Business Education in a Polytechnic Era

Dear WPI community,

This year marks the 50th anniversary for the great Class of 1975, who entered the world among significant global and economic shifts yet made enormous contributions to the world we know today throughout their careers.

Change is constant. Those who embrace it, who harness it, are the ones who shape our future.

We sent off the Class of 2025 in May, and now they are embarking on new adventures in a world that is again filled with complex challenges, rapidly advancing technologies, and profound industry shifts.

Our young alumni and today’s new students will create industries that do not yet exist and work in jobs that have yet to be invented. This will require technical and business acumen. We have prepared them well, but WPI must also continue to evolve. One of our priorities moving forward is to further develop our strategy for business education and to grow The Business School.

The links between business and the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are growing stronger in this polytechnic era. Of the 10 largest companies listed on the S&P 500, nine are primarily technology companies. In the world of startups, technology is the key driver of innovation and company formation. On our own campus, we are seeing increasing patent activity and entrepreneurship. As we think about meeting this moment, the time is right for WPI to innovate and scale its business programs in a bolder way.

Our business students study financial technology, business analytics, industrial engineering, supply chain management, information systems, and more. All our students, regardless of their major, have access to business courses that can accelerate their career and broaden their horizon beyond their field of study.

At the nexus of business, technology, and entrepreneurship, WPI business education will nurture and empower the talent of those who will drive the next 50 years of economic growth, new company formation, and leaps forward in industries that are ripe for disruption.

It’s an approach worthy of WPI, built for an era of extraordinary change brought on by technology-driven revolutions in almost every industry.

Sincerely,

Grace