HONORS RESEARCH
The Importance of Business in High School Curriculum
During my senior year at Purdue University, I completed a honors research project. Our researched looked to understand the choices people made when determining their college major, their level of business education exposure and their perception of the impact business will have on their careers.
Awarded First Place in Purdue Research Symposium - Krannert Division
Business Impact on Professional Life
We found that students believe that business plays an integral role in their field no matter their major.
A significant majority of students at the university feel that a business education positively impacts any profession, no matter the field. Yet, 53.2% of students surveyed do not plan to take a business course throughout their college career.. Among those students, only 9.1% of them were required to take a business course in high school. Although 88.4% of them were given the opportunity to take a business course elective, most did not actually take one.
Correlation between High School Education & College Major
We found that If high schools offer business courses, then students are more likely to major in business.
Among the students surveyed at Purdue University, only 9.1% were required to take a business course in high school. 88.4% of students reported that their school offered a business course elective. Many students were given the opportunity to take a business course in high school, however, most students did not take advantage of the opportunity.
However, in the Krannert School of Management, more students took a business class in high school compared to non Krannert students. This effect may be due to high school business exposure playing a strong role in choosing a college major.
High School Education Impact on Overall Attitudes
When analyzing how positive or negative students’ attitudes were about business, we found that people are more likely to believe that business impacts their major than not.
We analyzed sentiments on the question, “How does a business education impact your specific major at Purdue?”. If someone had taken a course about business in high school, they were more likely to believe that it has an impact on their major, no matter what field they are studying.
RESEARCHERS
MEGAN PINKLEY
Student Researcher
Purdue '20
Marketing and Management
Psychology Minor
Honors College
ANNA SATEK
Student Researcher
Purdue '20
Finance and Management
Entrepreneurship Certificate
Honors College
MEARA HABASHI
Research Mentor
Assistant Department Head,
Management
Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Director, Brock-Wilson Center for Women in Management