Since its initial establishment in the late 1920s, LSU’s E. J. Ourso College of Business has evolved into a producer of worldwide industry leaders and one of the University’s cornerstones for academic success and achievement on the undergraduate, graduate, and faculty level.

Originally founded in 1928 as the College of Commerce and continuously accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business since 1931, the E. J. Ourso College has undergone a name evolution. The designation was changed in 1959 to the College of Business Administration when a reorganization occurred. In 1996, “E. J. Ourso” was added to honor the college’s benefactor, and the latest change occurred in 2005 when the name was officially shortened by dispensing with “Administration.” April 23, 2006 marks the college’s most recent accreditation by the AACSB.

E. J. Ourso College students are afforded opportunities from the beginning of their lives at LSU well into their professional careers that few collegians experience. The sum total of these benefits is a business education that exposes them to the real world of business long before they leave campus.

From the E. J. Ourso College’s Business Residential College, a living-learning environment consisting of the next generation of business leaders, to the nationally ranked Flores MBA Program and the world-renowned Center for Internal Auditing and beyond, there is a wealth of quality individuals willing and able to advance our students’ expertise in their chosen concentrations.

Available Undergraduate Programs

Accounting

Economics

Finance

Information Systems and Decision Sciences

International Trade and Finance

Management

Marketing

The Flores MBA Program offers the opportunity for those wishing to earn their MBA to do so in a variety of ways. Students can participate in the Full-Time program, while those already established in their chosen field can opt for either the Executive MBA or Professional MBA . There is even a JD-BCL/MBA offered in cooperation with the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center.

In addition to the Master of Public Administration degree offered, students may also earn a master’s in accounting, economics, finance, or information systems and decision sciences.

Doctorates at the E. J. Ourso College are offered in accounting and economics, and students can also earn a Ph.D. in business administration with a concentration in finance, information systems and decision sciences, management, or marketing.

Various centers, institutes, and initiatives enhance the offerings of the E. J. Ourso College. Many of these have garnered national and even international attention for their contributions to their respective communities and the world.

Centers, Institutes, and Initiatives

Center for Internal Auditing

The Center for Internal Auditing is a multidisciplinary program with students from over 30 different business and non-business majors that is considered the premier internal audit program in the world. The model for similar programs in other schools and countries, LSUCIA provides training to graduate and undergraduate students for developing an understanding about the internal auditing profession.

Division of Economic Development and Forecasting

The Division of Economic Development and Forecasting conducts applied economics research on a wide variety of topics and produces the Louisiana Economic Outlook, which analyzes the state’s economy and that of major metropolitan areas to forecast Louisiana employment for the next two years. Additionally, DED works with a variety of state agencies on numerous research projects.

Executive Education

Executive Education has prepared individuals and organizations to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing workplace for nearly 50 years. Highly relevant courses are designed to provide an immediate impact and serve as a resource in determining the best course of action for a business owner to take.

Highway Safety Research Group

The Highway Safety Research Group is revolutionizing the way traffic accidents are reported in Louisiana through recently developed software. Called the LACRASH system, this software allows police officers to fill out and submit their crash reports electronically, directly from their squad cars.

Louisiana Business & Technology Center

The Louisiana Business & Technology Center, an integral part of LSU’s Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute, endeavors to enhance economic development in Louisiana through the support of existing small businesses and the development of new businesses. Established in 1988, the LBTC’s highly successful business incubator program has been honored as the National Business Incubator Association’s Incubator of the Year.

Modern Chinese Business & Culture

The Modern Chinese Business & Culture initiative has as its goal to help prepare future business leaders for cultural and academic exchanges, relations and economic growth with one of the world’s burgeoning financial powers. Highly qualified undergraduates and Flores MBA Program students are offered the opportunity to complete courses on campus and experience China through travel abroad.

Public Administration Institute

The Public Administration Institute offers a 42-hour degree program that emphasizes management and financial skills for those leading public agencies, nonprofit and healthcare organizations and for-profit organizations that interact with governmental agencies. PAI’s faculty members are student-oriented and nationally-recognized for their expertise in their fields.

Real Estate Research Institute

The Real Estate Research Institute was established in 1985 to encourage, support and conduct research in real estate. Along with the Baton Rouge Association of Realtors, RERI hosts the annual Trends in Baton Rouge Real Estate event.

SMART Lab

The Securities Markets Analysis Research and Trading Lab provides a high-tech, real-time learning environment for students, faculty, and visitors. The SMART Lab is a simulated interactive trading floor that allows students the opportunity to gain experience in the fast-paced world of securities analysis, research, and trading.

Stephenson Disaster Management Institute

The Stephenson Disaster Management Institute was established to help save the lives of people and animals by continuously improving disaster response management through research and education. Vision and a generous donation by LSU alumni Emmet and Toni Stephenson were responsible for the creation of the institute in 2007.

Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute

The Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute was formed to inspire, innovate, integrate and implement new ways of thinking, education, research and outreach to positively impact students, the regional economy, the state of Louisiana and the nation. Various programs help to address the issues and challenges of entrepreneurship, family business and franchising. A generous donation by LSU alumni Emmet and Toni Stephenson made the continued development of the college’s entrepreneurship institute possible.