Fully-tutored working spaces where students develop professional projects and work closely with companies and institutions. An excellent opportunity for students who want a hands-on experience, to acquire interdisciplinary knowledge and professional skills.
What are the IEU LABs?
What types of LABs are offered?
There are three kinds of Labs: Start-Up Lab, IE Labs with Corporate Partners, IELabs with Institutional Partners and Independent Labs.
- Start-Up Lab: Serves as an incubator for students´ business initiatives and guides them through the process of creating and starting a business. Students are given training in areas like marketing, funding, strategy and legal aspects, and are introduced to investors or to other entrepreneurs that share their experience.
- IEU Consultancy Labs with CORPORATE & INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS: Students work as consultants for companies, firms and institutions. These clients collaborate with IE University and call on students to carry out specific research projects and strategic analysis and deliver their findings, guided by the Lab Directors and experts. Clients belong to a variety of sectors, such as sports, finance, marketing, media, information technology, etc. IE departments or other IEU Labs can also become clients. Research and consulting is carried out in areas such as urban development, city marketing, legal issues, museum management, education, creativity and social behavior and many others. Every year more clients collaborate with the IEU Labs and new projects are added to the portfolio.
- IEU Social Impact Projects: The Social Impact Lab does external consultancy work for NGOs or public institutions. The work of the Lab consists in helping them to reach their goals and objectives with professional criteria by developing projects that have a social impact. The Lab takes advantage of the multicultural origin of its participants and the synergies that their diverse educational background offers. This Lab offers the possibility to travel abroad during the summer to visit institutions working in the field in similar social projects. The trip is
voluntary and the student will have to pay for it.
May students join a Lab that is different than their degree track?
Except for the D-Lab (which is only aimed at Architecture and Design students) and the Legal Clinic (which is only aimed at students of Law-related degrees), anyone can join any of the Labs offered regardless of the degree they are taking. In fact, it should be encouraged so that they explore other areas of interest.
Who can join the IEU LABs?
The program is geared toward first and second year students, however, senior students can also participate.
How can I find out more specific information about the IEU LABs?
Three ways:
- Go to BLACKBOARD, and look for Organizations / IE LABs & Entrepreneurship.
- Contact labs.university@ie.edu
- Send an email to the Lab Director for more specific information (you will find the email addresses on Blackboard and our website).
Will there be a Lab Director looking after us?
Yes, you will have a director, who will guide you and the rest of your group all along the way and who will monitor your work, give you feedback, help you whenever you have to meet with clients, and who will set up specific goals and deadlines.
When are the IEU LABs starting their activity this year?
There are two portions of the IEU LABs program: the Extensive Period and the Intensive Period.
During the 2022-23 Academic year, the LABs Extensive Period begins the week of January 23rd until the 5th of May with a minimum number of 12 weeks of work. Students are expected to work 4-6 hours per week (Spring Break is the week of April 3rd, there will be no LABs activity).
The LABs Intensive Period will run from May 29th until June 23rd with a total of 4 weeks. Students should work 4 hours a day from 10:00 to 14:00. Students´ attendance will be monitored.
The closing event for the IEU LABs is June 23rd. All students are expected to attend either in person or online.
Where do the LABs take place?
The IEU LABs are offered both at our Madrid and Segovia campuses.
During the extensive period, the LABs will be live in person.
During the intensive period, the format will vary depending on the Lab:
- Live online: Branding Lab, Econ DataLab, Entertainment Lab, Finance Lab, Innovation Lab, Legal Clinic, Marketing Lab, Marketing & Consumer Insights Lab, Policy Lab, Social Lab.
- Live in-person: Communication Lab Segovia, D(esign) Lab, Start-Up Lab.
- Optional*: Behaviour Lab, Communication Lab Madrid, Slow Fashion Lab, Strategy Lab, Tech Lab.
*The Lab Director will ask you to choose between live online or live in-person projects. If you opt for the latter, you will be required to stay on campus during the month of June.
Can I enrol in a Lab that is offered in a different Campus?
No, you can only enrol in the LABs that are offered in your Campus
Can I do the extensive period in one Campus and the intensive period in the other?
In principle this will not be possible if the rest of your team does not change location. This can be explored during the first meetings of the Lab when the projects are assigned but it cannot be guaranteed in advance.
Can I sign up for only the extensive period or the intensive period?
No. You need to work both during the extensive AND intensive period.
Are the IEU LABs graded?
Yes, you will obtain a grade of 0 to 10 for your participation in the IEU Labs. Your grade will be determined by your performance and the reports you have to prepare for the client or your progress in the business idea.
Does the grade I obtain in the LABs count towards my GPA?
No, but It will appear in your European Supplement to the diploma as an extra academic activity.
Will I obtain credits (ECTs) and how many?
Yes, if your participation in the LABs is satisfactory you will be granted 3 credits (ECTs). Later on, you may opt for validating those credits for some elective course whenever that may be possible in your program.
Is there a fee?
Students do not pay anything extra for joining and working at the IEU LABs. Only later on, if you decide to ask for credit recognition to make up for an elective, you will have to pay for those credits (as you will do if you decided to enroll in an elective course).
How can I enroll?
Access the online enrolment platform https://ieu-enrollment.ie.edu/.
When can I enroll?
Madrid: from Thursday 2nd to Friday 17th of November, 2023
Segovia: from Friday 3rd to Friday 17th of November, 2023
The enrollment platform doesn't work/ is not available.
If you are unable to add/ drop a lab through the enrollment platform, please contact: matricula.university@ie.edu
How many LABs can I register for?
You may register for only ONE lab per academic year. To work in two LABs will be very demanding and will put at risk your academic performance.
Can I change/ drop LABs once I have begun working for one of them?
You will have the possibility to drop Labs from the 9th of January to the 13th of February, 2023.
After Feb 13th, you will not be able to change your enrolment in the LABs. If your attendance in the Lab is not satisfactory, you will receive a Fail that will show on your transcript.
Is there limited space available in each Lab? How do you select students?
Yes, there is limited availability in each Lab. In general, students will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis. That is why we encourage students to enrol as soon as possible.
Depending on the number of students enrolled, some Directors may decide to carry out a selection process. In this case, you will be informed about the criteria on the first session.
If I missed the registration in November, can I still sign up for a Lab?
Yes, the online enrolment platform will open again from the 9th of January to the 2nd of February, 2023.
If I decide to drop the Lab (for instance, because I have other plan for the summer, I get an internship, etc) after the add & drop period is over, what will be the consequences?
You will receive a Fail that will show in your transcript. Working in a Lab is voluntary. When you decide to join, you acquire a commitment towards the clients, the university, your Lab Director and the rest of the team. The team will have to deliver in any case at the end of June. If you leave your teammates will have to do the extra work and the credibility of the university and of the IEU LABs project will be questioned.
If I have done a Lab in the past, can I enroll again? In the same Lab? In a different Lab?
Yes, you can sign up again.
- If you are interested in a different Lab, you will have to attend the two portions of the new Lab (non-intensive and intensive). You will get 3 ECTs.
- If you are interested in the same Lab, you have 2 options:
- To do the full package (non-intensive and intensive) for 3 ECTs; or
- To do only the non-intensive period for 1 ECT.
To enroll, get in touch with labs.university@ie.edu