MBA Capstone
What is the UCLA Biodesign MBA Capstone?
Established in 2019 to provide MBA students with immersive training in healthcare technology innovation and business creation. The UCLA Biodesign Capstone is a three-quarter program with two different tracks for enrolled UCLA Anderson MBA candidates: the Biodesign Fellowship and Biodesign Capstone open to MBAs teams who are pursuing a Business Creation Capstone.
UCLA Biodesign utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to assemble teams that tackle some of today’s most challenging clinical needs. UCLA Biodesign teams outperform traditional campus programs year after year, consistently placing in UCLA campus entrepreneurial competitions and placing as finalists in national and other university competitions, as well as the National Science Foundation regional and national I-Corps Program.
- Partner with clinicians across the patient journey
- Validate product-market fit firsthand with hospital leaders
- Access in-house prototyping lab to design and test solutions
- Pitch to industry leaders and investors throughout the year
- Join off-site events, conferences, and more!
What is the difference between the Biodesign Fellowship and the Biodesign Team Capstone for MBAs?
Both tracks enroll in MGMT428 A&B and receive credit for the Anderson Business Creation Capstone. Participants in both tracks have weekly advisor meetings and are also required to attend the annual Biodesign Bootcamp which is typically held the second and third week of September before fall quarter begins. All participants also gain access to clinical immersion and shadowing on the frontlines of care at UCLA Health as well as the opportunity to present to and meet with UCLA Health leadership and industry leaders in Southern California. All Biodesign teams receive mentorship from domain experts throughout the year.
The UCLA Biodesign Fellowship is open to Anderson MBAs from the EMBA, FEMBA and full-time programs and has a limited number of spaces per year. MBA Biodesign Fellows also receive a quarterly stipend. Unlike traditional Capstone team formation, MBA Fellows join an interdisciplinary team comprised of doctors, nurses, and engineers from the Biodesign Fellowship cohort.
The Biodesign Team Capstone is open to FEMBA, EMBA and full-time MBAs who are able to commit up to 50 hours in the fall quarter to participate in clinical immersion at UCLA Health in departments relevant to their capstone project. This may include rounding in the hospital, shadowing procedures, analyzing data, interviewing clinicians, and more. During winter and spring quarters, the Biodesign Capstone Teams apply their clinical observations to refine their product development, business model, and pitch. Interested candidates apply as a team and provide a business creation proposal with their application.
The Biodesign MBA Capstone is open to MBAs teams who are pursuing a Business Creation Capstone in the FEMBA, EMBA and full-time MBA programs.
How to Apply?
Interested Fellowship applicants and Capstone teams should apply via email to biodesign@mednet.ucla.edu by June 30, 2026 and be available for the UCLA Biodesign Bootcamp, September 16–25, 2026. All applicants should include their CV(s) and project proposal for the Biodesign Team Capstone track. If a team wishes to apply without a project proposal, students have the option to pair with a Biodesign Accelerator team.