Teaching Technology and Business

Abstract

Research conducted 25 years ago in the UK established at that time that businesses required able, enthusiastic and broadly educated people who were willing to master quickly a firm's techniques and procedures and to advance to a position of responsibility and leadership. The BSc Honours degree in Technology and Business Studies (TBS) at the University of Strathclyde was designed to meet that requirement by providing students with an understanding of the language of technology and the language of business, and to link these two to provide a fluency in the communication skills used by managers on a daily basis. In an earlier paper Macrosson described the TBS degree, established in October 1974, as a new approach to the education of students wishing to enter industry, commerce or public service. Now, 23 years on from the first intake, this paper briefly outlines the current structure of the course, reviews its overall performance, and extracts the five principal lessons which the authors believe will be of help to those either establishing or reviewing a similar degree. The factual parts of the paper are based on a recently completed survey of the 190 TBS students currently on the course.