2025 Graduate Business Curriculum Summary Report

New Curriculum Report Highlights Core Competencies at the Heart of Graduate Business Education
The Graduate Business Curriculum Roundtable has released its 2025 Graduate Business Curriculum Summary Report, spotlighting how business schools are restructuring programs to address technological change, workforce demands, and evolving student expectations. A focal point of the report is the analysis of curriculum content, including a clustering of core instructional areas that shape what students learn—and how programs equip them for leadership in a dynamic economy.

Drawing on data from 110 business schools across 245 graduate business programs, the report reveals that while delivery formats and program structures are evolving rapidly, core disciplines remain strongly integrated and interconnected.

Clusters of Core Curriculum Instruction

The analysis groups curricular areas into key instructional clusters:

• Integrated Business Management: Comprising Finance, Strategy, Marketing, Operations Management, and Organizational Behavior, this cluster reflects the operational and strategic foundation of graduate business programs.
• Leadership in Economic Systems: Integrates Leadership, Communication, Ethics, and Economics, signaling the growing importance of ethical and socially-aware leadership in complex markets.
• Enterprise Analytics: Anchored in Data and Business Analytics, this area links closely to Operations, Leadership, and Ethics, emphasizing data-driven decision-making and accountability.
• Specialized Management Functions: Covers Entrepreneurship, Risk Management, Supply Chain, DEI, and Regulatory Compliance, pointing to the increasing value of domain expertise and applied knowledge.

“These clusters illustrate the curricular logic that underpins graduate business education,” said Jeff Bieganek, Executive Director, Graduate Business Curriculum Roundtable.  “Schools are not only retaining disciplinary rigor but are intentionally linking it to leadership, ethics, and analytics—skills needed to lead in today’s business environment.  While it can be challenging, many business schools are working hard to innovate and adapt their programs and curriculum to meet the needs of today’s students and employers.”

Broader Curriculum Insights

Beyond core instruction, the report identifies emerging shifts across business programs:

• Increasing emphasis on AI, sustainability, and experiential learning
• Greater use of hybrid and online delivery formats
• Rising adoption of stackable credentials and modular learning paths
• Strong reliance on active and case-based teaching methods

The report also outlines institutional challenges such as faculty resistance to change and the difficulty of maintaining coherence across diverse program types. Nonetheless, many institutions are addressing these through curriculum analytics, faculty development, and industry collaboration.

About the Report
The Graduate Business Curriculum 2025 Summary Report provides both strategic direction and practical data for academic leaders to support curricular planning and innovation. In addition, participating business schools receive access to a benchmarking report.

To request a copy of the summary report, click here to complete a request form or please email info@gbcroundtable.org.