Abstract

Prior research has not investigated perceived added education value in courses. Using a sample of 165 graduating business students, two business administration (BA) scales were created from six required BA core courses as part of students’ Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree. Students were asked if each required course “added value to their education”. The two core scales (number of items) were labeled: BA Unique (4 items) and BA Generic (2 items). Analysis showed that the BA Unique scale had higher perceived added education value than the BA Generic scale. The BA Unique scale had stronger relationships to program degree satisfaction and Business School reputation than the BA Generic scale. These results supported the development of more unique required core courses based on business school stakeholder needs. Other schools should consider their stakeholders’ needs to see if more unique required core courses, beyond generic, are needed. Although only six of 21 required courses could be tested due to sample size limitations, these initial results suggest it is important to evaluate the perceived added education value of required courses in a curriculum. 

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