Leveraging its location in Inland Southern California as one of the fastest growing regions in the United States, the School's brand identity is tied to the development and management of growth, and uses the tagline "Leading Thinkers Leading Growth." The school's 2008-2013 strategic plan identifies five "spires of excellence" that represent areas of academic distinction for the School. These five spires include: auditing and assurance, empirical finance, supply chain management, Web commerce, and behavioral decision research. Annually, the UCR School of Business enrolls over 1,000 students
Distinctions
In 2003, School of Business was accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business . In 2007, Entrepreneur Magazine and the Princeton Review included the school among the top 25 graduate programs in entrepreneurship. In 2010, U.S. News and World Report ranked the SoBA undergraduate business program in a tie for 67th among all undergraduate business programs and in a tie for 41st among undergraduate business programs within public universities. In 2010 and 2011, the Princeton Review included SoBA as one of its Best 301/300 Business Schools. In 2011, Business Week ranked the school’s undergraduate program for the first time, placing it among only six programs in California that were ranked. In 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranked the SoBA undergraduate business program 32nd among all public universities and 55th among all universities nationwide. In 2011, the Princeton Review included SoBA as one of its Best 294 Business Schools for 2012. In 2012, U.S. News and World Report ranked the SoBA undergraduate business program 33rd among all public universities and 56th among all universities nationwide. In 2012, the Princeton Review included SoBA as one of its Best 296 Business Schools for 2013. In 2010, SoBA revived its annual economic forecast, in partnership with Beacon Economics. The 2011 forecast conference was themed "The Future of Jobs in Inland Southern California."
History
UCR first established the Graduate School of Administration in 1970. The school was subsequently renamed the Graduate School of Management in 1982. In 1994, the A. Gary Anderson Family Foundation donated $5 million to the school, which was renamed the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management. In 2008, the school was renamed the School of Business Administration, housing both the undergraduate business program and the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management. In 2018, the school's name was shortened to the School of Business.
Faculty
SoBA has several areas: accounting and information systems, management and marketing, finance, and supply chain management. Faculty include:
Richard Smith – co-author of Entrepreneurial Finance: Strategy, Valuation, and Deal Structure
Programs
Undergraduate business
SoBA offers a B.S. in business administration program, which was founded in 1984. Total undergraduate enrollment as of 2011 is 18,242. SoBA has the largest undergraduate business program in the UC system. In 2010, U.S. News and World Report ranked the SoBA undergraduate business program in the top 5 percentile.
MBA
The MBA program launched in 1983. Offered in the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management, the MBA program enrolls about 80 students per year as of 2011. In 2010, MBA student interns participated in the first ever study of foreign direct investment in Riverside County. They worked with the Office of Foreign Trade at the Riverside County Economic Development Agency.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. in Business Administration program launched fall 2011, and is interdisciplinary, focusing on management and marketing. The first cohort consisted of six students.
A Master of Professional Accountancy program was approved for launch fall 2012.
Executive MBA
In 2009, SoBA launched an Executive MBA program. Typical applicants to the 21-month program have seven to 10 years of career experience minimum. The first cohort was composed of managers in finance, distribution, a CPA, and physicians. The program enrolled about 20-25 students per year. Students meet on alternating weekends at the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center, and are required to attend a week-long residency and an international study trip. In 2010, the EMBA cohort traveled to Shanghai for its international residency.
