Business education is embedding AI skills deeper into program requirements as employers increase expectations. American University’s Kogod School of Business reported a three-year survey showing the share of students who say employers ask about AI skills jumped from 11.6% in 2024 to 42.6% in 2026. Meanwhile, the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business reduced MBA degree requirements from 54 to 48 credits starting with the fall 2026 cohort and said the redesign will embed AI fluency into the core and electives. Dean Prabhudev Konana linked the change to return-on-investment pressure and a shifting applicant market. Across schools, the moves reflect how AI competency has shifted from an optional differentiator to a hiring-screening factor, pushing curriculum changes even as pricing and affordability remain central to student decision-making.