MBA knowledge management course: is there an impact after graduation?

The purpose of this paper is twofold. The first is to present the structure of a course entitled ‘Strategic Knowledge Management’ taught at the MBA level at the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada. The second goal is to report on the survey of 43 course alumni and offer insights for other instructors interested in the development of the KM-related curriculum. The survey results are encouraging since there seems to be very little if any deterioration in the learning value of this course over time. In explaining the positive results of this study, four main reasons why the learning impact of this course sustains itself for years after graduation are suggested: 1) cross-disciplinary perspective, 2) variety of pedagogical techniques, 3) practical industry exposure and 4) exposure to best practices. Overall, this paper may be of interest to academics who are involved in the development of graduate level courses in Knowledge Management (KM). © 2006 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.