Cox School of Business - General Information
From its beginning as the Department of Commerce for Southern Methodist
University, the Edwin L. Cox School of Business has been educating the country’s
business leaders for more than 85 years.
Named in 1978 in honor of Dallas businessman Edwin L. Cox, the Cox School
has a rich heritage that began in 1920 when the SMU Board of Trustees established
a Department of Commerce at the request of the Dallas business community. In
1921, the Department of Commerce was renamed the School of Commerce, and,
in 1941, the Board of Trustees established the School of Commerce as a separate
entity from the University. At this point, the School of Commerce became the
School of Business Administration, and the new Bachelor of Business Administration
degree was approved by the trustees. The graduate program at the School of
Business Administration began in 1949 with the authorization of a Master of Business
Administration program.
In 1965, the SMU Foundation for Business Administration was established. This
group of advisers has helped guide the Cox School throughout the years and today is
known as the Executive Board. Also instrumental in supporting the Cox School are
members of its two successful mentoring programs: the Associate Board for M.B.A.
students and the Business Associates Program for B.B.A. students. These two boards
involve more than 220 area business leaders who volunteer their time and expertise
to students who want to start making business connections for the future.
Today, under the leadership of Dean Albert W. Niemi, Jr., the Cox School continues
to move up in the ranks of the world’s premier business schools, receiving
recognition for excellence in research and teaching.
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Southern Methodist University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of
the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, Master’s
and doctoral degrees. Individual academic programs are accredited by the appropriate
national professional associations. Accreditation questions for the Commission
on Colleges can be addressed to 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia
30033-4097, or call 404-679-4500.
The Cox School of Business is accredited by AACSB International – The Association
to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Cox accreditation questions may be
addressed to AACSB International: 777 South Harbour Island Boulevard, Suite 750,
Tampa, Florida 33602-5730; telephone 813-769-6500; fax 813-769-6559.
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In 1952, ground was broken for the Joseph Wylie Fincher Memorial Building
for the School of Business Administration, and for years the Fincher Building
housed all activities in the Cox School. In 1987, two more buildings were added
to the Cox School complex – the Cary M. Maguire Building and the Trammell
Crow Building. The James M. Collins Executive Education Center was added in
2005 to meet the needs of the growing Cox programs.
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The Edwin L. Cox Business Leadership Center
Paula Hill Strasser,
Director
The Business Leadership Center augments the Cox School of Business graduate
curriculum with strategic leadership knowledge and skills essential for business
success in today’s global market. The BLC offers diagnostic assessments, classes, seminars, roundtables, special programs, and individualized coaching to enhance
leadership development under eight themes: Customer Innovation, Personal Development,
Team Dynamics, Productive Leadership, Managerial Leadership, Communication
Skills, Interpersonal Relations, and Business Leaders Roundtables.
The Business Information Center
Sandal Miller,
Director
The Business Information Center is a premier facility combining the features
of a university library with the immediacy of online computer resources. The BIC
includes individual and group study areas, over 70 computer workstations, a presentation
preparation/practice room, a multimedia studio, reference area, periodicals,
BIC staff offices, the Hillcrest Foundation International Resource Library,
the Edwin L. Cox Business Leadership Center Resource Collection, the Cary M.
Maguire Energy Institute Resource Collection and the Career Management Center
Library. The BIC’s mission is to provide the SMU community with business information,
regardless of format, and support the integration of information-literacy
skills into the curriculum. It is a center for research and development for state-ofthe-
art information technology applications in the business education field.
The Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship
Jerry F. White,
Director for Entrepreneurship, Institute Director
The Caruth Institute at SMU was established in 1970 by W.W. Caruth, Jr., to
help people learn about the excitement of building their own business, the challenges
of management, the uncertainties of the marketplace and the acceptance of
adversity as a learning experience.
The Caruth Institute focuses on both the entrepreneurial and managerial aspects
of starting and growing a business. Programs include credit courses for undergraduate
and graduate students, as well as certificate programs for the outside business
community. The institute also conducts the Southwest Venture Forum and the
Dallas 100™ Awards Ceremony. In addition, the institute supports community
entrepreneurship activities such as the Metroplex Growth Capital Conference and
the Cox M.B.A. Business Plan competition. It also is responsible for overseeing
the operations of the Cox M.B.A. Venture Fund.
The Center for Marketing Management Studies
Raj Sethuraman,
Executive Director
Marci Armstrong,
Director, Graduate Marketing Certificate Program
The Center for Marketing Management Studies supports ongoing marketing
education through the Graduate Marketing Certificate Program. The 21-week
program, offered on the Dallas and Plano campuses, runs throughout the school
year and is designed to help marketing professionals from the DFW business community
sharpen their marketing skills and knowledge. GMCP topics include: Online
Marketing 2.0, Advertising Effectively, Consumer Decision-Making and Delivering
Service Quality. Cox graduate students have the opportunity to network with the
marketing professionals attending the GMCP.
The center also hosts several marketing events each year for the Dallas business
community. M.B.A. students are invited to help coordinate and attend these events.
Many major corporations have participated in the program in recent years,
including Dr Pepper Snapple, Slingshot LL C, Targetbase, Sony Electronics, EDS,
Southwest Airlines, Texas Instruments, Accenture, TXU, KPMG, American Heart
Association, Verizon, Frito Lay,
The Dallas Morning News and JCPenney.
JCPenney Center for Retail Excellence
Edward J. Fox,
Executive Director
The center was created through a generous endowment from the JCPenney
Company to advance the understanding of consumer shopping behavior and promote
the development of leaders for the retail industry. The center facilitates professional
development through speaking engagements, networking events and internship
opportunities. M.B.A. students are encouraged to participate in events and to use
the center for networking opportunities.
The Maguire Energy Institute
W. Bruce Bullock,
Director
The Maguire Energy Institute encourages the study of policy; marketing; and
management issues related to oil, natural gas and electricity. The institute conducts
seminars and training programs focusing on the business, economic and managerial
aspects of the energy industry; hosts conferences to facilitate the exchange of
ideas and information among educators, practitioners, media and government
officials; and provides material for students and teachers to foster a better understanding
of the role of the energy industry in the world economy.
The Center for Research in Real Estate and Land Use Economics
William B. Brueggeman,
Director
The center was created in 1984. It sponsors real estate industry outreach programs,
general management programs and student internships. It also awards both
undergraduate and graduate student assistantships and scholarships, which are
made from endowments established by the Costa Institute of Real Estate Finance
and the Folsom Institute for Development and Land Use Policy.
KPMG Institute for Corporate Governance
Wayne Shaw,
Director
The KPMG Institute for Corporate Governance emphasizes the importance of
integrity and ethics in the business community. The institute develops multidisciplinary
courses that explore ethical decision-making and corporate governance,
preparing students to understand the choices they make and how those decisions
affect the governance structure of their firm.
Executive Education Center
Frank R. Lloyd,
Associate Dean
The Executive Education Center at SMU is Dallas’ best resource for advanced
leadership and business training. The center offers Cox graduate students training
through open enrollment certificate programs, custom executive education programs
and the Summer Business Institute. For more information, please visit the
website at
exed.cox.smu.edu or call 214-768-3335 or 1-800-768-6699.
Southwestern Graduate School of Banking Foundation
S. Scott MacDonald,
President and CEO
The SW Graduate School of Banking offers a carefully crafted and executed
approach to graduate banking education that melds personal growth and professional
wisdom by emphasizing intellectual as well as leadership development. The
program, which is divided into three integrated two-week resident sessions, is
guided by some of the industry’s top management consultants and educators. For
more information, please visit the website at
swgsb.org.
O’Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom
The center was established in 2008 by William J. “Bill” O’Neill (BBA, ‘55) and
his wife, Fay C. O’Neil, to study the impact of competitive market forces on freedom
and prosperity in the global economy. The O’Neils created the center to offer education
and training for today’s forward-looking individuals and businesses that recognize
the importance of globalization in changing the paradigm in which we are all operating.
For additional information, visit the website at
oneilcenter.com.
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