A Fresh, New Perspective on Business School and What it Means for the Future Boston University's Questrom School of Business's bold new approach to its evolving and expanding undergraduate program.

Twenty years ago, the hottest business courses revolved around the cornerstones of corporate success—finance, accounting, and marketing—and prepared students for careers in Wall Street firms, boardrooms, and advertising agencies. Today, business education is shifting to emphasize hands-on learning, problem-solving, and teamwork—key skills that prepare students to navigate evolving industries and complex global challenges.

Which is why the Boston University's Questrom School of Business recently underwent a major redesign of its undergraduate program. "We knew we had to rethink how we prepare students for the realities of today's job market," says Barb Bickart, Senior Associate Dean of Programs. "The business landscape is evolving, and we need to ensure our graduates are ready to meet those challenges head-on."

The need for change

Questrom has a strong reputation, with an acceptance rate of just 8%. Despite this, data showed that graduates—especially in finance—weren't consistently landing top-tier jobs. "We realized that our curriculum, largely unchanged for 30 years, needed to evolve to keep pace with the shifting recruitment landscape," Bickart explains.

The internship scene changed, too. In the past, Questrom's finance students would interview for internships in their junior year. Today, recruitment has shifted earlier, with students now vying for internships as early as their sophomore or even freshman year.

"To give them a competitive edge, we knew we had to introduce those core competencies earlier in their education," Bickart says.

A bold new approach

What did the school do to change?

At the heart of Questrom's transformation was a move away from its long-standing interdisciplinary core course structure, which had bundled key subjects like finance, marketing, and operations into a single block taken during students' junior year. By unbundling these courses, students can take them earlier and enjoy greater flexibility in shaping their academic journey.

Additionally, the new program introduces a series of thematic "quests," designed to reinforce key competencies throughout a student's academic career. These include:

• Critical and innovative thinking: A dedicated course on critical thinking for business, with skills reinforced in real-world projects.
• Teaming and leadership: A structured approach to teamwork development across multiple courses and hands-on experiences.
• Global and cultural competency: Integrating international business insights into coursework and experiential learning.
• Analytics and data fluency: Expanding students' ability to work with and interpret complex data.
• Fluency in competition, markets, profitability, and the role of business: A comprehensive focus on understanding market dynamics, competitive strategy, and the broader role of business in society.

One of the most exciting new additions is the Innovation Quest course, where students partner with real companies—such as iconic, Boston-based brands like New Balance or Dunkin'—to solve tangible business challenges. Additionally, students will complete an experiential learning course within their concentration, further enhancing their hands-on experience. "We wanted to create something that would be both rigorous and memorable, ensuring students graduate with practical experience that sets them apart," Bickart says.

Overcoming resistance to change

Transforming an established program is no small feat. This is particularly true in academia, where faculty members often have deep-rooted connections to existing curricula.

To address potential resistance, the Questrom leadership adopted a strategic approach. Instead of launching an all-encompassing committee, which could lead to stalemates, they started with a small, agile group of faculty members who had no strong allegiance to specific departments. This group spearheaded research, benchmarking, and preliminary curriculum design.

The team also engaged faculty at pivotal points. By the time the proposed changes were presented for a formal vote, faculty members—many of whom had now contributed to shaping the new program—overwhelmingly supported the transformation. "There was a moment of real tension at the final vote, but ultimately, people saw the value in what we were building," Bickart recalls. "We didn't want to make incremental changes; we wanted to create something bold, and we knew we had to push forward."

Looking to the future

While many changes are set to take effect in the coming academic year, the full implementation will be phased in over the next two years, Bickart says. The first cohort to experience the fully redesigned curriculum will enter Questrom in Fall 2025. Faculty and administrators will continue to refine courses based on ongoing feedback and student outcomes.

Beyond coursework, Questrom is actively exploring ways to expand experiential learning opportunities, including new investment funds for hands-on financial decision-making, expanded case competitions, and potential partnerships for short-term consulting projects in major business hubs like New York.

A new model for business schools

Should other business programs follow in Questrom's footsteps? With a curriculum that reinforces critical thinking, teamwork, data fluency, and experiential learning across multiple courses, Questrom guarantees that graduates are not only well versed in business theories, but in successfully applying them to complex, real-world situations.

As Bickart puts it, "The industry is changing, and so must we. It's essential to rethink how we prepare students for the challenges and opportunities ahead."

Click here to learn more about Boston University's Questrom School of Business and how its innovative programing is transforming the lives of students.