The Senior Experience: Applied, Team Problem Solving in Business Education

Abstract

To address concerns that business education overemphasizes theory and should be more applied, experiential, integrated, and focused on helping students practice interpersonal, team, and problem-solving skills, faculty within the College of Business Administration at California State University, San Marcos, developed and implemented the undergraduate Senior Experience course. Based on education theory and practice, this year-long course requires small teams of senior business students to solve real problems for organizations in the university's community. To assist other business educators considering making similar changes, this article describes the first offering of the Senior Experience, reviews outcomes, and addresses important issues raised as a result of offering the course.