Aligning Academic Curricula to Industrial Needs

Information technologies (IT) are developing rapidly and industry leaders depend on the educational system for a qualified workforce. Educators are tasked with the responsibility of designing curricula and practical activities that prepare students for the corporate world. Understanding today’s work requirements is essential in achieving this goal. This research investigates how well the Management Information System (MIS) program of a four year institution prepares its graduates for the requirements of the IT industry. Current industry data as well as survey analyses of the work experiences of the MIS alumni were used to identify how prepared they were. More than one-third, (36.7%) of the participants had positions related to managing information, and 3.3 % were involved in software development, which has the highest job growth projection. From a list of technical skills, 6% of respondents were involved in cyber security which ranked highest, 88 % in hiring priority of IT employers. The results serve as a baseline for improving student learning outcomes