The Olin Business School is one of seven academic schools at Washington University in St. Louis. Founded in 1917, the business school was renamed for entrepreneur John M. Olin in 1988. The school offers BSBA, Master of Business Administration (MBA), MS in Supply Chain Management, MS in Finance, Masters in Accounting, MS in Customer Analytics, MS in Leadership, Executive MBA, Doctor of Business in Finance (DBA) and PhD degrees. In 2002, an Executive MBA program was established in Shanghai, in cooperation with Fudan University.
The Olin Business School includes the 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m2) Simon Hall, whose 1986 construction was largely funded by a gift from John E. Simon; Knight and Bauer Halls, whose 2014 construction was largely funded by gifts from Charles F. And Joanne Knight and George and Carol Bauer; and the Charles F. Knight Executive Education and Conference Center, all on the Danforth Campus.
Olin has about 19,190 alumni across the world. In the late 2000s, the business school’s endowment rose to $249 million (2007); annual gifts averaged $12 million per year.
On July 1, 2009, the school took over management of the Brookings Institute's executive management program.
Programs
BSBA Program
At Olin, undergraduate students are admitted directly into the BSBA program as freshmen.
To graduate, students must complete a minimum of 120 units of coursework. 40% of classes must be outside the areas of business. Students can choose from eight different business majors: Accounting, Economics and Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Healthcare Management, Marketing, Leadership and Strategic Management, and Operations and Supply Chain Management. Olin students can also minor in International Business, the Business of Entertainment, or the Business of Sports Management.
Students declare their business administration major (or majors) during their sophomore year. Students can also earn a second major or minor from one of the university’s other schools, such as the College of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering & Applied Science, or Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.
Nonbusiness students from other WUSTL schools also can minor in the following business fields: Accounting, Business Economics, Business of Sports, Entrepreneurship, Finance, General Business, Healthcare Management, International Business, Leadership, Marketing, Operations and Supply Chain Management, and Strategy.
MBA Program
Olin has four main rounds and after June they have rolling admissions.
The MBA curriculum requires completion of 66 credit hours, nearly two-thirds of which are elective courses selected by the student. The fall semester of year one focuses on critical thinking, leadership, career strategy, and the major functional areas of business. During the spring semester of year one and throughout year two, students take mostly elective courses of their choosing, often following the guidelines of concentration areas that help students navigate the curriculum toward their career goals. Elective courses include semester-long (3 credit) courses, six week “mini†(1.5 credit) courses, and work-study positions. Olin MBAs can also take up to nine credits of approved coursework from other graduate programs at Washington University.
Exchange Programs
MBA students can choose to study one semester at Manchester Business School in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology in Hong Kong; Otto Beisheim Graduate School of Management at WHU-Koblenz in Koblenz, Germany; École Management de Lyon (EM Lyon) in Lyon, Paris Dauphine University, France; the Institute for Advanced Studies in Administration (IESA) in Caracas, Venezuela; ESADE (Escuela Superior De Administracion Y Direccion De Empresas) in Barcelona, Spain; Bocconi University in Milan, Italy or the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in India.
Executive Programs
The school's Executive Programs group, consisting of Executive MBA and Executive Education, is located in the Charles F. Knight Executive Education Center on the Danforth Campus. The school also maintains Executive MBA programs in Shanghai (at Fudan University), and Mumbai (at Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management).
Specialized Masters Programs
Specialized Masters business degrees can typically be completed in three semesters. Three programs â€" Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (MSSCM), Master of Science in Customer Analytics (MSCA), and Master of Science in Finance-Quantitative Finance (MSFQ) â€" hold STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) designations. The Master of Accounting (MACC) can be structured to meet CPA exam eligibility requirements.
Doctoral Program
The PhD program emphasizes economics, quantitative methodology, mentoring by faculty, preparing students for careers in scholarship and teaching. There are usually 50 students enrolled in the Ph.D program. A DBA in finance also is offered for individuals pursuing applied research in corporations, banks, government and consulting.
Overall Enrollment (2015)
Resources
Kopolow Business Library
The Kopolow Business Library offers Dow Jones Interactive, Lexis/Nexis, InfoTrac, and ABI, as well as databases provided by Moody's, Standard & Poor's, Hoover's, and Disclosure. The library also receives real-time stock and other market information through the Bloomberg and Bridge Information systems. It holds around 30,000 books and subscribes to more than 400 business journals, magazines, and newspapers.
Olin Cup
- The Olin Cup is an annual event held to promote learning and collaboration leading to the creation of new business ventures. Winners of the competition receive up to $50,000 to help establish a business. (Academic credit is not awarded.) Since 2005, the Competition has also awarded $5,000 to the winning student team. All Washington University students and alumni as well as the local business community may compete, but the final prize goes only to teams with at least one current Washington University student or alumnus. Ventures that are Washington University student-owned (at least 51%) or student-supported are also eligible for the $5,000 student prize.
Research centers
- Bauer Leadership Center - supports Olin Business School's efforts to develop values-based leaders.
- Boeing Center for Supply Chain Innovation â€" discovers, develops, and helps bring to practice world-leading capabilities in technology, information and manufacturing.
- Wells Fargo Advisors Center for Finance and Accounting Research - supports collaborative research with finance and accounting industry by encouraging faculty and students to work more closely with companies.
- Center for Customer Analytics and Big Data â€" offers opportunities for faculty, students, and companies to collaborate on analysis and research.
- Center for Research in Economics and Strategy â€" supports scientific research to advance understanding of firms and markets.
Notable alumni
- John H. Biggs (PhD): former CEO of TIAA-CREF
- William H. Danforth (AB 1892): founder of Ralston Purina
- Arnold Donald (BSME 1977): founder and former CEO of Merisant
- Steve Fossett (MBA 1968): options trader, balloonist, and adventurer
- Sam Fox (BSBA 1951): founder, chairman, CEO, and owner of Harbour Group Industries
- Avram Glazer (BSBA 1982): president and CEO of the Zapata Corporation and joint chairman of Manchester United
- Edward Mueller (MBA): president and CEO of Qwest Communications
- Charles Nagel (JD 1872): United States Secretary of Commerce and Labor; founder of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- David Peacock (MBA): president of Anheuser-Busch
- William Shaw (MBA 1972): president and COO of Marriott International Inc.
- Louis B. Susman (JD 1962): vice chairman of Citigroup Global Markets
- Jack C. Taylor (student through 1944): founder of Enterprise Rent-A-Car; no. 14 on Forbes 400 Richest Americans in 2006
- Jim Weddle (AB 1977, MBA): managing partner at Edward Jones Investments
- John B. Whyte (attended two years in 1950s): Developer of Fire Island Pines, New York
- George Zimmer (AB 1970): founder of Men's Wearhouse
References
External links
- BusinessWeek Ranks Olin MBAs #2 in Career Placement, 2009
- Business School Concentrations: Is More Better?
- USA Today 2008 story on the Olin School Class of 1998
- Moreton named associate dean at Olin Business School
- Industry Perspectives: Using Video to Communicate Change for Business Success
- CEO Salaries: What is the Average Salary of a CEO?
- Olin Business School Official Website
