All students, no matter how familiar they are with AI, can also concentrate on developing general competencies that can apply across any industry. US researchers have pinpointed six key “durable skills” for the AI age:

effective communication, to engage with others successfully

good adaptability, to respond to workplace, industry and broader social changes

strong emotional intelligence, to help everyone thrive in a workplace

high-quality creativity, to work with AI in innovative ways

sound leadership, to help navigate the challenges that AI creates

robust critical thinking, to deal with AI-related problems.

So, look for opportunities to foster these skills in and out of class. This could include engaging in teamwork, joining a club or society, doing voluntary work, or getting paid work experience.

Don’t forget ethics

Home Main Menu GMAT Master Most Recent This Week’s Most Viewed European MBAs Special Reports MBA Students Want AI In The Core – And Many Say Their Programs Aren’t Delivering by: Marc Ethier on February 02, 2026 | 564 Views

Most MBA students say technology skills should be central to their business education. Far fewer believe their programs are doing a good job teaching them.

That disconnect shows up in a new national survey conducted on behalf of Arkansas State University, which asked 181 MBA students across the U.S. how well their programs are keeping up with rapid changes in technology.

Ninety two percent of respondents said automation, data strategy, and digital technology should be integrated into the core MBA curriculum. Seventy eight percent said AI literacy should be a required graduation skill rather than an elective.

Only 41% said their program teaches emerging skills “very well.”

HOW STUDENTS SEE THEIR PROGRAMS Asked to describe their MBA programs overall, just 35% of students called them innovative. Forty percent described their programs as traditional, while more than 10% said their curriculum felt outdated.