Schools Fare Well in National Rankings
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowMultiple Indiana colleges are receiving national recognition for their business schools. Bloomberg Businessweek's list of the best part-time MBA programs in the nation and the Princeton Review's best business school's list both feature campuses in the state. You can see the Bloomberg rankings by clicking here.
November 8, 2013
News Release
Bloomington, Ind. — Programs offered at two Indiana University campuses rose by double digits into the top 50 in Bloomberg Businessweek's biennial ranking of the best part-time MBA programs in the nation.
A third part-time program, at IU South Bend's Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics, also was among the 78 MBA offerings ranked, at 68th overall. This is the first time it has been ranked by the influential business publication.
The Kelley School of Business' Evening MBA Program, offered at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, rose 10 places in the overall rankings to 31st. But more importantly, Kelley now ranks No. 1 in the survey's measure of academic quality.
The IU Southeast School of Business had the largest rise in the rankings, moving up 31 places, from 73rd two years ago to 42nd this year. The program's student survey ranking was 11th in the nation.
Both part-time MBA programs are among the top 10 in the Midwest, the most competitive of Bloomberg Businessweek's six regions with nearly 20 ranked part-time MBA programs. Kelley is fourth and IU Southeast is seventh.
The Bloomberg Businessweek rankings are based on a survey of recent graduates, an academic quality measure that combines six school-reported data points — including average GMAT scores, class sizes and completion rates — and a calculation of post-MBA outcomes.
The ranking separates schools into six geographic regions and ranks each separately, since students in part-time MBA programs typically do not travel long distances to attend classes each week.
The Kelley Evening MBA Program also received A's for teaching quality and caliber of classmates, and a B for curriculum. It ranked third in the Big Ten, after the universities of Michigan and Nebraska.
“The No. 1 ranking in academic quality reflects the core principle of our program’s curriculum design, to deliver all the knowledge content and experiences of a full-time program but to do so in a format that meets the needs of working professionals,” said Idalene Kesner, dean of the Kelley School and the Frank P. Popoff Chair of Strategic Management.
“While other part-time MBA programs have reduced the number of required hours and the time to completion, we have not compromised in the belief that there are a significant number of high-achieving working professionals in our community who want the real content a demanding MBA program has to offer,” Kesner added. “I think our academic ranking and the students’ peer assessment bear this out.”
IU Southeast received the highest possible score of A-plus for teaching quality and caliber of classmates, and an A for curriculum. It ranks 47th in the nation in academic quality and 67th in post-MBA outcomes.
“We are extremely pleased that we’ve moved up more than 30 spots in the rankings,” said Jay White, dean of the School of Business at IU Southeast. “I think this is the result of efforts we’ve made to ensure we’re meeting market and student needs for graduate business education.
“One of the important factors in the rankings is the student satisfaction ranking — the IU Southeast part-time MBA program is 11th in the nation in this category,” White added. “Only 10 schools in the total rankings had a larger percentage of students report a salary increase after graduation than IU Southeast. It isn’t just the student-focused approach but the quality of the students we attract that make these outcomes possible. The satisfaction ratings, student advancement and cost of our program create a very large return on investment for our students.”
The IU South Bend Leighton School ranks 65th in academic quality, 57th in student survey rank and 67th in post-MBA outcomes. It received a B for teaching quality.
“Obtaining an additional ranking — we’ve been ranked as a 'best business school' by Princeton Review for seven years — has been one of our objectives, and we recognize this is an outcome built on the contributions of our faculty, staff, students and supporters and look forward to working together to move up in the future,” said Robert Ducoffe, dean and professor of marketing at the Leighton School.
The only other Indiana school in Bloomberg Businessweek's part-time MBA rankings was Butler University, which ranked 57th. A full list of top schools is available on the Bloomberg Businessweek website.
Source: Indiana University
November 8, 2013
News Release
Terre Haute, Ind. — “Small classes,” “great faculty accessibility” and affordable tuition are among the benefits of Indiana State University’s Master of Business Administration, named by the Princeton Review as among the nation’s best for the eighth straight year.
The academic test preparation and admissions counseling company named Indiana State's program in its “Best 295 Business Schools” for 2014. In the listing, students referenced the program’s intimate size as another advantage of the program that is “an excellent value for students.” The Princeton Review compiled student responses from the past three academic years to determine its final listing of the top business schools in the nation.
“This listing is a continued validation of what we’re doing here,” said Jeff Harper, executive director of graduate programs in the Scott College of Business at Indiana State. “It’s reassuring to have an external independent source validating the good work that we do here and the tremendous quality of our program.”
The MBA program “emphasizes strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, organizational change, international business” and group dynamics, the Princeton Review reports.
“We're very proud of our faculty. We have nationally and internationally recognized scholars who are doing fantastic research and creating new knowledge in the business domain,” Harper said. “Still, their first love is teaching and being in the classroom and interacting with students. That’s a wonderful combination to have, and it’s something that we value very highly here.”
In addition to the on-campus MBA program, the first cohort of students in the Plainfield-based ProMBA program graduated last summer. The Hendricks County program is intended for professionals with at least five years of experience, and is tailored for professionals who need to balance the demands of family and full-time employment while seeking a credential that will boost their professional prospects.
The cohort that started classes this fall was filled to capacity, Harper said, with several students already being accepted for the cohort starting classes next fall. Students are able to complete the program in two years and receive the same MBA as students taking coursework on the Terre Haute campus. The degree is also very competitively priced, Harper said, particularly when compared to alternate options.
“We're excited about the validation from the community that this program is needed,” Harper said. “We're already well underway in filling the seats of our next cohort. We've had a very, very strong response.”
The Scott College is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), an accreditation that fewer than 5 percent of the world's business programs receive.
“The Princeton Review's recognition of the Scott College of Business and the MBA program is affirmation of the great value and tremendous opportunities that we provide our students,” Dean Brien Smith said. “Our inclusion on such a si