagement team, students, or the faculty member/program manager. 
• Access. This will vary by course, but clients must commit to providing access to the systems, users, or data students will need to complete successful coursework.
• Commit to regular communication with students. Regular communication is a key to success and may come in the form of a regular meeting, or regular requests for feedback. This is usually in the form of a weekly meeting with students.
• Understand the work students will deliver. Deliverables vary by course. The client engagement team will work with clients during the project development process to ensure expectations are aligned between client needs and the course deliverables.
• Share feedback with UMSI. Share feedback throughout the semester if needed, and via our evaluation form at the end of the term.
• Course particulars. Individual courses are likely to have specific client expectations. These are outlined in more detail on each course page.
• Client agreement. Please review and agree to the client agreement (umsi.info/clientagreement).
• More information. For more on what makes a client or project a good fit, view our Ideal Clients and Projects page.

Review the full client guide for the following resources:

• Client Engagement Timeline
• Project Proposal Process
• Ideal Projects (and types of projects students don’t work on)
• Past Project Examples
• NDAs and Agreements
• Internships and Recruitment

About the Client Engagement Team  

The client engagement team at the University of Michigan School of Information (UMSI) recruits clients for courses in UMSI’s Bachelor's and Master's degree programs. The team is composed of UMSI staff and current students. They understand course requirements and expectations, making them uniquely suited to aid clients through the project development and scoping process. Recruitment begins in June, when the team reaches out to previous clients and targeted lists and opens up the project idea and project proposal forms. After submitting a form, a member of the client engagement team will be in contact with you to help scope your project and match it to a course. 

The client engagement team will work with clients to develop projects that meet the needs of the client and fit within a course’s curriculum. The team will work with clients one-on-one through email, Google Documents (or Word documents), and phone calls to ensure the project is well-developed and that all expectations are met. We aim to keep clients up-to-date on the status of their proposal and communicate regularly. If a project is matched, the client engagement team is available in case any issues arise. If a project is not matched, the team will work to see if the organization’s needs can be met through a slight rescoping of the project to fit in another course. If not matched during a year, the project can be deferred or archived.

We strive to meet the needs of organizations while providing students with real-world learning opportunities. It is our hope that this comes together in a project that is a truly mutually beneficial and educational experience for all.  

Contact Us

Engaged Learning Office |  [email protected] | (734) 763-1251

Please complete this form to submit a project proposal for one of our client-based courses or other programs, or to receive information about these opportunities throughout the year.