The Skills That Matter

The Skills That Matter

New curriculum focuses on data analytics skills, professional development and student support

Successful business careers begin with an academic foundation that equips students with the skills necessary to navigate today’s evolving business landscape.

This is the driving force behind recent enhancements to the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration curriculum, which is the set of required classes every College of Business Administration student must take alongside their specific field of study.

“During the last two decades, advances in technology have increased the need for our graduates to be adaptable, resilient, data-savvy and effective communicators,” CBA Associate Dean Misty Bennett said. “The pandemic has only accelerated this change over the past few years.”

Bennett, who led the curriculum revision process, said that the updated academic core provides a comprehensive and interconnected learning experience, ensuring that every CBA student develops and acquires critical skills to prepare them for success in their future careers.

“We conducted a thorough review that included critical input from our faculty, staff and alumni, as well as employers and internship supervisors, about the competencies students need to be successful in business today,” Bennett said.

The revised curriculum comprises classes that build upon each other throughout a student’s time in the CBA, with an emphasis on data analysis, leadership, management, teamwork and professional development.

Diving into Data

The new BSBA degree highlights data analytics to transform students into business leaders confident at making decisions using data.

“We’re exposing students to the basic concepts of Microsoft Excel through a personal finance project, and then building their analytical skills over a series of courses culminating in an advanced applied business analytics class,” Bennett said.

The curriculum focuses on honing and developing skills so students can better make and communicate business decisions using data modeling and the data science lifecycle process.

“The approach that the redesign team took was to focus on leveraging students’ statistics and Excel skills, as well as their business acumen, and build on that foundation,” said Business Information Systems faculty member and core revision team member Jim Nesbitt, who joined CMU after a career that included leading data analytics initiatives at Dow.

The redesigned core curriculum includes a semester where students take a cluster of three courses together — applied data analytics, marketing and supply management — that are integrated and taught by a team of faculty members. Students work in teams throughout the semester on five interdisciplinary projects with real data to develop and apply their analytics, problemsolving, communication and team skills through various stages of the data management lifecycle

“Our end goal in designing an updated quantitative and applied analytics course sequence was to ensure that students graduate with the essential blend of technical, interpersonal, and decision making skills sought by employers,” Nesbitt said.

Developing Professional and Personal Skills

Along with applied analytics skills, the College of Business Administration’s new curriculum is strongly rooted in developing CMU students’ professional and personal skills. New classes focus specifically on professional development, including:

• Teamwork in Business, which equips students with team best practices, conflict resolution and virtual collaboration skills. Through self-assessments like CliftonStrengths, students explore their strengths and abilities within team dynamics.

• Leading Through Change, which focuses on leadership and change management, as well as fostering diversity, equity and inclusion.

• Career Management, which teaches networking strategies, job search techniques, negotiation skills and insights for long-term career growth.

Recognizing the pandemic’s impact on students’ communication skills, the college has increased and enhanced presentations across the curriculum and added several formal and informal communication opportunities, including networking practice, interviewing professionals, and cultural conversations with peers from other countries.

Enhancing Student Support

Supporting students during their college experience is critical to their personal and academic success. The new curriculum — specifically the courses focused on professional development — prioritizes mental health and wellness and teaches coping strategies, resiliency, and work/life balance techniques beginning in a student’s first semester on campus.

Peer mentorship is also integrated into classes in the updated curriculum with upper-level students acting as mentors to new students. They help with the transition to CMU, provide career management support, and encourage exploration of experiential learning opportunities within the college and across campus.

The comprehensive approach of the new curriculum — together with enhanced support services within the college — is designed to equip students with valuable skills and resources for a fulfilling educational journey.

“We are very proud of our revised curriculum and renewed focus on applied, relevant student learning as we develop the community and organizational leaders of tomorrow,” CBA Dean Chris Moberg said. “We are excited to see the impact of the new curriculum and our increased commitment to student support and development for years to come.”