Benefits of Academic Programs Formed Through Corporate Partnerships

The partnership between a business and a university that leads to creating an academic program is typically called an academic partnership or corporate partnership. The relationship is mutually beneficial, helping participants become more employable and helping corporations hire a stronger workforce. It can also benefit the university where the academic program is located and the community at large. 

Learn more about these collaborations, how they can benefit both businesses and institutions that participate, and the steps you can take to find your academic program partnership. 

Offer students 8,400 courses from 350+ leading universities and industry partners

Equip students with the most in-demand skills and prepare them for job success.

Learn more

What is an academic program formed through corporate partnership? 

When an educational institution and business collaborate to create an academic program, it's typically done to ensure learners receive the education and training they need to achieve specific employment goals. 

For example, a business may offer financial assistance to new students in specific industries related to what that company does or help a current employee return to school and participate in an academic program that helps them improve their skills and knowledge. In exchange for tuition, employees may have to work for the company for a specific period of time. 

According to Harvard Business Publishing, "academia and industry have been moving past transactional relationships—funding and conducting one-off research projects intended to create and commercialize technological innovations—to forge much deeper long-term collaborations [1]." 

A business can also partner with a university to help it evolve current academic programs or create new ones tailored to certain careers or industries. Business leaders may sit on advisory boards and make suggestions, or the collaboration may lead to a custom program that prepares graduates for a particular position. 

Benefits of academic and corporate partnerships

Academic and corporate partnerships offer numerous benefits for almost everyone involved. Businesses often end up with more robust talent pools. Participants in these programs are better prepared for their careers. Institutions that offer these programs benefit by attracting more students and receiving additional resources. All of this combined helps the entire community and drives local economies. 

Benefits for businesses  

Any career-focused academic program can help create a talent pipeline for almost all businesses and industries. You'll discover many other benefits for businesses that partner with university academic programs. They include: 

• Participants sharpened essential human skills needed in the workplace, such as communication and problem-solving, and closed other skill gaps. 

• A brand might gain a more positive reputation for encouraging and supporting education and development. 

• Nurturing talent can help overcome labor shortages. 

• Current and potential employees receive more advanced training than they would without the programs. 

• Businesses might experience higher retention rates and save on recruiting costs. 

• New and current talent who participate may be more knowledgeable about the latest technology than other job candidates.

• Businesses will foster a company culture that embraces lifelong learning. 

Benefits for participants and institutions 

Learners who participate in corporate partnerships with universities can also find them beneficial. Some of the benefits institutions and their students might experience include: 

• Students gain real-world workforce experience. 

• Students receive more specific education tailored to their career goals. 

• Institutions become more attractive to prospective students.

• Exploring networking opportunities that students won't find elsewhere. 

• Students potentially save money on tuition, fees, and other costs. 

• Students often earn an industry-recognized credential (depending on the program).

• Institutions help students clearly identify a career direction. 

Types of academic programs formed through corporation partnerships

Technically, a business can partner with any school or institution that offers education, including elementary schools, high schools, technical schools, community colleges, and universities. At the elementary level, businesses can provide activities encouraging students to explore various fields. At the high school level, this could include offering a job shadowing opportunity. However, many businesses prefer to focus on postsecondary institution partnerships to help prepare students who are ready to enter or continue in the workforce. 

Some common types of partnerships between these schools and businesses include: 

Internships: Participants spend a brief period of time, often a summer or single semester, working for a company and learning the ins and outs of the business. 

Co-op programs: Participants work for a company while attending school, often alternating semesters between work and education. As their education advances, they take on more tasks. 

Microcredential programs: These are certificates and accelerated programs offering participants industry-recognized credentials. 

Collaborative degree programs: This occurs when an educational institution, usually a graduate school, partners with a business to help prepare participants to work with that business upon graduation. 

Joint research projects: This might involve a corporation sponsoring research at a university that could eventually benefit its products. 

Technology transfers: Technology transfer in this context means that participants work on a project at the educational institution and move on to a business to help commercialize and sell it. 

Mentorship: Participants may receive personal guidance and industry knowledge from someone who works for a specific organization.

Who uses academic programs and corporation partnerships? 

Any educational institution can partner with any corporation to create an academic program that benefits both them and their participants. Some real-world examples include:  

• In 2008, General Electric (GE) opened a research center near the MIT campus. Since then, the two have collaborated on numerous research projects together, with results like creating a more efficient jet engine [2]. 

• In 2024, Walgreens created the Walgreens Deans Advisory Council to form stronger relationships with colleges of pharmacies and better support learners who want to become pharmacists [3]. 

• The University of Georgia currently partners with companies like Delta, Gulfstream, and Norfolk Southern to offer engagement opportunities and experiential learning based on these businesses' unique needs [4]. 

How to start partnering your business with an academic institution 

Follow these steps to create an academic program for your business or instituion:

Define your goals. Determine what you want from the partnership and how it can benefit your organization or your school. Keep in mind that results may be long-term and require some patience. 

Choose an appropriate representative. Pick a trusted person or team to manage the partnership and academic program. They'll be the point of contact between the school and business.  

Partner with the right institution. For companies, choose one whose vision aligns with your company's. Find out if it offers academic programs focused on specific careers rather than general studies. You'll also want to partner with a school with a positive reputation and high educational standards. 

Build relationships. Having a faculty member who advocates for your plan can have numerous benefits, ranging from jumpstarting research projects to finding specific learners to participate in your program. 

Getting started with Coursera 

Academic programs created through partnerships between schools and businesses can benefit the school, the company, the participants, and the community. They can help your business build a strong talent pipeline or upskill your current employees.  

Coursera for Campus empowers any university to offer job-relevant, credit-ready* online education to students, faculty, and staff. With Coursera for Campus, you can promote student employability by teaching in-demand skills for high-growth fields and help students master job-ready skills with Guided Projects, programming assignments, and in-course assessments—online, offline, and via mobile. Enable faculty to create projects, assessments, and courses tailored to learner needs with Coursera for Campus.

* Credit eligibility determined by your institution.