Business Department Names

Descriptive Overview

Business courses, or their precursors, were first offered in the form of penmanship courses in the Art Department and bookkeeping courses in the Mathematics Department. But the first instructional department that officially recognized business in its name was the Commercial Department in 1906. The name of this department changed to Commercial Education Department in 1909. This name was used until 1922, when it combined with the Mathematics Department to become the Mathematics and Commerce Department, modified in 1927 to the Mathematics and Commercial Education Department.

In 1937, with the retirement of Ira S. Condit, head of the Mathematics and Commercial Education Department, the department split and Commercial Education emerged as an independent unit. This name continued until 1946, when it became the Business Education Department. As the school's mission expanded to include more than the preparation of teachers, the Business Education Department became the Business and Business Education Department in 1965. In 1969 the business and teacher education emphases split into two departments: the Business Department and the Business Education and Office Administration Department. The Business Education and Office Administration Department became the Business Education and Administrative Management Department in 1980.

The Business Department became the School of Business in 1981, when it emerged from the College of Business and Behavioral Sciences, as a separate collegiate structure with its own roster of departments: Accounting, Management, Marketing, and Business Education and Administrative Management. The Economics Department moved from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences to the School of Business in 1985; its history is recorded on the Social Science Department Names webpage. The School of Business became the College of Business Administration in 1989. The Accounting, Economics, Management, and Marketing Departments have continued under the same name to this day. The Business Education and Administrative Management Department changed to the Information Management Department in 1984 and continued under this name until 1989, when faculty were realigned and the new Finance Department was established in its place.

The College of Business Administration was renamed the College of Business in 2022.

Please note that this information is not always regularly updated, may contain inaccuracies,  and may not be comprehensive. Patrons are encouraged to consult sources directly, and more detailed information about colleges, departments, programs, and other information may be found in the course catalogs. Patrons are always welcome to visit SC&UA or contact SC&UA staff at libarchives@uni.edu about consulting sources directly.

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Chronology

1906-1909
Commercial

1909-1922
Commercial Education

1922-1927
Mathematics and Commerce

1927-1937
Mathematics and Commercial Education

1927-1946
Commercial Education

1946-1965
Business Education

1965-1969
Business and Business Education

1969-1980
Business
Business Education and Office Administration

1980-1981
Business
Business Education and Administrative Management

1981-1984
Accounting
Business Education and Administrative Management
Management
Marketing

1984-1985
Accounting
Information Management
Management
Marketing

1985-1989
Accounting
Economics
Information Management
Management
Marketing

1989-2020
Accounting
Economics
Finance
Management
Marketing

2020-present
Accounting
Economics
Finance
Management
Marketing and Entrepreneurship

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