New product development: an overlooked but critical course

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the felt need for new products in organizations, the nature of the new product development (NPD) discipline, and the usefulness of NPD education, in order to show the importance of the paper's analysis of the dearth of NPD courses in AACSB‐accredited schools. It seeks to offer suggested changes for both academics and practitioners. Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis of AACSB‐accredited institutions' online catalogs determined a scarcity of NPD courses. Z ‐tests and t ‐tests revealed some differences among the types of schools offering NPD courses. Findings – There is a scarcity of NPD courses, with only 9 percent of schools offering one. Regarding the likelihood of offering a NPD course, no differences were found between public and private schools or between doctoral‐ and non‐doctoral‐granting schools. Comparing schools offering and not offering a NPD course, no difference was discovered in the number of marketing courses available, number of marketing electives available, and number of full‐time marketing faculty. Research limitations/implications – Analysis was based on catalog titles and course descriptions; specific course content was not ascertained. Hence, courses including significant NPD content might remain unidentified. This descriptive research only speculates on reasons for the paucity of NPD courses. Additional research should determine influences on educators to offer a NPD course and identify specific actions to increase the adoption of NPD courses. A number of recommendations for overcoming impediments to instituting NPD courses are offered. Originality/value – This is the first study to empirically verify the low availability of NPD courses and to recommend rectifying courses of action for both academics and NPD practitioners.