Pitt’s business programs are entering a new era under a unified name.

The undergraduate College of Business Administration and the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business has been collectively rebranded into the University of Pittsburgh School of Business, a change aimed at creating a stronger overall brand identity.

The previous name — Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh  — used a tiny font on promotional banners to accommodate the length, according to Gene Anderson, the dean of Pitt’s business school. In order to more effectively reach prospective students and recruiters, the University decided to shorten the name. 

“In practical terms, in today’s digital environment, it is good to have a much more concise and easy-to-use name,” Anderson said. “This is an important part of trying to raise the reputation and visibility of business education and research at Pitt, [and] we think it is going to help us [reach] some of those key audiences.”

The Katz School of Business is ranked No. 39 for Time’s best colleges of future leaders. Anderson said a strategic plan, including the rebrand, was put in place in 2023 to further raise “the reputation and visibility of business education and research at Pitt.”

The change process began in the summer of 2023 with the help of students, faculty, recruiters, board members and the Katz family, and it was approved by the Board of Trustees at the end of 2024. To gain community insights, a survey was sent out to 20,000 alumni asking their opinion on a name change. Only 1% were against the change, according to Anderson. Now with the start of the new semester, the University is starting to roll out the rebrand. 

The business school was founded in 1908 under the name the Evening School of Economics, Accounting and Finance and became the School of Business Administration in the 1920s, according to Anderson.

“In 1960, [the] decision was made by the University to discontinue the undergraduate program and it just became a graduate school — the Graduate School of Business,” Anderson said. “Then Joseph M. Katz came along and made a very generous gift, and named the school in 1987.”

Katz donated $10 million toward the School of Business of Administration, the largest donation made in Pitt’s 200-year history.  

“Joseph M. Katz was a great entrepreneur and business person, so having the graduate school named after him is very consistent with being a Pittsburgh anchor institution for the business community,” Anderson said. 

The Katz sign outside of Mervis Hall will also remain to uphold the school’s historical legacy. The new School of Business is also creating a “Joseph M. Katz Day” to commemorate the family and their contributions to the University. Celebrations will include a series of speakers, panels and a luncheon for the Pitt business community, according to Anderson. 

“I hope I speak for a lot of people here that we’re excited about the potential of the name change to help amplify the quality, reputation, to build the school’s visibility and continue to attract even more top talent to Pitt and Pittsburgh,” Anderson said.