Evaluating an industry aligned ERP curriculum in postgraduate engineering education: An outcome based empirical study

Purpose ERP is an integral part of the current-day manufacturer but how/why ERP has not been fully integrated into postgraduate engineering courses remains limited and not well established having been the topic of prior research. The study will examine how effective the provision of an industry-based ERP course was in a postgraduate level engineering program. Study design/methodology/approach This study utilized a quasi-experimental pre/post-test design using 34 postgraduate engineering students over five academic years. The curriculum was developed in partnership with an ERP Vendor and contained both theory and hands-on training, as well as an industry project supervised by the Vendor. A combination of direct and indirect measures of student learning were used for evaluation purposes. Findings After taking part in the curriculum, ERP competency scores increased from an average of 56.2 to 64.8 (t(33) = 7.71, p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 1.32). In terms of achieving desired outcomes for the NBA-aligned program, the two knowledge application (77.5%) and modern tool usage (76.0%). Employers rated their employees positively for workplace performance, with an average rating of 4.25 out of 5. Originality/value Empirical data demonstrates the implementation and assessment process of an ERP program that is aligned with industry needs, specifically using the Indian national postgraduate engineering program as an example. By integrating post-graduate employer feedback with outcome-based assessments, the research proposes a new way to assess ERP curriculum initiatives within similar educational settings.