Building Future-Ready Business Schools With Generative AI

The year 2023 has been heralded as the year of Generative AI (GenAI), sparking the question: will 2024 see a new wave of business schools fully embracing and leveraging this groundbreaking technology? This report distills insights from months of environmental scanning and rich discussions led by AACSB’s Innovation Committee, alongside other visi­­onary thinkers. It delves into the strategic pathways business schools can navigate to sustain their value creation in the GenAI era.

AACSB presents pivotal focus areas for business schools to explore, emphasizing ways they can enhance learning experiences, highlighting essential strategies for business school leaders to realize their ambitious organizational goals, and envisioning potential futures for business education. The recommendations feature adopting a purpose-driven, human-centric, and collaborative approach.

This report serves as a springboard for AACSB's ongoing work in this fast-moving development impacting business schools and their stakeholders worldwide.
 

Sponsored by:
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Key Takeaways

Our exploration into generative AI revealed several key ways that business schools can use the technology to further enhance and achieve their goals. They include the following:

  • Leveraging Innovation and Value Creation: Despite potential threats, the landscape of business education is ripe with opportunities, particularly in three pivotal areas: curriculum innovation, enhancing the learner experience, and advancements in operations and decision-making. Many institutions within AACSB’s network are leading the way in these domains, showcasing the broad and impactful possibilities for growth and innovation in business schools.
  • Integrating Generative AI Into Talent Strategy: Generative AI has become a focal point in boardroom strategies and talent development initiatives. While expertise in AI and related technologies remains crucial, there is a growing focus on cultivating unique human skills among employees, such as advanced problem-solving, leadership, and emotional intelligence—abilities that machines cannot easily replicate. As generative AI rapidly transforms the workplace, agility and adaptability gain importance.
  • Enhancing Student Development: Business schools play a pivotal role in cultivating desirable talent by equipping students with a comprehensive skill set that includes AI literacy, soft and durable skills, and integrative abilities. Additionally, fostering an ethical mindset and a commitment to lifelong learning through practical, cross-disciplinary, and purpose-driven experiences is essential. Success hinges on ensuring that faculty members are fully engaged and supported, as they are instrumental in shaping the leaders of tomorrow.
  • Empowering Leadership With Strategic Vision: If business schools are to maximize the benefits of technological advancements while still maintaining academic excellence, their strategic leadership will be vital. We identify four strategic pathways for business school leaders: defining the school’s purpose, adopting a human-centered approach, embracing intentional experimentation, and aligning governance with infrastructure maturity.
  • Sparking New and Innovative Educational Models: Generative AI should be viewed not as an end goal but as a means to enhance innovation and the mission of business schools. GenAI paves the way for novel and innovative educational approaches when integrated with other technological advancements. This report outlines five visionary opportunities for reimagining business education, emphasizing flexibility, immersive experiences, ethical stewardship, in-depth learning, and the strategic use of networks. With limitless potential for the use of GenAI, it’s crucial for business school leaders to think creatively about the future possibilities for their institutions.

Opportunities for B-Schools 

GenAI is a pervasive topic in boardrooms across industries, and its current and potential impact on business education, in particular, is significant. While not all outcomes of GenAI are controllable or predictable, business schools are uniquely positioned to influence how students—who will become future leaders of organizations—approach and use generative AI.

The Intersection of GenAI and Business Education

Business schools have long adapted to shifting realities and disruptive innovations to more effectively prepare students to solve top-priority problems and become bold, competent leaders. When considering the adoption of any new tool, business school leaders need to understand both the pros and cons. Integrating generative AI is no different.

Potential Threats to Business Education
Potential Opportunities for Business Education
  • Redundancy: Certain jobs and tasks with opportunity for automation will no longer be needed.
  • Skill loss: Critical thinking and creativity, among other skills, will diminish, and outputs will become more similar.
  • Inequity and bias: Existing biases in admissions and student evaluation will be perpetuated.
  • Academic integrity challenges: The ease of generating content can lead to increased instances of plagiarism and diminish the value of original thought.
  • Devaluation of human-centric skills: Skills such as empathy, leadership, and negotiation may initially be prioritized less over technical competency.
  • Elevated productivity: Tasks, including those requiring data-driven support, will become more efficient.
  • New jobs: As new fields of work emerge and other fields expand, humans will play a critical role in filling these needs.
  • Personalized learning: Students will benefit from educational experiences tailored to their individual needs.
  • Cross-disciplinary integration: Business education can more easily integrate with other disciplines for a more holistic educational experience.
  • Enhanced creativity and innovation: Access to tools will stimulate innovation and allow for rapidly prototyping ideas, exploring complex scenarios, and engaging in creative problem-solving.
  • Democratization of education and inclusion: High-quality, personalized learning experiences will become accessible to a broader audience.

Read more about potential threats and opportunities in our recent briefing.

Essential Focus Areas for Business Schools

Our research has uncovered three overarching areas where GenAI can create value in business schools: what they teach, how they deliver education, and how they operationalize. While these areas represent the biggest opportunities, keep in mind that there are several other ways business schools can leverage this technology—some of which we are not yet aware. 

In AACSB’s 2023 report Embracing the Digital Shift: Perspectives on Digital Transformation in Business Schools, surveyed deans, faculty, and IT directors all indicated that schools will see the most benefit in an enhanced learner experience and tools to support faculty teaching as they adopt more digital technologies.
 

The most successful examples of GenAI implementation in business schools start with clear intentions and internal alignment. As business school leaders consider different ways AI can support their institution’s goals, they should assess their school’s preparedness by clarifying goals and identifying necessary resources and support.

3 Areas Where Generative AI Can Create Value
Curriculum Innovation Enhanced Learning Experiences Operations and Decision-Making
Value drivers:
  • Jumpstart course design.
  • Incorporate emerging business trends.
  • Enable continuous refinement of learning materials.
  • Address knowledge gaps promptly.
  • Nurture critical thinking and elevate inquiry skills.
Value drivers:
  • Identify and accommodate diverse student needs.
  • Facilitate interactive, experiential learning.
  • Provide immediate feedback.
  • Supplement asynchronous learning.
  • Develop personalized assessment and learning pathways.
Value drivers:
  • Streamline applicant evaluation.
  • Forecast budgets.
  • Automate responses to prospective student inquiries.
  • Track performance trends.
  • Optimize course scheduling.
3 Questions to Assess Preparedness Before Using AI in a New Way
  1. What are our desires short- and long-term goals?
  2. What additional resources—both human and infrastructure—do we need to effectively implement this?
  3. How will we support students and/or staff affected by this change?

 
Business schools around the world have started adopting generative AI and implementing innovative practices in these three key areas:

AI in Action
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology offers undergraduate students AI-specific programs through its Extended Major in AI. The coursework—which can supplement students’ disciplinary programs with additional credits—explores machine learning and design thinking and incorporates professional seminars and an applied capstone project.
Yale School of Management recently launched its Large Language Models: Theory and Applications course, which combines theory and practical application of GenAI and large language models. With a focus on hands-on learning, students apply their gained knowledge to develop AI-enabled programs that address a specific business challenge or create a new solution.
NEOMA Business School launched a Generative AI Acculturation Initiative that aims to involve the entire community—faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders—in integrating generative AI. Activities include training for faculty, a course for students, a new task force to address development needs, and engagement with a pedagogical innovation team.

Ana Freire
Vice-Dean of Social Impact and Academic Innovation
UPF Barcelona School of Management 

Additional Areas of Opportunity

While curriculum, teaching methods, and business school operationalization are poised to experience the greatest impact, the following areas are also top of mind for business school deans and are already evolving through the adoption of GenAI:

  • Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: The MBAi Program for Business & Artificial Intelligence, a joint degree program between Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and McCormick School of Engineering, weaves together business strategy with analytical technologies, fostering a deep understanding of their interdependent relationship. Students apply their knowledge through internships at leading tech and business firms.
  • Professional Development: A three-day executive learning program at Rotman School of Management prepares executives and senior managers with the skills needed to leverage generative AI in their organizations—from developing strategic roadmaps to nurturing an innovative culture.
  • Research Focus: In the Netherlands, Nijmegen School of Management faculty member Vera Blazevic is using her research to help organizations, educators, and policymakers understand the responsible integration of GenAI in creative tasks and work contexts, as well as to shape the school’s AI-specific strategies and policies.
  • Career Services: Villanova Business School’s O’Donnell Center for Professional Development equips students with AI best practices and tools to help identify career paths, align skills and experiences in the job search, and write resumes and cover letters that maintain the student’s authentic voice.
  • Industry Partnerships: SKEMA’s AI School for Business provides students with hands-on AI learning experiences by engaging a network of global business partners, multidisciplinary experts, and leaders in generative AI.
  • Innovation Creation: Students in the Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School’s Data Science: Artificial Intelligence MBA course learn to craft AI applications for different sectors. One group of students developed the idea for a “smart tampon” that would collect relevant screening data when worn. An AI-integrated software would then analyze the data to understand the patient’s cervical health.
Non-Business School Learning Providers Leveraging GenAI

Last year, Khan Academy launched Khanmigo, a GenAI learning tool that delivers personalized experiences and tutoring. Khanmigo encourages a Socratic-style delivery for independent problem-solving among students in elementary school through college, and teachers receive instant insights into student progress and performance. Sal Khan highlights in his TED talk the complexity of integrating GPT-4 into Khanmigo, a process involving deep collaboration with OpenAI to train the AI for effective student interaction, facilitation, and content delivery.
 

A New Era of Business Requirements

While 62 percent of business and technology leaders report excitement about GenAI, only 22 percent feel highly or very highly prepared to address talent concerns related to the adoption of the technology, according to a 2023 Deloitte survey of business and technology leaders. Further, most respondents also say they are not adequately educating employees on GenAI.

Industry reports cite a lack of technical talent and skills as a barrier to wider GenAI adoption, which will likely prompt accelerated changes to talent strategies. Organizations are increasingly emphasizing the need for specific skills in their employees, and certain skills like complex problem-solving, leadership, and emotional intelligence are hard for machines to match. Other skills, like adaptability, will also be key—for employees and organizations—as work continues to shift quickly in response to generative AI.

Businesses are not seeking to hire technical AI experts for non-technical roles, but across roles, AI literacy is important. This includes a foundational understanding of generative AI, knowledge of how to use it effectively, and the ability to spot challenges or pitfalls.

The jobs of the future will require new kinds of collaboration between humans and machines. We need business leaders who are adaptable, tech-savvy, and prepared to leverage generative AI to solve complex problems and drive progress.
Beena Ammanath
Deloitte Global AI Institute
The jobs of the future will require new kinds of collaboration between humans and machines. We need business leaders who are adaptable, tech-savvy, and prepared to leverage generative AI to solve complex problems and drive progress.
Beena Ammanath
Deloitte Global AI Institute

How Business Schools Can Address Talent Needs

Preparing students to meet businesses’ talent needs is about more than equipping them with AI-specific knowledge. A work-ready professional will be proficient in soft skills, mindsets that promote openness and growth, and hands-on experience.

Nurturing Top Talent
Skills Ensure students have these abilities
  • AI literacy: Technical knowledge sufficient enough to use generative AI effectively, identify use cases, and critically question outputs to create solutions to business challenges
  • Soft skills: Innately human or durable skills, including interpersonal communication, leadership, empathy, and critical thinking
  • Integrative skills: Human-centered approaches combined with technology to identify connections and cross-functionally facilitate breakthrough innovations
Mindset Nurture these attitudes
  • Beginner’s mindset: The ability to approach a situation without judgment and remain open-minded and curious
  • Growth mindset: The belief that one’s abilities can be developed, and mistakes and failures present opportunities to learn
  • Ethical mindset: Consideration of how the work impacts the community and society, and an aspiration to do well by them
Experiences Deliver these touchpoints
  • Experiential learning: Opportunities to learn by doing 
  • Cross-disciplinary collaboration: Work with peers across two or more fields of study
  • Purpose-driven mentorship: Guidance from faculty to help students uncover their unique purpose and the value they aim to create

The Role of Faculty

The evolving landscape of opportunities and expectations for future talent suggests necessary changes to the faculty role. AACSB’s 2023 survey revealed that 71 percent of AACSB faculty perceive a significant shift in their roles and expectations due to digital transformation. New digital approaches, including use of GenAI, are not limited to teaching methodologies but also extend to research practices, emphasizing the need for new areas of focus, innovative methods, and rapid, data-driven dissemination. To effectively incorporate generative AI into educational frameworks, the active participation and support of faculty is essential.

Societal Impact Icon

Strategic Pathways

After delving into the fundamental areas for business schools to extract value from GenAI, the inevitable question arises, What's the next step? The allure of GenAI lies in its universal accessibility, transcending skill levels, geographical boundaries, and professional status or rank. Yet, this very accessibility presents complex challenges in harnessing its potential while safeguarding an organization’s strategic trajectory and operational excellence. Effectively navigating these challenges demands concerted and human-centric efforts, spearheaded by strategic and visionary leaders capable of aligning all stakeholders impacted by the transformative technology. Our research has revealed the following four strategic directions for business school leaders to consider.

4 Strategic Pathways for Leveraging GenAI

Define Your Purpose
  • Clear Objectives: Determine the specific goals for using GenAI within the institution.
  • Tools for Enhancement: Understand GenAI as a means to boost the school’s value and purpose.
  • Stakeholder Insight: Identify and understand the stakeholders impacted by GenAI and gauge their specific needs and expectations.
  • Guided Application: Use this understanding to direct the application of GenAI across school activities.
Adopt a Human-Centered Approach
  • Visionary Leadership: Lead with a vision that emphasizes humans at the center of GenAI adoption. 
  • Communication, Education, Support: Effectively communicate the vision, and support stakeholder understanding and engagement.
  • Empathy for Resistance: Ease negative reactions to GenAI with empathy, recognizing resistance and anxiety as a lack of understanding.
  • Faculty Engagement: Foster faculty involvement through learning communities and inspirational leadership, encouraging exploration of GenAI’s potential.
Embrace (Intentional) Experimentation
  • Innovative Environment: Encourage an environment where education, idea sharing, and experimentation are valued. 
  • Strategic Experimentation: Adopt a unified approach to GenAI experimentation and integration, avoiding fragmented efforts and identifying cross-functional opportunities for improved operations and value.
  • Cross-Disciplinary Involvement: Engage a diverse team of key players to identify and prioritize valuable GenAI applications. 
  • Coordinated and Safe Implementation: Ensure a focused rollout with an emphasis on coordination and stakeholder safety, e.g., data privacy.
Align Governance With Infrastructure Maturity
  • Clear Governance: Ensure engagement with GenAI is productive, controlled, and guided by comprehensive governance frameworks to mitigate risks and ensure ethical use. 
  • Institutional Readiness: Acknowledge that GenAI’s transformative promise depends on advanced technology, data systems, and expertise while tempering expectations for a school’s capacity to fully harness GenAI.
  • Strategic Investing: Resist compulsive large-scale investments, as the rapidly changing nature of GenAI may present more economical and appropriate solutions over time. 
  • Utilization Plan: Create a strategic roadmap to identify areas for investment based on unique needs, governance structure, and possible GenAI applications.

Define Your Purpose

In the same way that educators are tasked with providing students the necessary skills to become purpose-driven leaders in a GenAI business world, business schools must also examine ways they can fulfill their unique value proposition to their stakeholders. Before integrating GenAI into their operations, it is crucial for institutions to clarify the objectives behind the technology’s use. Generative AI should be seen not as the end goal but instead as a tool to enhance the effectiveness and value of the business school, furthering its mission and purpose. Identify which stakeholders the school aims to reach and understand their specific needs and expectations. This understanding will guide how a school can apply GenAI across different activities to uniquely address these needs, positioning the institution to effectively deliver on its purpose.

 

David De Cremer
Dunton Family Dean, D'Amore-McKim School of Business
Northeastern University

Adopt a Human-Centered Approach

Although the technology’s allure is what captures the spotlight, “generative AI’s future success will hinge on a renewed focus on humans,” reports Deloitte’s AI Institute. A human-centered approach is key for schools to successfully incorporate and ethically deploy the technology and, as a result, creatively distinguish themselves in the market. This effort begins with a clear vision that resonates with all stakeholders.

Business school leaders should expect initial resistance and anxiety among faculty and address these attitudes with empathy, recognizing that they typically stem from a lack of understanding. Faculty play a pivotal role as ambassadors for the technology, and deans can help embolden them by inspiring them to participate instead of commanding them to engage.

Highlighting GenAI’s capacity to unlock, rather than undermine, human potential and promoting faculty-led learning communities can mitigate tension and empower peers to discover new, effective ways of working. Central to this human-centric strategy is visionary leadership. Deans should strive not only to position their schools for success but also develop their own AI-savviness to identify new partnerships and innovate human-resource solutions that add value.

A Human-Centered Approach That Encourages Innovation

Arizona State University, in collaboration with OpenAI, recently launched an institution wide AI Innovation Challenge that engages faculty, staff, and now students in generating ideas for innovative applications of the institution’s ChatGPT Enterprise platform. The initiative aims to enhance learning, research, and operational efficiency across the university’s various units by enabling a diverse set of stakeholders to engage with ChatGPT Enterprise and generate GenAI use cases that have broad positive institutional impact.
 

Embrace (Intentional) Experimentation

Achieving internal support for GenAI can be significantly enhanced by cultivating an environment that values education, idea sharing, and the freedom to experiment. This approach, coupled with a culture that embraces learning from failures, is key to sparking innovative thinking.

However, schools must maintain strategic discipline to ensure that experimentation leads to meaningful advancements and benefits the school comprehensively. A McKinsey guide for CEOs outlines drawbacks of piecemeal experimentation with GenAI, advising leaders instead to develop a cohesive strategy due to the technology’s unique challenges and wide-ranging applications within an organization.

Reinforcing the importance of a human-centric approach, business school leaders will need to involve a diverse team of cross-functional players—combining faculty and staff from various disciplines—to discover and prioritize GenAI applications that offer the most value, while not jeopardizing stakeholder safety, e.g., data privacy and security issues. This collaboration can help ensure not only a targeted and efficient rollout but also safe and coordinated integration throughout the institution.

Feeling Lost? A Step-by-Step Approach to Get You Started

Brandon Kaplan, the chief innovation officer at Journey, a design and innovation consultancy, specializes in helping organizations integrate digital, physical, and virtual elements into their customer experience using technology like AI. In a recent AACSB webinar, he offered valuable insights and best practices for organizations uncertain about how to begin their innovation journeys:

  • Start With Education: Engage experts, organize seminars, distribute pertinent literature and information, and foster a culture of communal learning to build solid foundational knowledge. This approach helps individuals gain confidence and familiarity with the subject matter.
  • Progress to Discovery: Assemble a diverse group of stakeholders from various sectors of the organization to engage in dialogue, conduct mutual interviews, and explore their unique desires and requirements.
  • Identify Use Cases: Resist the immediate impulse to adopt new technology. Instead, thoroughly analyze and determine your organization’s specific use cases and necessities. Once these needs are clearly defined and agreed on, pinpoint the technologies that can effectively address them.
  • Implement Test and Pilot Programs: Establish a compact, interdisciplinary team or pilot group dedicated to timely experimentation with ideas in an environment unencumbered by internal politics. Assess the efficacy of these ideas and establish concrete evidence of successful strategies.
  • Leverage Proof Points for Strategic Action: Choose initial proof points as a basis for broader discussions, involving a larger group to deliberate on extensive investment, and develop a comprehensive activation strategy.

Align Governance With Infrastructure Maturity

The responsibility of a business school leader extends beyond merely creating a vision; they must also ensure that the school’s engagement with GenAI is productive, yet controlled, and supported by a comprehensive governance framework.

Beyond an innovation-driven organizational culture, achieving transformative organizational success at scale requires sophisticated technology and data systems, technical expertise, robust risk management, and effective operational frameworks—areas that many institutions are just not ready for. Ideally, GenAI hinges on seamless access to and the strategic use of data tailored to specific organizational needs. Institutions with underdeveloped data integration and management may struggle to unlock the full potential of GenAI applications.

With the rapid evolution of technology, jumping into large-scale investments in hardware or expertise prematurely is not advisable. Regardless of a school’s level of data management maturity, establishing a clear governance structure to navigate risks and evaluate the institution’s unique GenAI applications can guide the development of a strategic roadmap, identifying priority areas for future investment in this journey.

A Case for Creating Momentum: Implementing a Simple but Effective Gen AI Academic Policy

Hult Business School’s initial development of a policy on GenAI spanned six months and began by forming a dedicated task force in January 2023. The team engaged faculty who were deeply involved in curriculum, teaching, and research. What culminated was a straightforward and clear policy anchored among faculty and academic staff that promotes GenAI use, emphasizes human critical thinking, and demands transparency in GenAI’s application. Hult’s chief academic officer (CAO), Johan Roos, identifies key strategies for successful policy implementation:

  • Start now, rather than take a wait-and-see approach—schools that don’t move forward risk falling behind.
  • Motivate and inspire key players to build momentum for significant and timely outcomes.
  • Catalyze collaboration among faculty and stakeholders through community-based learning, sharing, experimentation, and visible support from the top.
  • Energize constituents by highlighting the transformative potential of GenAI, not only to education and research broadly but also to their individual roles.
  • Frame a clear and nimble strategy for creating momentum and quickly adapting, apart from traditional planning and strategic plans.
  • Model the behavior, engagement, and continuous learning you expect from others. Business school leaders need to be willing to get their hands dirty and actively learn about GenAI so they can ask smart questions, determine resources, and inspire others to join the initiative.

Overseen by the CAO, this dynamic policy is continuously updated to keep pace with GenAI advancements and is managed by a flexible global team with an IT-based AI expert working with faculty AI leads in different geographies. Together, they support campuses with the latest GenAI applications, ensuring faculty are well-supported and trained in these emerging technologies.
 

Exploratory Models

At their February 2024 meeting, Innovation Committee members engaged in a design-thinking workshop to envision future business school concepts within the context of GenAI. This exercise compelled members to identify critical areas where business schools could optimize their stakeholder value. It also helped delineate the essential priorities that business schools can begin addressing now to stay ahead in the evolving educational landscape.

The scenarios presented here, which are neither exhaustive nor exclusive of one another, are intended to spark creative and innovative thinking and new approaches to education among business school leaders. What other future possibilities do you see for business education with GenAI?

5 Opportunistic Visions for Business Schools

Concept Vision:

This business school model redefines traditional educational frameworks by prioritizing flexibility, real-world relevance, agility, and lifelong learning. The curriculum is dynamically aligned with the evolving demands of the business world, transcending the constraints of a conventional academic calendar. Faculty members excel as expert facilitators, curators, and mentors, adeptly navigating the most pertinent content. They harness the power of AI and emerging technologies to nurture talent, equipping a new generation of business professionals with the essential skills required for success in today’s rapidly changing landscape.

Stakeholder Value:

  • Students engage with the latest educational content and knowledge through experiential and immersive methods, setting them up for career success and instilling a foundation for continuous learning throughout their lifetimes.
  • Faculty are empowered to become master facilitators of cutting-edge teaching and creators of programs that not only respond to business trends but are at the forefront of driving new industry insight.
  • Industry partners benefit from a pool of skilled and flexible talent who are ready to navigate the swift shifts of the business world.

Concept Vision:

This business school model acknowledges the changing landscape of the workplace and operations, which integrate digital, physical, and immersive experiences. Future business leaders learn to adeptly navigate and lead in diverse environments by leveraging a blend of learning platforms, heavily emphasizing experiential learning. Immersive and dynamic case studies and simulations powered by AI adapt to each student’s unique decision-making process, allowing them to directly experience the consequences of their leadership decisions in a controlled setting. This approach not only fosters deeper learning but also combines the limitless possibilities of virtual environments with the tailored, instantaneous capabilities of AI-generated solutions.

Stakeholder Value:

  • Students gain personalized opportunities to explore, experiment with, and refine their ideas in a risk-free environment before transitioning these concepts to the real-world workplace.
  • Faculty can bring learning concepts to life, blurring the boundary between the classroom and the real world and guiding students to an enriched educational experience through customized learning pathways, at scale.
  • Employers have access to a workforce that is adept at navigating seamlessly across different platforms and equipped with experience in a variety of business contexts, industries, and environments, thanks to immersive simulations that prime their decision-making abilities.

Concept Vision:

This business school model recognizes the deep implications of technological advancements and consequently shapes leaders who prioritize ethical and societal considerations in business decision-making. Through a curriculum that emphasizes ethical research and evaluation, hands-on projects, and industry collaboration, students are prepared to navigate the moral complexities of the modern business landscape. Graduates are distinguished not only by their business acumen and technological savviness but also by their commitment to fostering a better world through ethical business practices.

Stakeholder Value:

  • Students are equipped to be ethical stewards in the business and technology nexus through practical learning opportunities with corporate collaborators.
  • Faculty contribute groundbreaking research and education in business ethics, shaping the discourse on corporate responsibility within the context of AI and emerging technologies.
  • With companies increasingly aiming to align profit with principles of people, planet, and purpose, employers tap into a pool of talent who are proficient in applying AI for decision-making that not only generates economic value but that is also ethically and socially responsible.

Concept Vision:

This business school model emphasizes critical thinking, human-centered design, and lifelong curiosity over pure skill acquisition. Recognizing that technology may render specific skills obsolete and that learning content and knowledge represent commodities accessible to anyone, the focus is on cultivating agile minds that are adept at steering through ambiguity. Instead of allocating extensive time and faculty resources to subjects that are susceptible to AI automation, the approach fosters an in-depth, reflective, and thought-provoking educational experience as well as developing skills that are not easily replaced by machines. The pedagogical focus shifts from one of rapid learning to a more profound, critically engaging process that nurtures the intellectual growth of the next generation of business leaders.

Stakeholder Value:

  • Students master critical evaluation, creative problem-solving, and adaptive thinking—uniquely human skills that are essential among leadership roles in an unpredictable business environment.
  • Using AI to automate routine tasks and enhance efficiency allows faculty to focus on creating a more profound curriculum within their areas of expertise, further empowering them to cultivate students’ intellectual development rather than just skill acquisition.
  • The broader business community benefits from leaders who are equipped to tackle complex global challenges with innovative, human-centered solutions.

Concept Vision:

This business school model positions networking as a fundamental element of its educational philosophy, harnessing its potential for students’ professional advancement. It delivers an educational experience that is inherently global, collaborative, and interconnected. Enabled by technology, the educational journey seamlessly integrates digital, physical, and neural networks, offering boundless learning possibilities across various platforms and among diverse groups. Students not only build their networks but, with the guidance of expert faculty, drive a vibrant ecosystem of global changemakers, innovators, esteemed academics, and strategic partners.

Stakeholder Value:

  • Students tap into a global network via tech-driven platforms that blend diverse educational environments, enriching their academic journey and broadening their career opportunities.
  • In this interconnected learning ecosystem, faculty members are essential as both experts in their fields and architects of curricula that emphasize interactive and cross-disciplinary activities, aiding students in building and leveraging their networks for career advancement.
  • Industry partners are active participants in this networked model, offering practical knowledge and learning opportunities for students while also benefiting from opportunities for collaboration with faculty and other industry leaders to uncover solutions to business challenges.

Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Business Administration and Singelyn Graduate School of Business is an AACSB-accredited business school in the U.S., serving more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Named a best business program by U.S. News & World Report (2024), the college is composed of six departments, offering eight undergraduate options as part of the Bachelor of Science in business administration degree. 

In 2022, the Singelyn Graduate School of Business was established with a transformative gift from alumni couple David and Ruth Singelyn. The SGSB offers quality, affordable MBA and Master of Science degrees in accountancy, business analytics, digital marketing, digital supply chain management, and information security. 

At Southern California’s polytechnic business school, students are prepared for the ever-changing world of business through hands-on learning opportunities and industry-relevant curriculum. The college’s network of 50,000 alumni provides invaluable networking connections, career insight, and professional support.

Cal Poly Pomona is ideally situated at the nexus of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. Located near Fortune 500 companies, global tech giants, and beaches and entertainment, the campus provides the perfect backdrop for business students looking to balance work and play.

Partner with So Cal’s polytechnic business school to bring the power of technology to the business student. Visit cba.cpp.edu.

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