The school originated as the Graduate School of Administration in 1965 only offering graduate degrees in Master of Science in Administration, Master of Public Administration, and Master of Business and Public Administration. In 1981, the school changed its name to the Graduate School of Management and offered its Master of Business Administration degree. In 1987, the school earns its AACSB accreditation, each year upholding its honors. In 1997, the school was first ranked within the top 50 business schools as reported by the (U.S. News & World Report). In 2005, the Graduate School of Management officially changed its name to The Paul Merage School of Business after entrepreneur and Orange Countyphilanthropist, Paul Merage. The donation by Paul Merage was announced to be $30 million. In the same year, the alumni network reached 5,000.
[2][3] In 2007, the school announced that it would offer undergraduate courses starting in fall 2008.[4]
Building
In January 2015, the School opened its new Platinum-level LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified building.[5] The 78,000-square-foot Merage School building serves as home to a high-tech 300-seat auditorium, several of the Merage School’s Centers of Excellence, a Charles Schwab Trading and Technology Lab, and a 70-seat Lyman W. Porter Colloquia Room & Executive Terrace. Other features include 70-seat and 90-seat case-study classrooms, a multi-purpose classroom and 20 small group study rooms[6] providing new student learning opportunities, faculty research, community engagement, and facilities and grounds.
