Johnson 75th

An Enduring Collaboration Harold “Hal” J. Bierman Jr. and Seymour “Sy” Smidt joined the faculty in 1956. They became internationally recognized scholars and co-authored The Capital Budgeting Decision, an enduring classic.

Specialized Master’s The first Master of Professional Studies program was introduced in 2017. The MPS in Management-Accounting Specialization was designed to provide students who have a non-business undergraduate degree and a business minor, or its equivalent, with a rigorous business management education. The program received STEM designation in 2019.

Collaboration with Weill Cornell The Executive MBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership program launched in 2017 in collaboration with the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences at the Tata Innovation Center on the Cornell Tech campus.

New Prerequisite B&PA was officially renamed the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration in 1955 and required all students to hold a bachelor’s degree before enrollment.

A New College Leader Andrew Karolyi, Harold Bierman Jr. Distinguished Professor, professor of finance, and associate dean for academic affairs at Johnson, was named deputy dean and dean of academic affairs for the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business in 2018. He would go on to be named dean of the college in 2021 and in 2022, in recognition of a gift from Joanne Knight in memory of her husband, Karolyi became the inaugural Charles Field Knight Dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

Business and Law Partner In 1955, B&PA launched the JD/MBA, a joint academic program offered in collaboration with the Cornell Law School.

Executive Development Dean Edward H. Litchfield initiated B&PA’s PhD program and launched the Executive Development Program in 1954. Litchfield asserted that the problems, structures, systems, and techniques of administering any organization could be scientifically identified and understood through one set of common theoretical principles, an idea that laid the foundation for the grant that launched the Sloan Program in Hospital and Health Services Administration in 1955.

Graduate Management Education Expands In 2018, the MPS in Management was launched, providing access to STEM-designated graduate management education for recent graduates and early career enhancers.

Going Online with eCornell The online, STEM-certified Master of Science in Business Analytics, offered in collaboration with eCornell, was introduced in 2021. The 16-month degree program is designed for working professionals who seek to build a career in analytics and apply the tools of data science to real problems and real data.

“Airborne Academic” Takes the Helm Edward H. Litchfield was appointed the second dean of  B&PA in 1954. Because he flew back and forth to Ithaca from his farm in Pennsylvania, Time magazine dubbed him the “airborne academic.