By all accounts, 2013 has been a banner year at the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics. Rankings and recognition for the business school this year have helped chart a steady stream of improvement, dating back to the arrival of “Dr. Jose “Zito Sartarelli, Milan Puskar dean, in July 2010.
Add a new ranking to this year’s accolades, as Masters Degree Online has named B&E’s M.S. in Finance program as one of the top 43 such programs in the country. The “Best Masters in Finance Degree Programs for 2013-2014” list was announced this week.
“Our M.S. in Finance students have a high rate of placement upon graduation, and that is an indicator of the quality of the program,” said Sartarelli. “These students have the knowledge and the skills to land good jobs and compete in the global marketplace. The successes our M.S. in Finance students have achieved since the inception of the program in 2009 have been significant, and this national ranking confirms our abundant confidence in the program.”
Masters Degree Online previously ranked the MBA program at B&E in the nation’s top 38 Best Masters in Business Administration Degree Programs for 2013-2014.
The research methodology used to determine this list includes class statistics, entering student GMAT scores, graduate employment and salary data and the expert opinion of professionals in the field. This data was then compiled and ranked to produce a comprehensive list of the best Master in Finance degree programs. The 43 graduate level finance programs were not ranked numerically, but, rather, schools were notified that their programs were among the top Masters in Finance programs in the United States.
“This national ranking is an endorsement of the hard work in and commitment to the program by Finance Department Chair Dr. Bill Riley and those in his department who have been so deeply involved in the development of the program,” Sartarelli said. “Whether students enroll in this program straight from their undergraduate degree programs or enter the program from a finance-related job, they are taking part in a highly regarded educational offering. We are extremely happy with this news.”
B&E’s M.S. in Finance program typically sees students with finance or accounting backgrounds who aspire for careers in areas such as portfolio management, financial analysis or money management. Students complete an intensive 12-month program that starts online during the summer and ends the following summer with an internship. The program offers a series of nine finance courses supplemented with economics, corporate responsibility and ethics.
B&E has been the focus of other recognition and rankings this year, including:
• Bloomberg Businessweek – No. 5 in Top Undergraduate Business Schools for Ethics
• Bloomberg Businessweek – No. 9 in Undergraduate Business Schools for ROI (return on investment)
• Sales Education Foundation – recognized as one of the top sales education programs in North America for the second consecutive year
• Top 100 Most Social Media Friendly MBA School Rankings for 2013 – No. 61 in the U.S.
• U.S. News & World Report – No. 5 in Best Online Programs for Veterans for its online MBA program
• U.S. News & World Report – No. 29 in the nation Best Online Graduate Business Programs
• Military Times – No. 12 “Best for Vets: Business Schools”
A look at the list where WVU is ranked may be viewed at http://www.mastersdegreeonline.org/best-masters-in-finance/.
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CONTACT: Patrick Gregg, College of Business and Economics
304.293.5131; patrick.gregg@mail.wvu.edu
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.