McIntire School of Commerce

History

In 1920, the University of Virginia began offering students majoring in economics the opportunity to specialize in business administration. One year later a $200,000 donation from stockbroker, alumnus and Charlottesville philanthropist Paul Goodloe McIntire made the establishment of the McIntire School of Commerce and Business Administration possible. Over the next three decades McIntire operated as a separate entity from the College of Arts and Sciences, but worked closely with the James Wilson School of Economics. In 1952, the University’s Board of Visitors approved the establishment of the McIntire School as a professional school to be administered as a separate unit of the University, distinct from the College.

Monroe Hall was opened in 1930 and became the home for the McIntire School.

Back to the Lawn

The McIntire School has moved from its location in Monroe Hall to Rouss Hall. This migration, entitled "Back to the Lawn" by the school, began in April 2005, and was completed in December 2007. The move entailed an extensive expansion and renovation of Rouss Hall to fit the needs of the Commerce School. The 132,000-square-foot Robertson Hall adjoins historic Rouss Hall, creating a 156,000-square-foot academic complex on the Lawn. The major renovation of Rouss Hall and the construction of the adjoining Robertson Hall created a new academic complex to house the McIntire School of Commerce, and to fit the School's new and expanding needs. Some of the extensive renovations and expansions includes, among others, a state-of-the-art computer-trading center, computer labs, conference rooms, study lounges, student lounges, and meeting rooms.

Monroe Hall is now occupied by the offices of the Undergraduate Association Deans for the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, as well as the Department of Economics. The former occupy the original south portion of the building, while the latter occupies the Balfour Addition on the north side of Monroe Hall (prior to 2005, the Department of Economics was located in Rouss Hall; effectively, the Department of Economics and the McIntire School of Commerce traded buildings).

Academics

McIntire offers degrees in the following disciplines:

B.S. in Commerce

Students apply for enrollment at McIntire during the spring of their second year. Students accepted into the program begin coursework in the fall of their third year. Once they begin, students are enrolled in a 12 credit, block-style class called the Integrated Core Experience (the "ICE Block"). Blocks are taught by a group of professors, each professor specializing in an aspect of business (marketing, finance, communications, strategy, systems, organizational behavior, and quantitative analysis). Professors conduct subject-based coursework on a rotating basis.

During the first semester at McIntire, students while in their ICE Blocks, are assigned to teams. Each team assumes the role of an analyst, and works on a semester-long project for one of four Fortune 500 companies (Alcoa, Rolls-Royce, AB InBev or CarMax). The team-based project requires students to advise senior management on a problem or objective the company is facing.

Students then specialize in one of five "concentrations": Accounting, Finance, Information Technology, Management, and Marketing (International Business was offered in the past as a concentration, but has since been discontinued). Depending on the requirements of the concentration, students begin taking classes for their concentration either in the second or third semester at McIntire. Each concentration has its own coursework, with some required courses fixed for the concentration and other required courses offered to students as a choice of electives; the level of course required, both fixed and electives, varies from concentration to concentration. The Finance concentration, for example, has 4 required fixed courses plus 1 required elective (from a selection of various courses), while the Marketing concentration has 1 fixed requirement plus 2 required electives (also from a selection of various courses). Students who wish to are able to select more than one concentration, but cannot choose more than two concentrations.

McIntire students can also choose to study in an area of specialty that spans across several disciplines, called a "track". Generally, students may select a track during the spring semester of the third year or the start of the fourth year. McIntire students may complete up to two tracks if course scheduling allows, but cannot complete three or more tracks. The tracks McIntire currently offers are in Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Global Commerce, Quantitative Finance, and Real Estate. Many of the required and elective courses offered for each track also overlap with the courses offered for certain concentrations, allowing students flexibility in choosing the right track to augment their learning experience.

M.S. in Management of Information Technology

The M.S. in MIT Program is based on a 30-credit-hour curriculum that integrates technical and business-related knowledge and skills. The program helps students understand how current and emerging technologies can best be applied to make their organizations more profitable, productive, and competitive. Featuring an executive format, the program allows working professionals from a wide range of industries and functional areas of expertise to remain on the job while completing their degree.

M.S. in Commerce

The one-year, 40-credit-hour M.S. in Commerce integrates foundational business skills, offers specialization in either Financial Services or Marketing & Management, and concludes with a month of global immersion.

M.S. in Accounting

McIntire’s M.S. in Accounting Program is a one-year, 30-credit-hour program that helps students sharpen the analytical and technical skills they need to excel in the field of accounting.

Rankings

In 2009, McIntire was ranked number one nationally for undergraduate business schools by Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Since 2011, the same magazine ranked McIntire second in the country, and has continued to praise the school's academics.

In 2012, McIntire was ranked as America's 5th best undergraduate business school by U.S. News & World Report.

In 2015 the M.S. program in Commerce was ranked 1st among one-year, pre-work-experience master’s in management programs by higher education research website Value Colleges.

Notable alumni