Questrom School of Business: Overview

Questrom School of Business

Investopedia / Yurle Villegas

What Is the Questrom School of Business?

The Questrom School of Business is the business school at Boston University. The school was founded in 1913 and is located in Boston. The business school offers degree programs for undergraduate, master of business administration (MBA), graduate, and doctorate students in a variety of disciplines. Known as the Boston University School of Management, the school changed its name in March 2015. It consistently ranks among the top 100 business schools in the United States.

Key Takeaways

  • The Questrom School of Business is the business school of Boston University.
  • Questrom is highly rated for both its undergraduate and graduate programs, often placing in the top 100 schools in the United States.
  • The school offers a range of undergraduate, MBA, graduate, and doctorate degree programs tailored to provide specific skills.

Understanding the Questrom School of Business

The Questrom School of Business is located at Boston University. It was founded in 1913 as the Boston University School of Management. The school received a $50 million donation from a prominent businessman and alumnus, Allen Questrom, and changed its name to Questrom in March 2015.

The school identifies and focuses on three key sectors of the economy, including health and life sciences, digital technology, and social enterprise and sustainability. According to the school's website, it aligned its programs and designed its classrooms to meet these areas. The school is also focusing on implementing issues dealing with ethics and social responsibility into the mix. Its mission statement is to

"...prepare innovative and ethical leaders who understand the impact of business on society and create value for the world. Our students comprehend organizational systems, the vital role of leadership, and the forces transforming the global economy. We generate scholarly knowledge and insights that advance management practice through our research, teaching, and community engagement."

The Questrom School of Business is home to 2,500 undergraduate and 1,200 graduate students. The school boasts an alumni base of more than 53,000 individuals. Questrom graduates developed careers in a wide variety of areas, including government, technology, and finance, among others.

Some of the most notable graduates from Questrom Business School include:

  • Keith Alexander, former director of the National Security Agency
  • Dirk Meyer, former chief executive officer (CEO) of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
  • Alfred Sant, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Malta

Questrom is headed by Dean Susan Fournier.

Programs Offered

Questrom offers degrees for undergraduate, MBA, graduate, and doctorate students in a variety of disciplines. The table below highlights a sample of the programs for each level.

Degree Programs Offered at Questrom School of Business
Undergraduate  MBA  Graduate  Doctorate
Accounting Digital Technology  MS Business Analytics  Accounting
Business Analytics  Finance  Masters in Management Studies  Finance
Global Business Leadership & Organizational Transformation MS in Mathematical Finance & Financial Technology Mathematical Finance
Law Marketing Management & Organization
Marketing Operations & Technology Management Strategy & Innovation
Real Estate Strategy
Strategy
Sustainable Energy
Source: BU Questrom School of Business

MBA students can work toward a joint degree in another discipline. The school also offers several highly specialized programs that can be combined with their degrees, including the Juris Doctor program, the Doctor of Medicine program, and the Master of Public Health program among others. There are also opportunities for online education and the executive MBA (EMBA) for those who want more flexibility during the course of study.

The Questrom School of Business is particularly well-known for hosting the Tech Strategy Business Case Competition once per year during the spring semester. At this event, students are provided a platform to apply their academic knowledge in a range of real-world business contexts.

Rankings

As noted above, Questrom consistently ranks among the top 100 business schools in the United States. For instance, the school ranked:

  • 51 in the Best Business School category (tied with Ivy College of Business at Iowa State University)
  • 37 in the Part-Time MBA program (tied with Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business, Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, and the University of Connecticut)

Statistics and Starting Salaries

According to the school's website, 99% of Questrom's undergraduate class of 2021 found a job within six months of graduating. The average salary earned by these students during their first year was $70,659.

Roughly 94% of the 2021 graduating class of the full-time MBA program accepted a job offer within three months of earning their degrees. The mean salary plus bonus for students in this class was $119,497.

Is the Questrom School of Business a Good School?

The Questrom School of Business consistently ranks among the top 100 business schools in the United States. It tied for 51st place in the Best Business Schools in the United States category by U.S. News & World Report. Its part-time MBA is among the country's top 50 programs.

According to the school, 99% of students from the undergraduate class of 2021 were offered a job six months after earning their degrees while 94% of the full-time MBA class of 2021 accepted job offers within three months of graduating.

What Is the Acceptance Rate of the Questrom School of Business?

The Questrom School of Business doesn't publish its acceptance rate. But according to Poets & Quants, the school had an acceptance rate of 33.9% in 2021. That's a drop from the rate of 51.3% in 2020.

The school says that 99% of its students accept a job six months after graduating. Those who work in the U.S. tend to earn a little over $70,000 in their first year.

How Did the Questrom School of Business Get Its Name?

The Questrom School of Business is named after alumnus Allen Questrom, who donated $50 million to the school in March 2015. Questrom, who is a retired retail CEO, graduated from the school in 1964 and is a trustee at Boston University. Prior to this, Questrom was known as Boston University School of Management.

The Bottom Line

Choosing the right business school takes time and research. Make sure it aligns with your chosen path and future goals. The Questrom School of Business at Boston University consistently ranks among the top 100 schools in the United States. It offers programs in many disciplines for undergraduate, MBA, graduate, and doctorate students. According to the school, its students have a high success rate of entering the business world within the first year of graduation.

Article Sources
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  1. BU Questrom School of Business. "ABOUT QUESTROM."

  2. BU Today. "Record Gift Renames SMG Questrom School of Business."

  3. BU Questrom School of Business. "QUESTROM FACTS AT A GLANCE."

  4. BU Questrom School of Business. "ALUMNI."

  5. National Security Institute. "GEN. KEITH ALEXANDER (RET.)."

  6. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. "Meyer, Dirk."

  7. Gov.mt. "Dr Alfred Sant (1996 - 1998)."

  8. BU Questrom School of Business. "DEAN'S WELCOME."

  9. BU Questrom School of Business. "DEGREE PROGRAMS."

  10. BU Questrom School of Business. "EXECUTIVE EDUCATION."

  11. U.S. News & World Report. "2023-2024 Best Business Schools."

  12. U.S. News & World Report. "Best Part-time MBA Programs."

  13. U.S. News & Report. "Boston University (Questrom)."

  14. Poets & Quants. "‘The Window’ Closes: Acceptance Rates At The Top 50 U.S. MBA Programs."

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