David Eccles School of Business

David Eccles School of Business is the business school of the University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City. Established in 1917, it is named for the industrialist and philanthropist David Eccles. The school offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs, including Master of Business Administration and specialized master's degrees, and is known for its strong connections to the technology and finance sectors of the Interior West.

History

The school's origins trace back to 1917 when the University of Utah first offered courses in commerce. It was formally established as the College of Business in 1927, operating within the framework of the state's flagship public university. A significant transformation occurred in 1970 when the school was renamed in honor of David Eccles, a prominent Utah entrepreneur who founded the Utah Construction Company and played a key role in developing industries across the Western United States. Under the leadership of deans like John W. Bizzack and later Taylor Randall, the school expanded its physical footprint and academic scope, notably constructing the Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building in 1997. This growth paralleled the rise of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area as a regional hub for finance, technology, and venture capital.

Academics

The David Eccles School of Business administers programs through several academic departments, including the Department of Finance, the Department of Marketing, and the Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy. It grants the Bachelor of Science in various business disciplines, a full-time and professional Master of Business Administration, and specialized master's degrees such as the Master of Science in Finance and the Master of Accounting. The curriculum emphasizes experiential learning, facilitated by institutes like the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute and the Sorenson Center for Discovery and Innovation. The school also houses the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, which provides economic and demographic research on Utah. Executive education is delivered through the Executive MBA program and non-degree courses for professionals.

Campus and facilities

The school is primarily housed in the Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building, a central facility on the University of Utah campus. This building contains technologically advanced classrooms, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Auditorium, and collaborative spaces for student teams. A major campus feature is the Lassonde Studios, a unique living-and-learning facility that integrates residential space with workshops, prototyping labs, and startup incubators to foster entrepreneurship. The school also manages the Eccles Broadcast Center at the University of Utah. Its location in Salt Lake City provides proximity to major corporate partners like Zions Bank, Adobe Inc., and Goldman Sachs, which actively recruit from the school and participate in its programs.

Rankings and reputation

The school is consistently ranked among the top public business schools in the United States by publications such as U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek. Its entrepreneurship programs, particularly through the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, are frequently placed in the national top 10. The Master of Business Administration and specialized master's programs are recognized for strong ROI and graduate employment rates in sectors like technology, financial services, and healthcare administration. The school's research output and faculty expertise in areas like finance, marketing science, and economic development contribute significantly to its academic prestige and its role as a thought leader for the Intermountain West economy.

Notable alumni and faculty

Prominent alumni include former Governor of Utah and United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt, former CEO of Delta Air Lines Richard H. Anderson, and co-founder of Atlassian Scott Farquhar. The faculty has included distinguished scholars such as finance expert Michael S. Piwowar, former commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and Luis M. B. Cabral, a noted economist in the field of industrial organization. Other notable figures associated with the school are philanthropists Pierre Lassonde and Spencer Fox Eccles, whose contributions have shaped its facilities and programs.

Category:University of Utah Category:Business schools in the United States Category:Educational institutions established in 1917 Category:1917 establishments in Utah