Why top MBA programs are changing

July 12, 2012
Why top MBA programs are changing

Recently, we’ve reported on the changes taking place at some of the country’s top business schools. Today, we’ll take a closer look at what’s driving these ongoing updates and where American business education is heading in the near future.

The main shift involves measures centered on encouraging MBA recipients to develop practical skills that will allow them to pursue entrepreneurship.

One MBA candidate blogging for business school analysis site Poets & Quants explains that “Business schools are all about finding and developing leaders that make an impact; and right now, there is no greater impact that can be made than building a wildly successful organization that is then able to help thousands (or millions) of people. When universities can tout founders and top executives behind brands like Google and Facebook, it not only works wonders for the cache of the school’s name but it validates that they (and their alums) really are as good as they say they are.”

Taking this view, it is possible to see the startup-centric changes occurring in the nation’s business schools as a sort of natural evolution. Other changes taking place in the business environment can also be viewed as part of this trend.

For instance, many firms are finding that it is beneficial to partner with a financial project consulting service as they scale up their operations, rather than rapidly recruiting accountants and other financial professionals to meet short-term needs. Especially for a startup, working with outside experts on an interim basis can be an effective way for a company to bolster its staff’s capabilities and overcome immediate obstacles without overextending itself with too many new long-term personnel commitments.

The economic landscape may be shifting, but academic institutions and financial project consulting firms are working to provide aspiring business leaders with the tools they need to adapt to the changing times and succeed.

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