A Gap Analysis Approach to Marketing Curriculum Assessment: A Study of Skills and Knowledge

The need for continuous improvement in a marketing curriculum requires periodic outcomes assessments. Part of the process includes a monitoring of the relevance of a marketing curriculum to a graduate’s work environment. This article describes a process for conducting an outcomes assessment and the results of an actual alumni assessment encompassing skill and knowledge areas. Specifically, a gap analysis approach was employed in which the importance of key skill and knowledge areas to one’s current employment were contrasted with perceptions of their own academic preparation in these areas. Our results indicate that marketing alumni perceive that they are underprepared in skills and over-prepared in designated knowledge areas. The implications of the findings are discussed as well as the utility of the gap analysis in outcomes assessment.