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Paul Merage School of Business

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Coordinates: 33°38′49″N 117°50′17″W / 33.64701687690096°N 117.8379327246658°W / 33.64701687690096; -117.8379327246658
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Paul Merage School of Business
TypePublic
Established1965
Endowment$37,500,000
DeanIan O. Williamson (2021-present)
Academic staff
115 (90 Doctoral Professors)
Students2,450
Location
Irvine
,
California
,
United States

33°38′49″N 117°50′17″W / 33.64701687690096°N 117.8379327246658°W / 33.64701687690096; -117.8379327246658
AffiliationsUniversity of California, Irvine
Websitemerage.uci.edu

The Paul Merage School of Business is the business school at the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine). The business school is housed in two buildings located on the eastern side of the UC Irvine campus, which is often ranked among the safest large campuses in the United States.[1] It is one of the university's 14 academic units. In addition to an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, the school offers graduate degree programs that include full-time, part-time and executive Master of Business Administration (MBA), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Master of Accountancy (MPAc), Master of Science in Biotechnology Management (MSBTM), Master in Management (MIM), Master of Finance (MFin), full- and part-time Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA), and Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MIE).[2] The school's Leadership Development Institute also offers certificate programs.

Leadership

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Ian O. Williamson has served as dean of the Merage School since January 1, 2021.[3]

The following individuals have served as dean of the Merage School:

  • Richard C. Snyder (1965-1967)
  • George W. Brown (1967-1972)
  • Lyman Porter (1972-1983)
  • Newt Marguiles (1983-1988)
  • Dennis J. Aigner (1988-1997)
  • David H. Blake (1997-2002)
  • Jone L. Pearce (interim dean, 2002-2004)
  • Andrew J. Policano (August 2004-June 2013)
  • Rajeev Tyagi (interim dean, 2013-2014)
  • Eric Spangenberg (June 2014-December 2020)
  • Ian O. Williamson (2021-present)

History

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The school originated as the Graduate School of Administration in 1965, originally offering graduate degrees in Master of Science in Administration, Master of Public Administration, and Master of Business and Public Administration. In 1981, the school changed its name to the Graduate School of Management and offered its Master of Business Administration degree. In 1987, the school earned its accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation, which it has continuously maintained.[4] In 1997, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Merage School within the top 50 business schools for the first time. In 2005, the Graduate School of Management officially changed its name to the Paul Merage School of Business after entrepreneur and Orange County philanthropist Paul Merage donated $30 million to the school.[5] In the same year, the alumni network reached 5,000. [6][7] In 2007, the school announced that it would offer undergraduate courses starting in fall 2008.[8]

In January 2015, the school opened its new Platinum-level LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified building.[9] The 78,000-square-foot Merage School building serves as home to a high-tech 300-seat auditorium, several of the Merage School’s Centers of Excellence, a Charles Schwab Trading and Technology Lab, and a 70-seat Lyman W. Porter Colloquia Room & Executive Terrace. Other features include 70-seat and 90-seat case-study classrooms, a multi-purpose classroom and 20 small group study rooms[10] providing new student learning opportunities, faculty research, community engagement, and facilities and grounds.

Academic programs

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The Merage School offers numerous degree and certificate programs. Along with classroom learning, the school offers experiential learning and internships hosted by local employers.[11]

Undergraduate program

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The school's undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration program was ranked #27 in the United States by U.S. News and World Report in 2025.[12]

MBA programs

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The school offers the following Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs:

  • Full-Time MBA (ranked #43 by U.S. News & World Report in 2025)[13]
  • Flex MBA (ranked #23 by U.S. News & World Report in 2025)[13]
  • Executive MBA (ranked #36 by Fortune Magazine in 2024)[14]

Master's programs

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The school confers the follow master's degrees:

Doctoral program

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The school offers a Ph.D. in Management. Doctoral alumni have pursued areas of specialization that include accounting, economics, finance, information systems, marketing, operations and decision technologies, organization and management, and strategy.[15]

Leadership Development Institute

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The school’s Leadership Development Institute offers specialized programs directed at working professionals. Programs include:

  • Generative AI for Business Application
  • Generative AI Driven Business Transformation
  • Corporate Governance for Human Resource Officers

Centers of Excellence

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The school’s Centers of Excellence provide academic programming, resources, and events relating to specific industries. As of 2025, the school hosts six Centers of Excellence:

  • Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Center for Digital Transformation
  • Center for Global Leadership
  • Center for Health Care Management and Policy
  • Todd and Lisa Hallbrook Center for Investment and Wealth Management[16]
  • Center for Real Estate

Notable alumni

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Rankings

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Business school rankings

U.S. News & World Report

  • Full-Time MBA program ranked #43 nationally (2025)[13]
  • Part-Time MBA program ranked #23 nationally (2025)[13]
  • Undergraduate business program ranked #29 in the United States (2023)[18]

Financial Times

  • Full-Time MBA program ranked #27 overall in the United States and #9 among public institutions in the United States (2024)[19]
  • Ranked #1 among United States institutions in percentage of women faculty (2024)[19]
  • Executive MBA program ranked #19 in the United States (2023)[19]

Fortune Magazine

  • Full-Time MBA program ranked #32 in the United States (2024)[20]
  • Part-Time MBA program ranked #17 in the United States (2024)[21]
  • Executive MBA program ranked #36 in the United States[22]

TFE Times

  • Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program ranked #14 in the United States and #2 in California (2024)[23]
  • Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) program ranked #16 in the United States and #2 in California (2024)[23]
  • Master of Finance (MFin) program ranked #18 in the United States and #2 in California (2024)[23]

LinkedIn

  • MBA program ranked #26 in the United States (2023)[24] and #77 globally (2024)[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kim, Noah (2021-01-28). "Top 10 Safest Colleges and Campuses in the United States". College Magazine. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  2. ^ "Our Programs | Paul Merage School of Business | UCI". merage.uci.edu. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  3. ^ "UC Irvine appoints new dean to lead business school". www.irvinestandard.com. 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  4. ^ "University of California, Irvine | AACSB Accredited". www.aacsb.edu. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  5. ^ "UC Irvine gets $30 million for business school". Daily Pilot. 2005-03-31. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  6. ^ "UCI Paul Merage School Of Business". merage.uci.edu.
  7. ^ Gottlieb, Jeff (1 April 2005). "Merage Makes It His Business to Help Others" – via LA Times.
  8. ^ "UCI business school to serve undergraduates". Daily Pilot. 2007-05-02. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  9. ^ "University of California Irvine Merage School of Business | LMN Architects". LMN Architects. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  10. ^ "Paul Merage School of Business at UC Irvine to host May 8 open house". The Orange County Register. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  11. ^ "50 Largest companies in Irvine, CA by revenue". Lensa. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  12. ^ Ethier, Marc (2024-09-24). "Ranking: U.S. News' Best Undergraduate Business Programs Of 2025". Poets&Quants for Undergrads. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  13. ^ a b c d U.S. News & World Report. "University of California--Irvine (Merage) Full-Time MBA Program". U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools. Retrieved 20 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "Best Executive MBA Programs for 2024". Fortune Education. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  15. ^ "PhD | Placements | Paul Merage School of Business | UCI". merage.uci.edu. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  16. ^ Malahfji, Bishr (2023-05-23). "Alums Pledge $5 Million to UCI's Center for Investment and Wealth Management". Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  17. ^ "About | OSG". osg.ca.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  18. ^ U.S. News & World Report. "University of California--Irvine Rankings". U.S. News & World Report Education. Retrieved 20 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ a b c "University of California at Irvine: Merage - Business school rankings from the Financial Times - FT.com". rankings.ft.com. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  20. ^ "These are the best MBA programs for those looking to apply to business school for 2025". Fortune Education. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  21. ^ "Best Part-Time MBA Programs for 2024". Fortune Education. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  22. ^ "Best Executive MBA Programs for 2024". Fortune Education. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  23. ^ a b c "Rankings – TFE Times". 2025-02-17. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  24. ^ "LinkedIn Top MBA Programs 2023: The 50 best U.S. business schools to grow your career". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  25. ^ "LinkedIn Top MBA 2024: The 100 best business schools to grow your career around the world". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2025-05-20.

Sources

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