A simple structure. A personalized path.
The Lally Scholars Program combines shared commitments, elective experiences, a final capstone, and a verified achievement record. Every Scholar follows the same high standard, while shaping the program around their interests and goals.
Four parts shape the Scholar experience
Scholars begin with five foundational commitments, choose elective engagements that match their interests, complete a final capstone, and graduate with the Lally Scholars Achievement Record.
Complete five shared commitments
Every Scholar completes a set of core experiences that build the cohort and ensure each student develops a strong base in leadership, AI, professional growth, and applied work.
Choose your own path
Scholars choose elective engagements that align with their interests, career goals, and strengths. At least one experience must be in-depth and require significant time, responsibility, and reflection.
Present a final capstone
Each Scholar completes a capstone that brings their work together in one substantial project and presents it at the annual Lally Scholars Symposium.
Graduate with verified evidence
Finally, each Scholar graduates with the Lally Scholars Achievement Record, an official credential documenting completed experiences and gained competencies.
Every Scholar completes five core experiences
These commitments create a shared foundation across the cohort while giving students hands-on experience in AI, leadership, professional development, community, and capstone work.
AI Academy Sprint
Scholars participate in a thirty-day AI Academy sprint, working in teams to build and present an AI-powered solution. This experience gives students hands-on exposure to artificial intelligence, product thinking, teamwork, and applied innovation.
Lally Scholars Society
Scholars join the Lally Scholars Society, a cohort-based community that connects students with peers, faculty, alumni, and school events. Through the Society, Scholars represent Lally and help shape the culture of the program.
Engagement and leadership role
Each Scholar takes on a substantive engagement or leadership role. This may include leading a student team, mentoring peers, organizing an event, serving as a Lally Ambassador, or contributing to the school community in a visible way.
Professional milestone
Scholars complete a professional milestone such as earning an industry certification, presenting at a conference, participating in an externship, or completing a job shadow. This requirement helps students connect classroom learning to career readiness.
Capstone
In the final year, every Scholar completes a capstone that brings together the work completed through the program. The capstone may grow from faculty research, an entrepreneurial venture, investment fund work, a consulting project, or another approved experience.
Elective experiences let Scholars shape the program around their goals
After completing the foundational commitments, Scholars choose at least four elective engagements. At least one must be an in-depth option that requires significant time, responsibility, and reflection.
Faculty research
James Student-Managed Investment Fund
Study abroad
Entrepreneurial venture
Corporate immersion
Club leadership
Case competition
Industry field trip
Community outreach
Extra certification
Pro bono consulting
Published writing
Build and ship a digital product
Open-source contribution
Tracks are optional, curated paths through the electives above.
Each names a destination and recommends an in-depth elective, supporting experiences, a professional milestone, and a capstone theme. The point is evidence: every track ends with something you can show, whether a shipped product, adopted tooling, or a delivered client engagement, documented in the Achievement Record. Follow one, combine two, or design your own path.
Product Management and Technology Strategy
For students targeting APM and rotational technology programs. Suggested path: extend your AI Academy build, add corporate immersion at a technology firm and a case competition, earn a product management certification, and complete a capstone that pairs a working product with a go-to-market analysis.
AI and Data Leadership
For students targeting data science, analytics, and applied AI roles. Suggested path: faculty research in analytics or applied AI, published writing, a cloud ML or analytics certification, and a capstone that pairs an applied AI systems with a governance or business impact analysis.
Cybersecurity and Risk
For students targeting security engineering, governance and risk, or cyber consulting. Suggested path: pro bono security assessments for Capital Region nonprofits and small businesses, faculty research, a Security+ or ISC2 certification, and a capstone that delivers a risk assessment or governance framework to a real client.
Technology Consulting and Solutions Engineering
For students targeting technology consulting and solutions or sales engineering. Suggested path: pro bono consulting with a technical deliverable, corporate immersion, a cloud certification, and a capstone that carries a client engagement from scoping through a delivered solution.
Digital Product and User Experience
For students targeting UX engineering, fron-end development, and product design. Suggested path: build tools for local organizations through community outreach, publish portfolio writing, earn a UX or front-end credential, and complete a capstone around a shipped product with usability testing.
Technology Entrepreneurship
For founders and early-stage startup roles. Suggested path: an entrepreneurial venture through the Severino Center, a pitch competition, and a capstone built around a launch with traction evidence.
FinTech and Quantitative Systems
For students targeting fintech, trading technology, and quantitative development. Suggested path: build analytics, screening, and reporting tools for the James Student-Managed Investment Fund, add faculty research and a markets credential, and complete a capstone around production tooling the Fund adopts.
Investment Management
For students targeting asset management, equity research, and capital markets. Suggested path: the James Student-Managed Investment Fund, faculty research, an industry certification, and a capstone drawn from fund work.
Strategy and Consulting
For students targeting consulting and corporate strategy. Suggested path: pro bono consulting, case competitions, corporate immersion, and a capstone built around a client engagement.
Global Business
For students targeting international roles. Suggested path: study abroad, corporate immersion, a leadership role, and a capstone with a cross-market focus.
A structure with room to grow
This structure gives students both guidance and flexibility. A student headed for the tech sector may extend the AI Academy build, ship a product, earn a cloud or security certification, and complete a capstone that pairs a working system with a business case. A student interested in finance may focus on the investment fund, research, and industry certifications. A student interested in entrepreneurship may build a venture, publish writing, and complete a capstone around a new product.
A student interested in global business may combine study abroad, corporate immersion, leadership, and research. The path is personal, but the standard is shared.
The path is personal, but the standard is shared. Every Scholar must do the work.
