West Virginia University’s College of Business and Economics has been ranked No. 90 in the Best Undergraduate Business Schools of 2011, according to the newly released Bloomberg Businessweek rankings. The announcement marks the first-ever top 100 ranking by B&E in its nearly 60-year history.
“To say that we are elated is an understatement,” said Dr. Jose Sartarelli, B&E’s Milan Puskar Dean. “This is a reflection of the hard work by B&E faculty, staff and students over the past three years.”
The rankings are available online at: http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/special_reports/20110303best_undergrad_bschools.htm . The print edition of the rankings will be available this week, Bloomberg said Monday.
“We are pleased that Businessweek magazine has recognized the quality of our College of Business and Economics, which has made impressive strides under the leadership of Dean Zito Sartarelli,” said WVU Provost Michele Wheatly. “While we celebrate this first-ever ranking, we’re not finished by any stretch. We just added an important piece to the future success with a doctorate in business administration and the school’s continued improvement will play a key role in the implementation of the Strategic Framework for 2020.”
The ranking utilizes data from 2009, 2010 and this year, and is based on a variety of significant criteria set forth by Bloomberg Businessweek.
“The methodology that Bloomberg Businessweek uses to rank these programs incorporates nine measures,” said Geoff Gloeckler, staff editor for Bloomberg Businessweek, “including surveys of senior business majors and corporate recruiters, median starting salaries for graduates, and the number of alumni each program sends to top MBA programs. We also calculated an academic quality rating for each program by combining average SAT scores, student-faculty ratios, class size in core business courses, the percentage of students with internships and the number of hours students devote to class work.”
Josh Tyrangiel, editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, said the publication saw a common theme in the 2011 rankings. “Prospective students are increasingly seeking undergraduate business school programs that provide international experience,” he said. “This year’s rankings reflect programs that have undertaken efforts to answer the call from students by enhancing their international curriculum.”
Sartarelli said that the commitment to international experience is a priority that has been outlined at the University level with WVU President James P. Clements and is one of the strategic priorities of the College.
“The College’s approach to international experience has broadened significantly in recent years because there is more to an international experience for a student than study abroad,” Sartarelli said. “Students at our business school can benefit from study abroad, academic opportunities that include international travel, cultivation of international business relationships, and internship and job placement at global companies. Our students can also benefit from activity such as the recruitment of international students and our increasing global engagement in countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China.”
“This rank represents the recognition of a quality program that has graduated leaders in business and industry nationally. The quality of the College will be further enhanced by the implementation of the four-year college system, whereby students are admitted as freshmen instead of during their junior years. This will enable students to be advised earlier in their academic careers and give them opportunities for valuable internships, with the ultimate result being high quality job placement for our graduates,” Sartarelli added.
For more information on the WVU College of Business and Economics, go to www.be.wvu.edu.
-WVU-
3/8/11
Check http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/ daily for the latest news from the University.
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.
CONTACT: Dr. Nancy McIntyre
WVU College of Business and Economics
nancy.mcintyre@mail.wvu.edu or (304) 293-4056