E. J. Ourso College of Business

E. J. Ourso College of Business
Name	E. J. Ourso College of Business
Established	1928 (as School of Commerce)
Type	Public
Parent	Louisiana State University
City	Baton Rouge
State	Louisiana
Country	United States

E. J. Ourso College of Business is the business school of Louisiana State University located on the Baton Rouge, Louisiana campus. The college offers undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs with accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and participates in regional partnerships across the Gulf Coast and Southern United States. Its curricula emphasize connections to industry leaders, public institutions, and international markets in the Americas.

History

The college traces its origins to the establishment of a commerce curriculum within Louisiana State University in the late 1920s during the interwar period and expanded during the post-World War II enrollment boom. Major gifts and naming rights from philanthropist E. J. Ourso propelled building campaigns concurrent with statewide higher education reforms under governors such as John McKeithen and Edwin Edwards. The college weathered crises including Hurricane Katrina and adapted through accreditation reviews by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, reorganizations paralleling national trends exemplified at institutions like Wharton School, Harvard Business School, and Kellogg School of Management.

Academics

Programs span bachelor’s, master’s, Ph.D., and executive education modeled after curricula at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Columbia Business School, and INSEAD. Degree tracks integrate coursework in finance, management, marketing, and information systems with case-method influences from Harvard Business School and quantitative approaches seen at MIT Sloan School of Management. Professional certifications and joint degrees align with standards from Chartered Financial Analyst Institute, Project Management Institute, and licensure comparable to state boards in Louisiana and regional accrediting bodies like the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The college participates in exchange agreements with institutions such as Universidad de Buenos Aires, University of Warwick, and National University of Singapore.

Departments and Programs

Academic units include departments mirrored by peer schools: Department of Accounting (akin to Columbia Business School accounting groups), Department of Economics (comparable to University of Chicago economics faculties), Department of Finance (parallel to London School of Economics finance modules), Department of Management (similar to Yale School of Management management studies), Department of Marketing (as at Northwestern University), and Department of Information Systems (reflecting Carnegie Mellon University). Programs include an MBA, Executive MBA, Master of Science in Finance, Master of Accountancy, and Ph.D. tracks comparable to offerings at Duke University, University of Michigan, and University of California, Berkeley.

Research and Centers

Research centers and institutes foster applied scholarship in areas like energy finance, supply chain resilience, and entrepreneurship, modeled on centers such as Tuck School of Business's initiatives and Harvard Kennedy School policy labs. Notable centers collaborate with stakeholders from ExxonMobil, Chevron, Entergy Corporation, and municipal partners like the City of Baton Rouge. Faculty publish in outlets including Journal of Finance, Academy of Management Journal, Management Science, and Journal of Marketing Research. Grants have been awarded by agencies like the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and foundations such as the Ford Foundation.

Campus and Facilities

Located in proximity to Tiger Stadium and the Louisiana State University Rural Life Museum, facilities include classrooms, trading labs, and executive education suites outfitted with resources comparable to the trading floors at New York Stock Exchange simulation centers. The building footprint underwent renovation following storm damage referencing rebuilding efforts seen after Hurricane Katrina and infrastructure investments akin to projects at University of Texas at Austin and University of Florida. Nearby research parks and incubators collaborate with regional entities such as Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) and economic development offices.

Student Life and Organizations

Student activities include chapters of national and international organizations such as Beta Gamma Sigma, Delta Sigma Pi, Enactus, and career associations linked to firms like Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, and Ernst & Young. Competitive teams participate in intercollegiate events such as the CFA Institute Research Challenge, Fed Challenge, and case competitions hosted by Rice University and Tulane University. Student government and professional fraternities coordinate with university-wide groups including Student Government and campus outlets such as The Daily Reveille.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni and faculty have held leadership roles at corporations and institutions including ExxonMobil, Entergy Corporation, IBM, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Bunge Limited, and state offices in Louisiana such as administrations under Kathleen Blanco and Bobby Jindal. Faculty have included scholars publishing alongside contemporaries at Harvard University, Princeton University, and Yale University, and recipients of awards from organizations like the American Finance Association and Academy of Management.

Category:Louisiana State University