Historical Overview
Business education at the American University of Beirut (AUB) has a rich history dating back to 1900, when it was initially offered through a department or a semi-autonomous school under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. To mark a hundred years of business education excellence, AUB established an independent school of business in September 2000 – the university's sixth faculty. In June 2003, the school was officially named the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB) in honor of the late international Saudi businessman, philanthropist, and AUB trustee, Suliman S. This significant milestone catalyzed a series of transformative developments aimed at enhancing and expanding the school’s business programs. Today, OSB offers a comprehensive suite of programs, including Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA), the Executive MBA (EMBA), Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA), Master of Finance (MFIN), Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM), Executive Education, and multiple online programs. To date, AUB has graduated over 8,000 students from its undergraduate business programs and over 1,800 from its graduate programs. Annually, OSB graduates approximately 350 students from its undergraduate program and 80 from its graduate programs. OSB is also home to several research hubs and centers of excellence, managing global initiatives that cover diverse subjects such as data analytics, corporate governance, family business, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. OSB’s award-winning faculty, hailing from around the globe, plays a pivotal role in these endeavors, contributing to the school’s significant impact in the region.
