OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi School of
Business Administration has been ranked as one of the
nation’s top 100 undergraduate business programs by U.S.
News & World Report.
The prestigious designation is part of the publication’s
annual “America’s Best Colleges” rankings.
“This recognition enhances the value of our alumni degrees,
and it certainly will help attract better students and also
allow current students to gain better employment
prospects,” said Ken Cyree, interim dean of the school.
The undergraduate business program was ranked among both
public and private higher education institutions
nationwide. Criteria for the rankings included student test
scores, proportion of jobs and starting salaries and
funding. Twenty percent of the ranking is based on a score
given by deans of the other top universities.
“It is an honor for the School of Business Administration
to be recognized,” said UM Interim Provost Morris Stocks.
“It confirms not only the school’s academic and research
quality; it is also a reflection of how our peers perceive
our overall academic reputation.”
Cyree credits the undergraduate program’s recognition to
increased visibility through scholarship and success of
graduates.
“We have several faculty members who publish regularly in
high-visibility and high-impact journals, and that greatly
improves our reputation amongst other universities,” Cyree
said. “We also get good feedback from people who hire our
top graduates. I think we’ve done a good job in the
classroom preparing our students for being successful.”
Cyree hopes to increase the business school’s prestige even
further by 2017, its 100th anniversary.
“I would like to see us ranked 75 or better,” he said.
To achieve that goal, which will enhance the program’s
national scholastic reputation, Cyree plans have faculty
members concentrate on publishing articles in high-quality
journals while keeping students’ coursework relevant and
rigorous.
“The recognition of being named one of the top business
schools in the nation is a tribute to the school’s
unwavering commitment to excellence,” Stocks said. “Our
world-class faculty and staff are dedicated to ensuring
that our students enter the market ready to compete with
the best in the world.”
For more information on business education at UM, go to