Rethinking the MBA

3

A Close Look at theCurriculum

ACURRICULUM IS NO more than an assemblage of classes and materials that collectively constitute an educational program. It plays two distinct roles, serving as both “a rule book of regulations and requirements” and “an expression of what . . . [an institution] . . . believes education means.”¹ Curricula are normally divided into required and elective components. Of special importance is “the common core, taken by all students [because it] . . . provides a base of shared knowledge, a series of points of reference, and builds esprit de corps.”²

There are, not surprisingly, myriad variations and a large number of design choices. The most basic decisions involve content: which disciplines and subject areas to cover, ...