The Marriott School of Management, previously the School of Management, was established as the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott School of Management in 1989. In 1998, the name was shortened to the Marriott School of Management. The school has been administered by the following deans: Paul H. Thompson (1989-1990), K. Fred Skousen (1990-1999), Ned C. Hill (1999-2008), Gary C. Cornia (2008-2013), and Lee Tom Perry (2013-2019).

The Marriott School of Management was established because of a need for strong leadership in business, government, and church service as well as to provide opportunities for Marriott School of Management graduates to contribute to society in meaningful ways. For this purpose, programs within the school were designed to assist students in acquiring knowledge, insight, maturity, competence, and a strong sense of moral and ethical behavior.

Since 1989, the Marriott School of Management was the administering body for the following academic departments: School of Accountancy, Institute of Business Management, Information Management, Managerial Economics, Institute of Public Management, Organizational Behavior, Aerospace Studies (Air Force ROTC), Military Science (Army ROTC), School of Accountancy and Information Systems, Management Communications, Business Management, Organizational Leadership and Strategy, Finance, and the Romney Institute of Public Management. The Marriott School of Management was administered by a dean under the direction of the president of the university.

In 2017 the college was renamed the Marriott School of Business.

The College of Business was renamed the School of Management in 1979 to be an administering body for colleges and schools. The School of Management became the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott School of Management, or Marriott School of Management, in 1989. During its years of operation under the name School of Management, it was administered by the following deans: Merrill J. Bateman, William G. Dyer, and Paul H. Thompson.

The School of Management was originally organized to develop innovative educational programs such as consulting and research projects, internships, executive visitation programs, and other activities designed to bring management education and training closer to management practice. Furthermore, it was organized on the basis for a need of strong leadership in business, government, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Between 1979 and 1989, the School of Management was comprised of the College of Business, the Graduate School of Management, the School of Accountancy, the Institute of Business Management, Information Management, Human Resource Development, Managerial Economics, the Institute of Public Administration, Organizational Behavior, Aerospace Studies (Air Force ROTC), and Military Science (Army ROTC). The School of Management was administered by a dean under the direction of the president of the university.