Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business

Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business
Name	Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business
Established	1910
Type	Private
Parent	Saint Louis University
City	St. Louis
State	Missouri
Country	United States
Dean	Keith A. Belton
Campus	SLU campus

Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business is the business college of Saint Louis University, located in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States. The school offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs linked to regional and international partners such as Boeing, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Emerson Electric, Express Scripts, and Nike. It emphasizes experiential learning, entrepreneurship, and global engagement with connections to institutions like London School of Economics, INSEAD, University of Oxford, Harvard University, and Stanford University.

History

The school traces roots to business courses offered at Saint Louis University in the early 20th century and expanded through affiliations with firms such as McDonnell Douglas and Union Electric Company. Named for alumnus and philanthropist Richard Chaifetz, the naming followed his major gift, joining the legacy of donors like John F. Kennedy (as a namesake elsewhere) and benefactors such as Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie in philanthropic traditions. The Chaifetz naming catalyzed facility investments tied to projects with municipal partners including Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District and cultural institutions like the Saint Louis Art Museum, while forging ties to corporate boards featuring executives from Monsanto, 3M, and Goldman Sachs. Over decades the school adapted to shifts driven by events such as the Great Recession, regulatory changes involving the Securities and Exchange Commission, and globalization influenced by treaties like North American Free Trade Agreement.

Academic programs

Programs include a Bachelor of Science with majors aligning to companies such as Walmart, Target Corporation, and Procter & Gamble, as well as graduate degrees including the MBA, Executive MBA, and specialized master's partnering with organizations like Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, and Ernst & Young. Joint and dual degrees connect to professional schools such as Saint Louis University School of Law and healthcare programs linked to Johns Hopkins University and Mayo Clinic. Certificate programs in finance, analytics, and supply chain management prepare students for roles at FedEx, UPS, Amazon, and Caterpillar Inc., while entrepreneurship tracks mirror incubator models used by Y Combinator, Techstars, and MassChallenge.

Research and centers

Research centers support applied scholarship and community engagement, including centers modeled on approaches from National Bureau of Economic Research, Brookings Institution, and RAND Corporation. Specialized units focus on finance research akin to work at National Association of Securities Dealers archives, ethics initiatives inspired by Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen, and supply chain research similar to MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics. Other centers collaborate with public health entities such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and economic development agencies like U.S. Small Business Administration and Economic Development Administration.

Accreditation and rankings

The school holds accreditation comparable to standards from Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and aligns with regional accreditation expectations of the Higher Learning Commission. Rankings by outlets following methodologies similar to those of U.S. News & World Report, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes note program strengths in entrepreneurship and finance, with employment outcomes tracked through platforms used by LinkedIn and Handshake and benchmarked against peers such as University of Missouri–St. Louis, Washington University in St. Louis, Indiana University Bloomington, and University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign.

Campus and facilities

The Chaifetz complex sits within the SLU campus near landmarks like Forest Park and the Gateway Arch National Park, featuring classrooms, trading labs, and incubation space inspired by facilities at Columbia Business School and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Technology infrastructure supports partnerships with software providers including Microsoft, SAP, Oracle Corporation, Tableau Software, and SAS Institute. Event venues host speakers from institutions such as Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and corporate visitors from General Electric and IBM.

Student life and organizations

Student organizations mirror national chapters like Delta Sigma Pi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Enactus, and student career development connects to employers including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo. The school supports case competitions and activities similar to events run by Harvard Business School, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and University of Pennsylvania. International study opportunities involve exchanges with Universidad de Buenos Aires, Peking University, University of Melbourne, HEC Paris, and Università Bocconi.

Notable alumni and faculty

Alumni serve in leadership at firms and institutions such as Anheuser-Busch, Express Scripts Holding Company, Centene Corporation, Edward Jones, and nonprofit boards including United Way Worldwide and American Red Cross. Faculty scholarship and teaching draw comparisons with academics from Michael Porter and Clayton Christensen traditions and have been recognized by awards similar to those from National Science Foundation, Fulbright Program, and the Guggenheim Fellowship. Visiting lecturers and adjuncts have included executives from Nike, Inc., PepsiCo, Microsoft Corporation, and thought leaders from Harvard Kennedy School and London Business School.

Category:Business schools in the United States