ISEDJ

Abstract: This paper provides the results of an empirical investigation comparing first-year earnings of IS graduates to other business majors and examining the extent to which characteristics of the major curriculum affect first-year earnings of IS graduates. The analysis combined first-year earnings data for almost 7,000 IS graduates across 128 universities obtained from the U.S. Department of Education with major curriculum characteristics obtained from the universities' websites. Results show that IS graduates have the highest first-year earnings among business majors. Interestingly, despite significant variation in the total number of IS major credits, the total number of IS core and elective credits, and the total number of subject-level IS core credits (e.g. database management, programming, systems analysis and design, networking) across universities, none of these major curriculum characteristics affect first-year earnings of IS graduates after accounting for state median income and university ranking. Thus, the IS major curriculum at a university does not seem to affect first-year earnings at all. Based on the findings of this study, applicants wishing to maximize their first-year earnings should choose IS as their major and study at a university with a high ranking located in a state with a high median income.

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Recommended Citation: Lang, G., Sharp, J., (2021). Curriculum? Shmurriculum! The Relationship Between Major Curriculum Characteristics and First-Year Earnings for Information Systems Graduates. Information Systems Education Journal19(4) pp 55-60. http://ISEDJ.org/2021-4/ ISSN : ISSN: 1545-679X. A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of EDSIGCON 2020