The IS Expectation Gap: Industry Expectations Versus Academic Preparation

Recent changes in information systems technologies, applications, and personnel require us to reconsider the skills for tomorrow’s IS professionals. This study uses data from four groups—IS managers, end-user managers, IS consultants, and IS professors—to identify the key skills and knowledge that will be required of future IS professionals. These requirements were then compared with current IS academic programs. The results reveal that despite a shared vision of the future IS professional, there is an “expectation gap” between industry needs and academic preparation. Industry and universities must work together to close this gap. Universities need to place more emphasis on the integration of technologies, applications, data, and business functions and less on traditional and formal system development. Firms need to send consistent messages to universities about their expectations while recognizing that the mission of university business programs is career education, not job training.