Also, schools must bridge academic theory and current, real-world experience so students can hit the ground running, making immediate contributions to the organizations they join or ventures they launch.

FORBES: Magazine Article

"By basing the center here at the school, we can act as a bridge between the academic world and the world of business and finance, bringing together people from different backgrounds, academic disciplines and from the international business community, to jointly focus on the most important policy debates of our time, " he said.

CNN: Bridging commerce and research

Few are pitched at the introductory or remedial level that would provide economically disadvantaged or poorly prepared students a bridge to higher-level academic work.

FORBES: MOOCs: A College Education Online?

All are attempts to bridge the gap between the academic classroom on the one hand and the more practical, hands-dirty approach of commercial management development.

ECONOMIST: Business schools

Determining how many vehicles, and what kind of vehicles, will cross a bridge on a daily basis is not merely academic.

NPR: Bumper to Bumper: Predicting Traffic Flow