For the eighth year in a row, Fox received high national rankings.
Entrepreneur magazine recently listed the Fox School of Business and Management as the 13th best undergraduate entrepreneurial business program in the country – and the best in Pennsylvania – in a survey conducted by the Princeton Review.
“It’s an honor being recognized again, but even more so serving our Temple constituency,” Jaine Lucas, the executive director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute at Fox, said in an e-mail.
This year marks the eighth year in a row that Fox has made Entrepreneur magazine’s list of the Top 25 entrepreneurial programs. Last year, Fox ranked No. 5 on the list for its undergraduate program, and No. 6 for its graduate program.
Entrepreneur magazine ranked Fox’s graduate entrepreneurial program 18th in the country this year and described it as the “largest, most comprehensive business school in the region and among the largest in the world.”
“Since innovation and entrepreneurship have historically been key drivers of restoring health to the economy during recessionary and downturn economies, the work we do serving entrepreneurs is critically important and truly makes a difference,” Lucas said.
Additionally, Fox’s MBA program is listed as one of the Top 25 in the country according to Financial Times, and Forbes magazine lists it as one of the best in the world. U.S. News and World Report has a host of rankings for Fox, including one for its International Business undergraduate program, which has been ranked as one of the Top 10 in the nation for five consecutive years.
These rankings and awards aren’t Fox’s only recent achievements.
“Our program is extremely comprehensive and recognized for excellence across the board,” Lucas said. “The vast majority of our entrepreneurship faculty have run or are running businesses, and our research in entrepreneurship is expanding greatly.”
Many Fox students are already turning the lessons they’ve learned into business realities.
Mohamed Ali Niang, a senior international business and entrepreneurship major from Mali recently founded Malon Traders, a social venture whose mission is to purchase, process and fortify rice grown by small-scale rice farmers and turn it around to feed the hungry.
Ali Niang said the business plan is a major success and already received accolades and awards from various college competitions, including one at Harvard University. His plan is to begin operations in 2012.
“I have received assistance [from Fox] in numerous ways. I received incubator space in Speakman Hall, mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs and funds for travel to pitch at business plan competitions,” Ali Niang said.
“I was thrilled to see that the Princeton Review ranked Fox for entrepreneurship, but I was not surprised at all. The Fox school is simply getting the credit it deserves,” he added.
Fox’s reputation as an academic powerhouse is grabbing the attention of students from around the globe.
Naveen Penmetcha, 25, is a graduate student from India. He chose Fox’s MBA program over several other noteworthy schools, he said.
“Once I decided I was going for my MBA, I was going through the lists online, and the Princeton Review actually recommended Fox to me based on my requirements,” Penmetcha said.
“I’m really impressed with the quality of education here. It has exceeded my expectations,” Penmetcha said. “And, actually, I think the MBA program could be ranked much higher.”
One of Fox’s assets is its home in Alter Hall. The eight-floor $80 million facility features state-of-the-art technology and classrooms, including its live, room-sized stock ticker in the first-floor lounge.
“If you compare our school to other buildings, it’s far more professional-looking,” Christina Woo, a senior finance major, said. “It’s noticeable that they are expanding to compete with other schools.”
Administrators stressed expansion and growth as key themes at Fox.
“The mood at Fox is fantastic. Our school is experiencing amazing growth, and we’re proud to continue to receive such prestigious rankings and designations,” Fox Vice Dean Dr. Rajan Chandran said.
Lucas said the rankings and growth wouldn’t be possible without the many learning environments and networking opportunities that are available to Fox students. Among those opportunities are business-planning workshops and competitions, chats with successful entrepreneurs, networking nights, five executives- and entrepreneurs-in-residence and the Temple Accelerator Program, Lucas said.
“Students use our cutting-edge Capital Markets Room to make and track investments in real time. Accounting majors volunteer to prepare tax returns for local residents. All students are exposed to ethics across the curriculum,” Chandran said.
Inspite of an uncertain job market, Fox students seem eager to step into the workforce.
“The business department is well-known,” Woo said. “After graduation, people appreciate your degree. They have more expectations of Temple business students now.”
Matt Finn can be reached at matt.finn@temple.edu.
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