University of Pittsburgh

About Pitt Business

Leader In Education, Pioneer In Research, Partner In Regional Development

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From its humble beginnings in an 18th-century log cabin, the University of Pittsburgh has evolved over the past 220 years into an internationally recognized center of learning and research. Business courses were first offered at Pitt in 1907, and, during the past century, business education has contributed to the learning and research excellence of the University.

The University of Pittsburgh was one of 16 founding members of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Today, AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting. AACSB International accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Pitt is proud to have been continuously accredited by the AACSB since 1919.

The Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business

In 1960, the University established its Graduate School of Business and began offering the nation’s first one-year Master of Business Administration program. Dedicated and renamed in 1987, owing to the generosity of entrepreneur Joseph M. Katz, the school is recognized as a local, national, and global leader in education and research.

The Katz School of the 21st century delivers a high quality business education that stresses experienced-based learning and the development of an appropriate mix of hard and soft skills to ensure students’ success in a competitive, global marketplace.

The College of Business Administration

The University of Pittsburgh began offering undergraduate business programs under the auspices of the Evening School of Economics in the early 20th century. The University began phasing out the undergraduate business school in 1960 to focus its energies on graduate education and research. In 1980, the Graduate School of Business began to offer business as a second major for students in the College of Arts and Sciences. 

Reestablished by the University’s Board of Trustees on July 21, 1993, the College of Business Administration (CBA) awards the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with majors in accounting, finance, marketing, and general management. CBA welcomed its first freshman class of 154 students in September 1995 and graduated its first class of 159 students in April 1999 (24 students accelerated their program and graduated in December 1998). CBA enrollment has risen sharply to 1,800 students, and the school now graduates more than 500 students per year.