AGSM History

In the early 1970’s the Australian Government asked the University of New South Wales to establish a national world-class business school, the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), to enhance the effectiveness of Australian management on a national level, then and into the future.

The AGSM MBA and AGSM Executive Programs were launched in 1977. Thirty years later, the AGSM MBA is ranked in numerous surveys as a top 50 MBA program internationally and as Australia’s most coveted MBA. During that time, AGSM Executive Programs has been the consistent leader in Australia and one of the leaders in executive education in the Asia Pacific region.

In 1999, UNSW and the University of Sydney merged AGSM with Sydney’s Graduate School of Business. This partnership lasted for six years prior to its dissolution in 2006, at which time AGSM returned organisationally to its traditional home at UNSW.
The dissolution of the joint venture provided the incoming Vice-Chancellor, Professor Fred Hilmer, with the opportunity to pool the complementary strengths of AGSM and UNSW’s Faculty of Commerce and Economics into an integrated comprehensive business school, which would leverage its capabilities across undergraduate programs, MBA programs, specialist masters degrees, executive education and research.

The Australian School of Business, which was formed through the integration of AGSM and the Faculty of Commerce and Economics,
was officially opened in September 2007.

AGSM MBA and AGSM Executive Programs are now delivered by the Australian School of Business. The recognised rigour and distinctiveness of these programs have been retained and the new School has greater resources to invest in them to enhance the learning experience for AGSM students and course participants.