Washington University Olin

History

In 1853, prominent merchant Wayman Crow and his pastor, William Greenleaf Eliot Jr. saw the need for institutions providing higher education in St. Louis that led to the foundation of the university. The education program underwent several changes and the university flourished at St. Louis offering programs in law, science, liberal arts, fine arts, etc. Later, Robert S. Brookings led the university’s move from downtown to its present campus. The university has maintained a business school since 1917 and awarded its first undergraduate degree in 1919. The MBA program started in 1950. In 1988, the business school was named in honor of John M. Olin (chairman of Olin Corp) in recognition of an endowment from John M. Olin Foundation.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission, which has guided the business school since its founding in 1917, is to Create knowledge…Inspire individuals…Transform business.

Core Strengths of the School

The Olin MBA program has Leading Thinking Approach that nurtures the capabilities of the students so that they are able to define, reformulate and solve complex business problems. The core courses in Critical Thinking and Impactful Communication help in this direction by teaching analytical approach to business problems. Students work in teams to solve current real-world complex business problems faced by Olin’s partners while participating in Integrated Case Experience ICE. The intense program helps students acquire the requisite management and functional skills apart from the quantitative skills that are needed to excel in the dynamic business world. The five career platforms give in-depth knowledge, experience and insight into the various functional areas of business. The career platform is a point where passion meets purpose and each of the career platforms offer unique concentration courses that enable the students to plunge into their desired fields. If a platform doesn’t fit with the career goals, students can opt from a range of elective courses that best align with their long term goals and interests. Olin’s graduate level course Defining Moments: Lessons in Leadership and Character from the Top brings in notable leaders as guest speakers who share their experiences and moments that have defined their career trajectory.

Uniqueness in MBA Pedagogy

Olin takes a 360-degree approach to learning by providing immense opportunities for the students to put their skills to test in real-world scenarios such as internships, consulting projects, competitions, and student clubs. The non-profit consulting project allows the student to work as a board member at a non-profit organization and come up with strategies to improve its performance. The Youthbridge Social Enterprise and Innovation Competition is a medium that promotes the development of innovative approaches to social problems. Students can polish their management skills with the Corporate Consulting projects, where they do analysis in teams, develop strategies and provide recommendations to the clients. Students are given the opportunity to act as portfolio managers and handle a portion of the school’s endowment fund at Investment Praxis. Students who wish to take on an entrepreneurial journey in future can go for a select entrepreneurial consulting course, where they can work for resident entrepreneurs at T-Rex (a tech incubator in downtown St. Louis) to understand the challenges of a startup. The Hatchery course promotes the entrepreneurial spirit of the students by encouraging the students to come up with their own business plan. Students get a chance to present their analyses to venture capitalists and investors. The Olin Cup business plan competition and IdeaBounce conducted by Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurial Studies further foster innovation and creativity among the students.

At Olin, students broaden their perspective on conducting business in the global marketplace through a variety of international study opportunities. Students have traveled to Brazil, China, Germany and several other countries as a part of the Global Management Studies GMS and explored the challenges of conducting business in these countries. Students have plunged into Venture Consulting in Budapest, where they have worked with startups and solved real-world business problems. Students can also opt for exchange programs ranging from two weeks to a semester, where they can gain a new perspective while studying in the partner schools of countries like England, China, Germany, France, India and Argentina. Students get to learn about new business practices followed in other countries and emerging trends in business.

CONCENTRATIONS OFFERED

LOCATION ADVANTAGES

The School is located in the heart of the Midwest, St. Louis. The city is home to 18 Fortune 1000 companies, nine of which are Fortune 500 companies, thus, making St. Louis a great place to establish and conduct business. The city’s low cost of living works in the favor of the students. Students have a lot of outdoor recreational activities in the form of walking and cycling paths, paddle boats, golf courses, softball fields and tennis courts at the Forest Park. Students can explore the long hiking and biking trail at the Katy Trail State Park over the weekends. The remarkable art and culture of the city is seen at the Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Art Museum or Saint Louis Art Center. The Muny, one of the oldest and largest outdoor theater houses some of the biggest Broadway shows.

CAREER SUPPORT

The Weston Career Center WCC advisors support students by guiding them in reaching their goals (be it advancing in their current jobs or switching to another discipline of business). The career platforms chosen by the students provide the breadth and depth of knowledge in the specific area of business. The WCC Advisors help the students connect with the alumni and industry experts that result in various professional opportunities in the future. The ProDev MBA career education program is responsible for nurturing and refining the skills of the students and makes them career-ready. The MBA leadership development program MBA-Exchange.com and PEHub.com play a crucial role in transforming the students into successful business leaders. Students can connect with the Olin alumni who often visit the campus as guest speakers or mentors and conduct mock interviews.