For the third straight year, the Pierre Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute has been included in the top 25 in the nation.
The Princeton Review ranking, released Sept. 19, listed the graduate program at the U’s business school as 23rd among more than 2,000 schools.
“We have consistently ranked high for entrepreneurship, and we continue to build strengths in this area,” said Taylor Randall, dean of the David Eccles School of Business. “The ranking is evidence of our exceptional faculty and our motivated students that get hands-on experience starting real companies.”
Chaz Foot, a junior in finance, said the ranking matters for business students.
“Business is very competitive and I think a lot of people look at rankings as a bench mark. So any time any of the programs here at the business school improve their ranking or continue to do well, I think it reflects well on all of us.”
Pierre Lassonde, an alumni from the School of Business, donated over $13 million to the institution in 2006.
The center’s website quotes Lassonde’s beliefs about education: “We should never forget that the most important natural resource of our country is not nickel, gold or diamond, but its people.”
The center aims to fulfill his statement by helping create students who can be the innovative business leaders of the future. It is the largest entrepreneur center of its kind in the United States.
Since first appearing on the list three years ago, the School of Business has continued to emphasize entrepreneurship.
“The ranking reflects growing interest in entrepreneurism among business students, and the school has responded by increasing its emphasis on providing entrepreneurial options to the curriculum and among the opportunities afforded our students outside the classroom,” said Dan Nailen, communications specialist for the School of Business.
The School of Business is adding an entrepreneurship certificate that will be offered to students from any major because of growing interest.
Jenny Burk, a senior in linguistics, thinks the entrepreneurship certificate will be interesting for students in a variety of majors.
“I think it’s good, [entrepreneurship] could be applied to anything. I don’t think everyone wants to work for a big company. I could see it being good for other majors,” Burk said.
The certificate program opens next semester.