Is the purpose of a management course to teach students about management or to be managers?

The simple answer to the question—whether the purpose of a management course is to teach students about management or to be managers—is "both." It really is, to use a somewhat platitudinous phrase, a distinction without a difference. The core curriculum of business schools is designed to educate students on management theories and leadership skills, but with the end result being a career in business management. Otherwise, why take the courses? This may seem tautological, but...

The simple answer to the question—whether the purpose of a management course is to teach students about management or to be managers—is "both." It really is, to use a somewhat platitudinous phrase, a distinction without a difference. The core curriculum of business schools is designed to educate students on management theories and leadership skills, but with the end result being a career in business management. Otherwise, why take the courses? This may seem tautological, but school is, after all, a part of a process. Certainly, there are many individuals who take courses solely out of interest in the subject matter irrespective of long-term academic and professional goals. That is why electives exist. Business management courses, however, are geared overwhelmingly towards those who intend to pursue a career in business management. 

There is, of course, a difference, sometimes substantial, between theory and practice. In the world of business, however, that difference is minimal. Management theories are the product of years of experimentation as well as lessons learned from years of practical experience. The theories are rarely esoteric and usually derive directly from the successes and failures of those who have actually run corporations or at least were employed in them at middle and upper management levels. Political theory often bears little if any resemblance to the actual practice of politics. Business theory, in contrast, is generally applicable to real-life situations. The more gaming and textual study accomplished in business courses, the better prepared are students to enter the corporate world after attaining their degree.

It is important in discussions of business courses to emphasize that students routinely receive academic credit for internships spent in functioning business environments. Modeling is useful; interactions with the actual public in situations in which failure means lost business (and, consequently, lost revenue) is invaluable in preparing students for "the real world." Such exposure to actual business operations serves as an important supplement to the lessons learned in the classroom.