DEFINITION of The Paul Merage School of Business

The Paul Merage School of Business is the school of business of the University of California, Irvine. The Paul Merage School of Business traditionally offered only graduate and doctorate-level programs, but it began enrolling undergraduates in 2008. It offers a variety of business disciplines, including accounting, economics, marketing, management and finance.

BREAKING DOWN The Paul Merage School of Business

Located in Irvine, Calif., the Paul Merage School of Business was established in 1965. It was originally called the Graduate School of Administration. It changed its name to the Graduate School of Management in 1981, then in 2005 it changed its names following a large donation from businessman Paul Merage, creator of Hot Pockets. The school receives more than 11,000 applications for 230 undergraduate slots. The school offers what it calls a “visionary curriculum,” which it describes as including three core focuses of the Merage School: strategic innovation, information technology and analytic decision making.

Paul Merage School of Business Programs

The Paul Merage School of Business offers undergrad, master of business administration (MBA), executive MBA, masters, and PhD programs, as well as executive education. The school offers five masters programs: master of finance, master of professional accountancy, master of science in business analytics, master of science in biotechnology management and master of science in engineering management. Students that enter the full-time MBA program take an intensive two-week orientation, known as the MBA boot camp

Paul Merage School of Business Mission and Plan

According to its website, the Paul Merage School of Business’ mission is: “Develop globally-competitive transformational leaders in a diverse, collaborative, student-centric community where academic excellence and practical application coalesce.”

The school’s strategic plan is stated, in part, as such: “The Paul Merage School of Business develops and equips leaders with critical business and leadership skills needed to succeed through programs that are continually adapted to address the ever-changing social, technological and economic opportunities and challenges in our digitally driven world.”

Paul Merage School of Business Rankings

The Paul Merage School of Business has been ranked number 14 for full-time MBA among public universities by the Financial Times, number four in for part-time MBA in California by U.S. News & World Report, and number one in the world for percentage of female faculty by the Financial Times.

  • Paul Merage School of Business Notable Alumni
  • Notable Alumni of the Paul Merage School of Business include:
  • Wright Massey, founder and CEO of Brand Architecture, Inc.
  • Reza Meshgin, director, president, and CEO Multi-Fineline Electronix, Inc.
  • George Kessinger, former president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International.