Company Profile
Carlson School of Management
Company Overview
We at the Carlson School of Management share a commitment to imagination, engagement, and ambition. Based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, housed in the University of Minnesota, the Carlson School is a leader in business education and research. Our approach connects students to unique experiential learning opportunities, dynamic international education programs, and to a vibrant network of businesses throughout the state and beyond.
Our Purpose: Inspiring and enabling individuals and organizations to create a brighter future.
Our Promise: We will create a transformative learning experience for every student. We will develop influential knowledge that impacts the future of organizations. We will grow entrepreneurial leaders with the imagination, integrity, and global mindset required to tackle the grand challenges facing business and society.
Company History
Located at the University of Minnesota on the west bank of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, and part of one of the leading public research land grant universities in the country, the Carlson School of Management has a rich history of preparing and educating the world's current and future business leaders.
Since its founding in 1919 as the University of Minnesota School of Business, the school has grown, changed names, and moved locations, all while maintaining a continued commitment to excellence. This evolution has been helped through the generosity of many business partners, most notably Curt Carlson and Herbert M. Hanson, Jr.
In 1986, Curt Carlson (founder of Carlson Companies and namesake of the Carlson School) made a $25 million gift to the University of Minnesota, which at the time was the largest single gift ever given to a public university. In his honor, the School of Management was renamed the Curtis L. Carlson School of Management. His gift established several endowed chairs and marked the beginning of Carlson School's ascent into the upper echelon of business schools. In 1993, Carlson made the lead gift for the Carlson School building, sparking gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations, as well as a legislative commitment. The building was dedicated in 1998.
In 2007, the Carlson School became one of the first business schools in the nation to require that undergraduate students participate in a global learning experience.
In 2008, Herbert M. Hanson, Jr., benefactor and University of Minnesota alumnus, supported the construction of Hanson Hall, effectively consolidating the school’s undergraduate classrooms, services, and programs in one location.