The University of Wyoming College of Business aims to be the business college of choice for people who value enriching experiences and the integrity of a handshake. We do this through our commitment to the success of our students, the impact of our scholarship, and the economic vitality of Wyoming and beyond. We do this by focusing on the character of the individual, service to our communities, and stewardship of resources.

As an AACSB-accredited college of business, our responsibility is not to simply graduate students, but to ensure that they have practical skills that can be put to good use in the business world. Today’s employers expect more, and at the UW College of Business, we do too. Our multi-faceted instructional environment ensures our graduates have a competitive advantage as they enter the workforce. Through a combination of relevant courses and our Peter M. & Paula Green Johnson Student Success Center offerings of experiential learning opportunities; professional development and engagement; mentorships; internships; study abroad–and so much more–our College of Business students are exposed to career and personal development throughout their time on campus.

The key focus areas also include the advancement of our entrepreneurship and sales initiatives, the development of an honors curriculum and undergraduate research program through our Department of Economics, and the drive towards serving economic needs in the state and region with our Master’s degree programs in Accounting, Finance, and Business Administration (MBA).

The University of Wyoming College of Business is proud to be among the less than 5% of the world’s 13,000 business programs that have earned AACSB accreditation.

AACSB accreditation assures quality and promotes excellence and continuous improvement in undergraduate and graduate education for business administration, showing that our programs satisfy criteria established and accepted by the management community.

History

The College of Commerce and Industry, now known as the College of Business, was conceptualized and founded in 1899. The official establishment of the College of C&I wasn’t until 1947 and official operations began that September. The original C&I building was later created and completed by 1962.

The University of Wyoming recognized a need and wanted to offer the background training needed by young people who wished to engage in business or professional fields. The College was able to not only succeed in educating students, but also aided students in securing positions with some of the largest corporations in the United States at the time and students were even finding work internationally post-graduation.

The College initially consisted of four departments: Accounting, Business Administration, Secretarial Science, and Statistics. The professional curricula offered through the College of C&I involved six majors: Accounting, Commercial Aviation, Retailing, Secretarial Science, Statistics, and a general degree in Business Administration.

In the late 1980’s the programming at the College of C&I evolved. The Institute of Business and Management Services (IBMS) was created specifically to meet the ever-changing needs of Wyoming businesses. The IBMS focused on student internship opportunities, students learning through case studies of actual Wyoming businesses, conducting applied research for Wyoming businesses and governmental agencies, and providing development seminars, workshops, and conferences for practicing managers at all levels of organizations around the state.

Finally, in 1991, the College of C&I had been renamed to the College of Business and the departments we now recognize were formed: Accounting & Finance, Economics, and Management & Marketing. A Ph.D. in Economics was offered along with Master’s degrees in Accounting, Economics, Economics and Water Resources, Finance, and a formal MBA Program.

While the Business programs offered have changed over the years, the college remains firmly committed to a tradition of excellence. This includes our dedication to excellence in teaching, internationally recognized intellectual contributions, integration of teaching with scholarship, and service that has tangible impacts on the state and professional community.