Here is a glimpse of our remarkable MBA achievements and milestones over the past 50 years. Together we will build on our successes for the NEXT 50 years of impact.
Thanks to generous financial investments from alumni and friends, as well as that of their personal time and professional expertise, our MBA has been gaining momentum for the last 10 years. We are confident that our MBA program is the best catalyst to enable top students to embark on transformative and impactful careers.”Don Lewtas
- Don Lewtas, CFO Onex Corporation, Desautels Advisory Board Chair
Milestones
Management education begins at McGill University. The Department of Commerce is established within the Faculty of Arts, offering “commercial courses to train people as accountants, clerks, and the like.” A Diploma of Commerce is awarded to students completing the two-year program.
McGill graduates its first MBA class. Businessman and future McGill benefactor Seymour Schulich is one of the graduates.
The Faculty of Management of McGill University is established, incorporating the School of Commerce and the Graduate School of Business Administration.
The Samuel Bronfman Building is inaugurated, providing the Faculty of Management with a modern new home on Sherbrooke Street. A generous donation from the Bronfman family makes the building possible.
The Faculty of Management initiates a joint PhD program with Concordia University, École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) of the Université de Montréal, and Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM).
The joint MBA/Law program receives approval. Applications begin in 1979.
In an effort to provide a much-needed link between financial market theory and practical investment experience, McGill pioneers the Applied Investments Program, which was the first program of its kind in Canada.
Chaired by Paul Desmarais Jr. (BCom’77), an International Advisory Board is established to seek management education advice from leading Canadian and foreign business leaders.
The Faculty launches the Joint MD/MBA program—the first of its kind in Canada.
The Faculty launches the MBA Japan program, the first Canadian degree program offered in Japan.
On November 17, the Canadian Credit Management Foundation and Dr. Marcel Desautels CM, O.Ont., LLD’07, donate $22 million to the Faculty. The gift allows our Faculty to invest in the MBA program curriculum, renovate facilities, enhance career services and hire new professors. It is the largest single donation ever made to a business or management faculty in Canada. The Faculty is named the Desautels Faculty of Management of McGill University.
Another $10 million donation from Dr. Marcel Desautels creates the Marcel Desautels Institute for Integrated Management (MDIIM) and contributes to the formation of the innovative Integrated MBA curriculum, a new, cohesive direction to the Faculty under the integrated management approach.
The Faculty launches the bilingual joint Executive MBA (EMBA) program with HEC Montréal.
The first-ever Hot Cities of the World Tour begins, taking BCom and MBA students to Israel.
The MBA program becomes self-funded, allowing us innovate and invest in the right areas and solidify our position among the world’s top MBA programs.
The Faculty evaluates and redesigns the Professional Part-Time MBA and MBA Japan program under the integrated management umbrella.
Desautels MBA students Mohammed Ashour (MD-MBA), Shobhita Soor (LLB-MBA), Jesse Pearlstein, Zev Thompson and Gabe Mott triumph over 10,000 applicants from around the world to win the 2013 Hult Prize of $1 million toward their social enterprise (sponsored by the Clinton Global Initiative).
The MBA program introduces a mandatory International Study Trip to enhance its globally-oriented curriculum. The full-time class visits Tokyo, Japan, and the part-time class heads to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) grants the Desautels Faculty of Management the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) accreditation for a five-year period.
New gift from Dr. Marcel Desautels lays the groundwork for the MBA Next 50 campaign.
2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the first graduating MBA class at McGill. Read about the campaign launch and how the Faculty celebrated this landmark anniversary.
Top Impact Maker Seymour Schulich, proposes that the new MBA Building be named in honour of Professor Don E. Armstrong, PhD’54 (1925-2011), founder of our MBA.
In response to the need for a program that integrates advanced financial concepts and quantitative methods with real-world business practices, the Desautels Faculty of Management launched the Masters of Management in Finance (MMF) in February. As a pre-experience, 12-month program, the MMF welcomed its first cohort in the summer of 2016.
April 14 2016
The Desautels International Advisory Board, pictured with Dean Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, has championed the new building and future home of the MBA.
At their last meeting, the Board posed under the announcement of the future home of the MBA and Masters programs.
June-Sept 2016
McGill University approves naming of building and renovations begin
November 2016
Gift from the Schulich Foundation to the MBA Next 50 campaign
MBA Campaign update; announcement that the new MBA Building will be named in honour of Professor Don E. Armstrong, founder of our MBA.
Panoramic view of ground floor, MBA and Masters building
Panoramic view of 3rd floor, MBA and Masters building
Panoramic view of basement, MBA and Masters building
May 2017: Panoramic view of 3rd floor, MBA and Masters building
July 2017: Panoramic view of 3rd floor, Event Space, MBA and Masters building
July 2017: Panoramic view of 2nd floor, Hall and classrooms, MBA and Masters building
The MBA & Specialized Masters programs move into the new Armstrong Building named for Professor Donald E. Armstrong, PhD’54 (1925-2011). The 48,666 sq. ft. expansion brings new dedicated teaching and learning spaces that benefit all in the Faculty. While the building opened for students as of January 2018, the grand opening took place over May 25-27, 2018.
In response to the growing needs of organisations (for profit, non-profit, governmental) for business analytics, the Desautels Faculty of Management launched the Masters of Management in Analytics (MMA) program in 2018. The MMA degree is a pre-experience, twelve-month specialized program in the evolving field of management analytics. The MMA welcomed its first cohort in the summer of 2018.
Thanks to incredible donor support, Desautels has a new home for our Masters programs - and extra space for our BCom students. Donors also created 34 new MBA awards for the #1 MBA Program in Canada and named more than 140 MBA Lockers. On May 25th and 26th, hundreds of donors and alumni gathered to celebrate this success. Now Desautels has a building and suite of awards that match our ambitions and accomplishments as a Faculty. See photos
The European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) Accreditation Board rendered its decision to re-accredit the Desautels Faculty of Management for a five-year period – the maximum term granted by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) through EQUIS.
Explore a timeline of McGill University's history >
These historical notes were last updated on June 26, 2018.
