Are Business Students Learning What Businesses Need?

Abstract

This paper examines whether business schools are teaching students the concepts and skills that businesses need. The authors analyze 200 corporate job descriptions collected in Fall 2009 and reveal 140 specific skills and certifications commonly cited as required for candidates applying for jobs in business. By matching these corporate skill sets with specific business major tracks, the authors provide guidance and assistance for business schools that desire to better align curricula with job requirements. A close alignment of curriculum with business needs should help students achieve better job placements and ultimately better assist the firms that hire them. Additionally, the authors examine the resumes of 200 business students nearing graduation and reveal that many students have low to no proficiency on the skills mentioned in job descriptions. This finding suggests that disparity between school of business focus and practitioner needs is ongoing and potentially problematic, at least at the institutions sampled. A content analysis of 100 school of business course syllabi and 20 textbooks supported this conclusion. The authors match corporate skills sets with academic tracks within business majors and provide specific suggestions for closing the gap between business school curricula and corporate needs. A closer alignment of business school coursework and curricula with post-graduation job requirements could benefit many if not most colleges and universities.