Background: There is a growing debate around the relevance and quality of managementeducation in recent decades. Differing opinions were highlighted between the theoreticalknowledge taught in management master programs and the practical skills required in the realbusiness world. A gap was identified between the competencies taught in business schoolsand those valued by businesses and employers.

Purpose: The research seeks to answer: "How do Swedish university management masterprograms meet the expectations of the work environment and prepare students for success intheir careers?" By examining the alignment of these programs with employers' expectations and postgraduates' perceived preparedness, the study intends to reveal potential discrepancies,provide suggestions for improvements, and contribute to the broader conversation onenhancing the practical relevance of management education.

Method: The research is an explorative study with a qualitative, inductive research designand a philosophical stance of social constructionism with a relativist ontology. To gainempirical data, twelve semi-structured interviews were carried out, six with hiring managersand six with postgraduate students. The participants were chosen through non-randompurposive sampling and the data analysis method was template analysis.

Conclusion: Despite providing a solid theoretical knowledge, Swedish universitymanagement master programs fall short in cultivating essential soft skills and preparingstudents for the expectations of the work environment. The findings highlight the need foremphasizing experiential learning, soft skill development, and resilience building, to betteralign academic programs with workplace expectations. This research suggests a re-evaluationand adjustment of business education, aiming to adequately prepare future managers for theircareers in the business world.