About

Columbia Business School was established in 1916 by the trustees of Columbia University with a generous supporting gift from Emerson McMillin, founder of E. McMillin & Company, a New York bank. The School, which was founded to provide business training and professional preparation for undergraduate and graduate students, launched with 11 full-time faculty members and an inaugural class of 61 students, including eight women. In 1919, the School established an endowment with a generous gift from A. Barton Hepburn, then president of Chase Manhattan Bank, and from there expanded rapidly, enrolling 420 students by 1920 and, in 1924, adding a PhD program to the existing BS and MS degree programs.

In 1945, Columbia Business School authorized the awarding of the master of business administration degree (MBA). Shortly thereafter, the School adopted the Hermes emblem as its symbol, chosen because of the Greek god’s association with business, commerce, and communication.

The School admitted its final class of undergraduates in 1952, choosing to dedicate itself exclusively to graduate-level business education. Twelve years later, the School moved to its current home in Uris Hall, tucked behind Low Library on the north side of Columbia’s historic campus in Morningside Heights. In 1999, the School expanded its facilities to include the newly constructed Warren Hall.

Throughout its history, Columbia Business School has charted a course of continual growth and development of new business practices through its unwavering commitment to research, ongoing curricular innovations, and a steadily expanding global reach. The School is accredited by the International Association for Management Education (also known as AACSB) and is widely acknowledged as being among the world’s top business schools.

In addition to its renowned MBA, Executive MBA, and PhD programs, Columbia offers successful business managers and company executives the opportunity to enhance their careers and expand their knowledge through its portfolio of nondegree Executive Education programs.

On July 1, 2004, Glenn Hubbard became Columbia Business School’s ninth dean. Hubbard, the former chair of President George W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers, has worked at the intersection of the private, government, and nonprofit sectors and has been actively engaged in national and international economic policy issues. As dean, Hubbard is leading Columbia Business School to continued excellence with pioneering initiatives across all disciplines that intensely focus on entrepreneurial thinking and execution in a global environment.

Deans of Columbia Business School