“Is AI taking over entry-level jobs?” You may have seen a headline (or many) like this recently and wondered: how are business schools really launching students into their careers in the age of AI?  

A major new study from Stanford provides important context: since late 2022, generative AI has started to automate many codified, rule-based tasks—like standard reports, first-draft marketing copy, or basic coding. The result? Jobs that used to be the stepping stones for young professionals are shrinking dramatically, while more experienced workers who bring judgment, problem-solving, and that “human touch” are valued more than ever.

Hands-On, Work-Ready: The Kogod Approach to Business Education in the Age of AI 

At the Kogod School of Business, we recognized this trend early on. The skills the Stanford study indicated as most important in today’s job market have been key tenets of our education for the past three years. Here are some key components to our approach:

At Kogod, Real-World Experience is Just as Important as Classroom Experience

Gaining real-world experience means handling real-world pressure, working under real-world time constraints, and solving real-world business challenges. Students in every Kogod program work hands-on with real businesses through consulting projects, internships for credit, global immersions and local treks, etiquette dinners, case competitions, pitches—the list really does go on. And you don’t need to be a finance major to invest real money in the market: every Kogod student can participate in the Student-Managed Investment Fund (valued at more than $1M), the Real Estate Investment Trust (worth more than $250,000), and the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship’s Eagle Venture Seed Fund, which provides funding to local startups. If you want to start a company yourself, you can do that, too; the Veloric Center’s Business Incubator helps students from any degree program build and launch ventures of their own. 

We Led a Best-in-Class AI Transformation 

Kogod has been integrating AI into business education for years now—one of the reasons our AI approach was called “the most consequential AI transformation in business education” by Times Higher Education’s Poets&Quants. And at Kogod, a “Best-in-Class” for AI award means a whole lot more than just sprinkling AI into a few courses; with nearly 60 AI-infused classes across every discipline, almost 100% of faculty incorporating AI into their classes, and access to Perplexity Pro, every Kogod student gains the thorough AI fluency they need to stand out in that entry-level job market. 

Entrepreneurial Drive is in Kogod’s DNA 

From the first class to the final capstone, Kogod encourages every student to see the world through the eyes of an innovator. We teach adaptability, collaboration, communication, curiosity, achievement orientation, self-control and regulation—all the skills of a successful entrepreneur. Whether students want to launch a startup or lead inside a Fortune 500, Kogod teaches them to find opportunities in change—not just manage risk. 

When AI Changed the Game, Kogod Redefined Readiness 

The Stanford study makes it clear that business graduates who can only perform routine, recipe-based tasks risk being left behind as AI gets better at those jobs. But it also shows that skills AI can’t easily replicate—like social nuance, strategic thinking, troubleshooting in messy real-world situations, and inspiring others—are becoming the new “must-haves” for employers.

That’s why, at Kogod, we redesigned our program from the ground up: 

• Courses now explore open-ended problems and apply theory in practice—not just multiple-choice quizzes and canned case studies. 

• Teamwork on live projects demands making judgment calls, iterating on feedback, and adapting when things don’t go as planned. 

• Mentorship and coaching from professors and alumni who have navigated countless business cycles helps students apply AI as a complement, not a crutch, to solve real business challenges. 

• Opportunities to “fail forward” in a supportive environment allow our students to build real entrepreneurial grit. 

How Kogod Prepares Students for What AI Can’t Do Alone 

The biggest takeaway from the Stanford study underscores Kogod’s approach to AI: students that pair AI savvy with uniquely human skills will be most prepared.  

While AI is infused throughout Kogod’s five academic departments, students that want a deeper focus on AI can study in one of our Business Analytics & AI programs. By offering an AI-focused major, minor, master’s degree, badges, and certificates, Kogod is providing a distinct opportunity to both learn the latest tools for modeling and prediction and also how to appropriately question data, incorporate ethics, and spot flaws in what AI spits out. Those are the skills top employers want. 

Looking Ahead: Preparing Business Students for Tomorrow’s Landscape 

Stanford’s researchers call young professionals in today’s job market “canaries in the coal mine”—the first to notice where the air is changing in our workplaces. At Kogod, we see the Stanford study as confirmation of a challenge we eagerly took on more than three years ago: to prepare students to leave Kogod fully fluent in the tools of tomorrow and equipped with creative thinking, collaboration, and an entrepreneurial mindset. In an age when AI is everywhere, the pairing of those skills is what will make the difference.