Short answer: Yes, but only if you frame them as business experiences rather than academic exercises—and only if you lack sufficient professional experience to fill the page.

Here’s how to think about it strategically:

When Academic Projects Add Value

Early-career candidates (Undergrad/Master’s with <2 years experience):

• Consulting recruiters know you don’t have 10 years of client work. They’re looking for proxies for the skills they need: structured problem-solving, quantitative analysis, stakeholder management, and measurable impact.
• A well-crafted capstone project can demonstrate these better than a generic "Marketing Intern" bullet point about making coffee runs.

Career switchers (PhDs, Postdocs, Law/Med school pivoters):

• Your academic research is likely your only "professional" experience. The key is translating methodology into business outcomes. "Conducted regression analysis" becomes "Isolated $1M cost drivers using statistical modeling to inform C-suite strategy."

Specialized consulting tracks:

• If targeting healthcare, energy, or public sector consulting, relevant thesis work shows domain expertise that generalist candidates lack.

The "Consulting Lens" Filter

Academic projects fail on consulting resumes when they sound like homework. Pass the "So What?" test by restructuring:

Key translation rules:

• Lead with the outcome, not the course name
• Quantify (dollars, percentages, time saved, people reached)
• Show collaboration (consulting is team-based; solo thesis work needs to highlight client/advisor interaction)

When to Delete the Section

• Experienced hires (3+ years): If you have 2-3 solid professional bullets per role, academic projects look like filler. Consulting rewards brevity.
• Space constraints: If adding "ABC University Eco-Car Project" pushes your resume to 2 pages or forces you to shrink font to 9pt, cut it. Undergrad resumes must be one page.
• Irrelevance: A poetry analysis project, no matter how well graded, signals you don’t understand what consulting values unless you explicitly tie it to change management or organizational culture.

Strategic Placement

Don’t create an "Academic Projects" section—it sounds like coursework. Instead:

Option A: Integrate into "Leadership Experience" or "Selected Projects" (for those with some internships) Option B: Create a "Professional & Project Experience" section (for those with zero internships) to blur the line between paid work and high-impact academic work

Pro tip: If you mention a project, be ready for the "What would you do differently?" question in interviews. Consulting case interviews often probe academic work exactly because it’s something you owned completely.

To give you more targeted advice:

1. What’s your current level? (Undergrad senior, recent Master’s, PhD candidate, career switcher with 5+ years?)
2. Do you have traditional internships, or would projects be the bulk of your resume?
3. What type of consulting are you targeting? (MBB strategy, Big 4 implementation, niche boutiques?)

The answer shifts significantly based on whether you’re applying to McKinsey as an undergrad versus Deloitte Digital as an industry hire.

Including Academic Projects on a Consulting Resume

What Makes a Consulting Resume Different?

Consulting resumes (e.g., for McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte) are highly competitive and concise—typically one page, with a focus on leadership, impact, analytical skills, problem-solving, and teamwork. Recruiters spend ~10-20 seconds scanning them initially, prioritizing quantifiable achievements over duties. Unlike general resumes, they use a PAR structure (Problem-Action-Result) in bullets, e.g., "Led team to analyze market data, recommending strategy that projected 15% revenue growth."

Background context: Top firms hire ~1-2% of applicants. Recent grads from target schools (e.g., Ivy League) compete with experienced pros, so every line must prove "consulting potential."

Why Include Academic Projects? (The "What" and "Why")

Academic projects (e.g., capstone, research, case competitions, theses) can be useful fillers to showcase skills when professional experience is thin. Here's why:

• Demonstrate core consulting skills: They highlight structured problem-solving, data analysis, teamwork, and client-like deliverables (e.g., a market entry strategy project mirrors real consulting).
• Bridge experience gaps: Ideal for recent grads (0-2 years exp) or career switchers. Sources like PrepLounge (2026 guide) and MConsultingPrep explicitly recommend them for students, as they prove you can handle ambiguity and deliver results.
• Quantify impact: Turn "group project" into "Analyzed 50+ datasets for nonprofit client, optimizing operations to save $10K annually."
• Stand out in screening: Recruiters value relevant, high-impact projects (e.g., business strategy simulations) over GPA alone, per Management Consulted (2025) and IGotAnOffer examples.

Evidence from experts:

• PrepLounge (2026): "Yes—especially for students/recent grads. Relevant coursework/case studies show analytical skills."
• BeamJobs (2026): "Lean on college projects for internships without hands-on exp."
• Reddit/WSO forums: Recent juniors include them under "Projects" or Education to land MBB interviews.

However, they're not a substitute for real-world exp—academic work ranks below internships/full-time roles.

When Is It Useful? (Key Scenarios)

Red flags to avoid (per ex-McKinsey advice, 2025):

• Irrelevant/low-impact (e.g., basic homework).
• Jargon-heavy (use business language).
• Too many (1-3 max).

How to Include Them (Quick Tips)

1. Location: Under Education (sub-bullets) or dedicated "Projects" section (after Experience).

2. Format: 1-2 lines/project. Action verb + metric + result.

   • Example:
     Academic Projects
     Market Entry Strategy, XYZ University (2025)
     • Collaborated with 4 peers to develop go-to-market plan for EV startup; forecasted $1M revenue via Excel models, presented to industry panel (top 5%).

3. Tailor: Match job description keywords (e.g., "strategy," "stakeholder management").

Potential Drawbacks

• Space crunch: One-page limit—only if they add unique value.
• Perception: Over-reliance signals "unproven"; firms prefer client-facing impact.

In summary: Yes for entry-level (huge value-add); no/maybe for experienced hires. It depends on your profile—tailor ruthlessly.

What stage are you in your career (e.g., recent grad, years of exp)? Can you share examples of your academic projects or target firms? This would help me refine advice or review specifics!