History

Howard University School of Business Background

The School of Business was founded in 1970 with Dr. Milton Wilson as Dean and over time became the second largest School within the University, establishing its reputation for excellence in both the academic and business communities. In 1976, the undergraduate program became the first in Washington, D.C. to be awarded accreditation from the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). When the MBA program gained AACSB accreditation in 1980, it likewise became the first in Washington, D.C. to receive AACSB accreditation. At that time, Howard University became one of only 153 schools in the nation with an accredited Master of Business Administration (MBA) program out of the more than 500 institutions granting the MBA degree. Separate AACSB accreditation for the Accounting Program was obtained in 1989. At that time, Howard was one of only 69 universities nationwide with this designation.

Howard University Background 

In 1866, the idea of an institution for the education of African-American clergymen was presented and soon expanded to include a provision for establishing a University in Washington D.C. The new institution was named for General Oliver O. Howard, a Civil War hero who was both a founder of the University and, at the same time, commissioner of the Freedman’s Bureau. The University’s charter, as enacted by Congress and subsequently approved by President Andrew Johnson on March 2, 1867, designated Howard University as “a University for the education of youth in the liberal arts and sciences.” Today, Howard is the only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to have achieved Research 1 status under the old Carnegie Classification system and the only institution within this group to be truly comprehensive with respect to its array of undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. The University is comprised of 13 schools and colleges where approximately 10,000 students enjoy academic pursuits in more than 120 areas of study leading to undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. Since 1998, the University has produced nine Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, four Rhodes Scholars, 60 Fulbright Scholars, and 22 Pickering Fellows.  

Mission and Vision Statement

The mission of the Howard University School of Business is to provide a comprehensive business and management education to students of high academic potential, with particular emphasis upon the provision of educational opportunities for promising African American students who may not otherwise have an opportunity to acquire an education of the type provided at Howard University. Further, the School is dedicated to attracting and sustaining a cadre of faculty who, through their teaching and research, are committed to the development of distinguished graduates and to the quest for solutions to business and management problems in the United States and throughout the world.

Vision

The vision of the School of Business, Vision 21, is defined and necessarily directed by the historical mission and core values of Howard University. As such, the School of Business must strive for excellence in providing management education and in producing research that seeks a solution to global business problems. Vision 21 provides that the School of Business develop an agenda that reflects the needs of its core constituency (African Americans and people of color) and is recognized as a school of choice (undergraduate and graduate) by this constituency. Further, the School of Business must be a major contributor to the dialogue concerning economic empowerment for people of color and must also be recognized for producing research on economic empowerment and entrepreneurship. The sum of Vision 21 is that the School of Business must create uniqueness in business education, research, and service that only Howard University can provide.