Start here: intent is due November 11 and the full plan is due December 4
AMA's 2026–2027 Collegiate Case Competition is a year-long academic marketing competition sponsored by The Cigna Group. The current Intent to Participate form is open and closes Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CST. The full written case plan and Case Entry Form are due Friday, December 4, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
| Item | Current published information |
|---|---|
| Intent to Participate | Open now; due November 11, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CST |
| Written plan deadline | December 4, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CST |
| Finalists notified | Week of January 26, 2027 |
| Final round | In person at AMA ICC, April 8–10, 2027, New Orleans |
| Sponsor | The Cigna Group |
| Eligible students | Active, paid national AMA undergraduate members contributing through an eligible collegiate chapter |
| Teams | One team per chapter / school; all contributors must appear on the Case Entry Form |
| Final presentation team | Up to five student presenters |
| Prior internship requirement | Not published |
| Minimum GPA | Not published |
| Relationship | Academic case competition; not employment or an internship |
Submitting the intent form matters before the written deadline because AMA verifies the chapter and then provides access to the gated case brief, eligibility rules, sponsor resources and competition materials. AMA explicitly recommends signing up early to get earlier access to the brief.
This is a chapter competition, not a Cigna or AMA internship. The useful experience is the research, strategy, tactics, metrics and judged written plan your team creates, plus the in-person presentation if your chapter advances.
Eligibility runs through an AMA collegiate chapter, not an individual public application
AMA says the competition is exclusively for undergraduate teams from schools with an active AMA-affiliated collegiate chapter in good standing. Participation is restricted to active, paid national AMA members. Graduate students may not participate or contribute to the case.
Every student who contributes must be listed on the Case Entry Form. Each chapter or school may enter one team, and faculty advisers may guide and give feedback but may not direct the team's recommendations. Students graduating in December 2026 or January 2027 can still present at the final if they contributed to the work and keep an active AMA membership.
The public rules do not publish a minimum GPA, required major, prior-internship threshold or work-authorization rule. Do not invent one. The real access gates are chapter status, undergraduate status and active paid national AMA membership.
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The core work product is a full strategic marketing plan
Round 1 asks chapter teams to study the sponsor challenge, conduct research, define a strategy, build tactics and metrics, and organize the work into a full written strategic plan. AMA's judging rubric evaluates situation analysis and research, target marketing and positioning, strategy and objectives, tactical implementation, metrics and presentation quality.
Anonymous judging matters. AMA tells teams not to include the school's name, campus location, region or other identifying information in the written case. The case itself is confidential, so do not publish restricted case materials as a portfolio sample unless AMA's rules later permit it.
You can still preserve recruiting evidence without leaking the brief: keep your own research notes where allowed, record the decisions you personally owned, document how your recommendation changed after feedback, and describe the strategic problem at a level that does not disclose confidential case information.
Sources[1]
Finalists move from a blind written plan to a live sponsor presentation
AMA says professional and academic marketing experts judge the written plans in December. Top finalist teams are notified during the week of January 26, 2027. AMA says the finalist field is typically about nine to eleven chapter teams.
Finalists present in person at the 2027 AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans from April 8 through April 10. Each finalist chapter can use up to five student presenters. The final-round rubric gives substantial weight to target marketing, positioning, strategy, tactical implementation and live presentation and Q&A.
Treat advancement as a new verified signal only after AMA announces it. A submitted plan can be listed as competition participation; finalist status, placement and prize claims should appear only after the corresponding result is official.
Prize money belongs to the chapter competition; it is not a wage
AMA currently lists a $2,000 first-place chapter prize, $1,000 second-place prize for each of three second-place chapter teams, and $500 third-place prize for each of six to seven third-place chapter teams, with ICC plaques. Those awards are competition prizes, not hourly pay or internship compensation.
Finalist chapters also need to register for the 2027 International Collegiate Conference. AMA's current ICC page lists separate conference registration and travel or lodging costs. Do not treat the case prize as reimbursement for every participant's conference expenses unless your chapter has separately confirmed that arrangement.
If cost determines whether you can present, resolve chapter funding, conference registration, transport and lodging early. The competition page establishes the academic competition and prizes; it does not promise an employer-funded trip or a recruiting interview.
Use the judged marketing work as evidence, then keep internship recruiting separate
A precise resume label after submission is 'AMA Collegiate Case Competition 2026–2027 — Team Member' plus the role you actually held. Describe your contribution to research, target-market choice, positioning, strategy, tactics, budget or metrics. If your chapter becomes a finalist or places, add that result after it is official.
AMA's broader collegiate conference includes career preparation and networking, but the case rules do not promise a Cigna interview, AMA job interview or internship conversion. Continue applying directly to marketing, brand, strategy, research, media and related internships while the competition is judged.
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