General Information

The McIntire School of Commerce has achieved a national reputation in business education and has been cited as one of the top business schools in the country. Founded in 1921 under the guise of the Wilson School of Economics, the name was changed after a substantial donation was made by Paul G. McIntire. A native of Charlottesville and successful businessman, Mr. McIntire attended the University of Virginia for one term before venturing to Chicago and New York to pursue his fortune in the business world. Mr. McIntire felt the purpose of the school should be to provide training for a career in business, affording young people the vast opportunities of the business life.

The McIntire School of Commerce has grown immensely over the years, housing the undergraduate business school and two graduate programs: accounting and the management of information technology. At the graduate level, these innovative degree programs, combine the managerial perspective of an M. B. A. with a sharply defined professional and technical focus. To be successful at McIntire, graduate students must maintain an intellectual enthusiasm for their program of choice. They must have the desire not only to master their field, but also to apply that mastery. Our programs are for people who are both drawn to, and envision being leaders in, these fields because of the opportunities they offer to make a difference in the world of business.

The Master of Science programs are demanding and rigorous. Faculty and staff work very hard in their effort to prepare students for leadership positions and to ensure that the results are well worth the effort. The faculty consult continually with their colleagues in the business world, watching the trends and technologies and bringing those aspects to the classroom. Classroom training is supported by the latest in instructional technology, as well as the School’s extensive computer resources. McIntire offers a specialized business education on the leading edge. Yet, the most distinguishing feature of the graduate programs is the close, lasting relationships between students and faculty. These relationships are in keeping with Thomas Jefferson’s original concept of the University. Jefferson felt that the immediate exchange of ideas represented the most effective way to transmit knowledge to the rising generation of leaders. Excellence in teaching is the rule at McIntire.

Graduates depart McIntire as professionals with a strong foundation in their chosen field, the ability to add immediate value to an organization, and an appreciation of the role their profession carries in a rapidly changing world.