William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration

William E. Simon School of Business
Former names
The Graduate School of Management
Established 1958
Endowment US $87 million
Dean Andrew Ainslie
Academic staff
65
Postgraduates 182 full-time MBA
82 part-time MBA
131 MS
Location Rochester, New York, USA
Website www.simon.rochester.edu

The 'University of Rochester's Simon Business School (formerly known as The Graduate School of Management and the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business) is the business school of the University of Rochester. It is located on the University's River Campus in Rochester, New York. It was renamed after William E. Simon (1927–2000), the 63rd United States Secretary of the Treasury, in 1986. The school's present dean is Andrew Ainslie.

The School has been ranked as a top business school worldwide (see Rankings below). The Simon Business School offers full-time, part-time, and executive (based in either Rochester or Switzerland) MBA programs, as well as Master of Science (MS) programs. The school is home to substantial academic research enterprises and to a PhD program in several business disciplines whose graduates are employed by several top business and economics schools worldwide.

Full-Time MBA programs

The Full-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program is offered in two tracks: the flagship 2-year program, beginning in August, and the accelerated 18-month option which commences in January. With an average full-time MBA enrollment of 150 students, the Full-time MBA program is roughly 50 percent international.

The Full-Time MBA degree requires 67 hours of study consisting of a total of 20 classes (9 core required courses and 11 electives) and an additional 3-credit course on Business Communication and Career Success. Entrants in August complete the MBA course requirements in six academic quarters of varying lengths with an internship in the summer between the first and second years of study. The January entrance option allows candidates to complete the full-time program in 18 months (six consecutive quarters), without engaging in an internship.

Entrance

The first year of the Full-time MBA Program is divided into three quarters (Fall, Winter, and Spring), followed by a summer-long internship (not applicable for the accelerated 18-month option). During each of the first three quarters students are assigned to teams of four-to-five students. During the second year, which consists entirely of electives that allow students to focus on their preferred concentration, students form their own teams.

The Full-time MBA program leverages Simon's economics-based approach and [cross-functional curriculum] to ensure that graduates have a fundamental understanding of the economic and managerial theory, as well as their applications in the business environment.

Part-Time MBA programs

Simon's Part-Time MBA program offers the same educational opportunities and choices for a concentration as the full-time MBA program, but through evening courses, tailored for individuals who are working while completing the degree. There are two evening program options tailored to students' preferred learning style and pace. The Part-Time Flexible MBA Program includes students taking zero to two courses per quarter and completing the program in an average of 3.7 academic years. Students may enter the program at four different times of the year and choose the pace at which to complete their degree.

The Accelerated Professional MBA (PMBA) Program delivers a cohort-style experience for core courses, with assigned study teams, support services, and scholarships to support the accelerated timeline. The program begins each September (Fall) or March (Spring), with students taking two courses per quarter and completing the program in 2.5 academic years.

Concentrations

Students in the MBA program have the opportunity to graduate with one or several concentrations. Some of the major areas of study include Accounting and Information Systems, Business Environment and Public Policy, Business Systems Consulting, Competitive and Organizational Strategy, Computer and Information Systems, Corporate Accounting, Electronic Commerce, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Health Sciences Management, International Management, Marketing, Operations Management, and Public Accounting.

Executive MBA programs

University of Rochester, River Campus.

The Simon Executive MBA Program is offered on the Rochester campus, as well as in Bern, Switzerland in conjunction with the Institut für Finanzmanagement at the Universität Bern. The partnership adds a global perspective to both the Rochester and European programs. The Bern program is equivalent to the Rochester program and is taught by Simon School faculty and European scholars. Managers are sponsored by their organizations and earn a University of Rochester degree. Like Rochester’s Executive MBA students, the students of the Rochester-Bern Executive MBA Program in Switzerland come from a wide variety of countries and cultures. Bern students spend their six-week summer term in Rochester. During their Rochester stay, European students study with Rochester students on teams, giving students from both programs the chance to experience the various cultural business perspectives. In addition, students from both sides of the ocean widen their business network to include colleagues from around the world.

MS programs

Simon MS programs generally only require one year of full-time study. You’ll also have the opportunity to take some classes with MBA candidates, work on multicultural teams, and participate in a variety of extracurricular activities. In addition, you’ll receive personal guidance and assistance from our Career Management Center to help you create and capitalize on employment opportunities.

With ten specialized areas of study, Simon MS programs lay the groundwork for the types of skills that you will need to be a leader in the business world. The master of science curricula offer more focused graduate study. The program is typically completed in 9–17 months. Simon offers MS programs in Accountancy, Business Analytics, Finance, Management, Information Systems Management, Manufacturing Management, Marketing, Medical Management, Pricing, and Service Management.

The University of Rochester's Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences also offers a Master of Technical Entrepreneurship and Management (T.E.A.M.) program, with some courses completed at the Simon School.

MS in Finance in New York City

The MS in Finance curriculum is designed to provide students with the in-depth perspective and the analytical tools to flourish in financial services and corporate finance positions. The program also broadens the finance-specific knowledge of business professionals who interact with the financial services industry, in fields such as insurance, securities law, and consultancy.

Each course module reflects a balanced education with an emphasis on the Simon approach. Students learn that problems cross all areas of an organization and begin to view issues from numerous vantage points in order to construct meaningful solutions.

The residency weeks—Topics in Finance in Rochester and International Economics and Finance in Europe—offer students the opportunity to immerse themselves even more deeply into the subject matter. During residency weeks, students work closely with Simon professors, meet guest lecturers, tour key organizations, and network with each other and Simon alumni to round out their graduate finance education.

The Simon School's Master of Science degree in Finance in New York City is a 13-month graduate program designed for working professionals who seek an advanced finance degree on an accelerated part-time basis.

MS in Management in New York City

The MS in Management curriculum is designed to provide students with the in-depth perspective and analytical tools to prepare them to solve business problems creatively, and to make tough decisions in real-world situations.

Eight core courses provide a solid foundation in business management, with four customized courses to augment critical education in key areas including: strategy, finance, marketing, innovation, entrepreneurship, and business plan development. Students will learn in-depth perspectives on management and develop the skills they need to make important business decisions and implement effective solutions. An optional math review is offered for interested participants.

The residency weeks—Orientation and FACt Workshop, and Special Topics in Finance, both held in Rochester, NY—offer students the opportunity to immerse themselves even more deeply into the subject matter. During residency weeks, students work closely with Simon professors, meet guest lecturers, and network with each other and Simon alumni to round out their graduate education.

The Simon School's Master of Science degrees in New York City are both 13-month graduate programs designed for working professionals who seek an advanced degree on an accelerated part-time basis. MS in Finance begins each March and MS in Management begins in July.

PhD and doctoral study

As a business school with an outstanding history of academic research, the Simon Business School offers an extensive PhD program with a variety of concentrations. Introduced in 1965, the Simon PhD program offers students an intentionally small, highly selective academic environment that is anchored by a world-class research faculty. Faculty members edit a number of highly ranked journals that are based at the School, and their research has had a significant effect on a number of areas of business. Interaction between faculty and students is encouraged. Traditionally, Simon faculty members have an open door policy for PhD students.

The most common fields for PhD majors among doctoral students are Accounting, Competitive and Organizational Strategy, Finance, Marketing, Computer and Information Systems, and Operations Management. Regardless of the major, all students start with the first year, called the core building a firm foundation of mathematics, statistics and economics. While the majority of the courses are taken in common by all the incoming students, there is some specialization. This specialization gets more intense in the second year when the students concentrate on their major and minor fields of study.

The School's consistent quality of teaching and research resulted in 58 percent majority of its graduates attaining academic positions in top business schools, with 20 percent getting their first job in a top-10 ranked business school.

History

The University of Rochester started a small business program in 1958, and awarded its first MBA degree in 1962, but the School’s impact in the business world can really be traced to a later decision by then University President W. Allen Wallis to create a first-class business school in Rochester. In 1964, he recruited as dean a visionary who believed in the power of economics to solve a host of problems.

William H. Meckling—who would remain dean for 19 years—was already a noted economist when he arrived in Rochester, best known for his analysis and leadership in support of an all-volunteer U.S. armed service. As dean, he committed the School to an economics-based approach to problem solving, recruited a first-rate faculty, required that all research at the School have an empirical orientation, initiated new finance and accounting journals that incorporated economics, eliminated traditional boundaries between functional departments, and transformed what had been a small, undergraduate and evening business school into a leading graduate business program.

As a result of pioneering work by Meckling and Michael C. Jensen, one of the talented young faculty members he recruited, and groundbreaking work by other faculty members, the School became known for making enormous contributions in the critical areas of [finance], [accounting] and [organizational theory]. The faculty’s contributions, in turn, helped shape the research agenda of a generation of business scholars around the globe, influencing teaching in graduate business programs and forever changing how many companies and executives in this country and abroad conduct business.

In 1986, another milestone in the School’s history occurred when the School was renamed the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration. William E. Simon, a financial entrepreneur and former U.S. Treasury Secretary, believed strongly in the principles and ideals of the School. He offered not only his name, but also an enduring financial commitment to the School’s continued success. He chaired the Executive Advisory Committee from its inception in 1986 until his death in June 2000.

Today, the School flourishes and thrives as a leading business school, offering both the highest quality business education and cutting-edge research by an internationally renowned faculty. Andrew Ainslie - who succeeded Mark Zupan - has served as Dean of the Simon Business School since July 1, 2014.

Rankings

Business School Ranking
U.S. MBA
Bloomberg Businessweek[1] 38
U.S. News & World Report[2] 37
Worldwide MBA
Financial Times[3] 29 in the US, 55 in the World

The school also was ranked No. 3 in the World in Economics and No. 4 in the World in Finance (Financial Times of London, 2014). The Simon Business School faculty is known internationally for leading scholarship in management-related areas. Their cutting edge research is published in top-tier journals, and several members serve as editors of leading journals, including three published disciplines. Simon faculty members conduct research on issues which cross traditional functional lines.

Financial Times of London Global Rankings
Ranked annually among the top 30 US business schools since 1999.
No. 29 among US business schools
No. 3 in the world for Economics
No. 4 in the world for Finance
No. 55 among the top B-schools in the world in the January 2014 survey

'U.S. News & World Report'
No. 37 in the 2015 Survey
No. 14 in Finance
No. 25 in Accounting

Businessweek (Biennial) November 2014 Simon was ranked No. 38 overall in the November 2014 issue.
Simon Business School consistently receives an "A" for teaching quality

Academic contributions and research

Several important innovations in business economics were developed by faculty at the school, including advances to agency theory and positive accounting theory. The school is also home to three academic journals in management: the Journal of Accounting and Economics, the Journal of Financial Economics, and the Journal of Monetary Economics.

Notable Alumni

See also

References

External links