Developing career-ready business students: Three curriculum models

The authors describe the efforts of the faculty and administration at a small, Midwestern, Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business–accredited school to improve business students’ career readiness. Over a four-year period, the school moved through three distinctive phases in developing a robust career development program serving undergraduates in the business school. The school first developed a single, elective career class. After a year, it shifted to embedding career-related activities into core business classes. Last, a four-year schedule of required career-related courses and a mandatory support program were designed and launched. Each phase had markedly different levels of institutional support; thus, this school’s experiences and analyses speak to best practices across a variety of contexts.