From over 2,000 schools surveyed by The Princeton Review for Entrepreneur magazine, Belmont University was recognized as having one of the top 50 entrepreneurship programs in the country. Belmont ranked No. 19 in the undergraduate category of the survey.
The eighth annual ranking reveals the nation’s top 25 undergraduate and top 25 graduate programs for entrepreneurship. Belmont’s ranking can be seen at www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges and www.princetonreview.com/entrepreneur.
Dr. Pat Raines, dean of Belmont’s College of Business Administration, said, “We are thrilled our entrepreneurship program continues to be recognized as one of the Top 25 programs in the country. Our faculty provide tremendous support and have a passion for innovation that cultivates an environment for success. Our students benefit from the many resources we offer to support their own endeavors, including opportunities to interact with local entrepreneurs, compete in business plan competitions and get involved in our student-run businesses or Hatchery system. We are very proud of the accomplishments of our students and alumni and the impact they are making.”
Dr. Jeff Cornwall, director of Belmont’s Center for Entrepreneurship, added, “The creativity, work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit of our students and alumni is what makes our program work. Our success is a direct result of their success.”
Belmont was evaluated based on key criteria in the areas of teaching entrepreneurship business fundamentals in the classroom, staffing departments with successful entrepreneurs, excellence in mentorship, providing experiential or entrepreneurial opportunities outside of the classroom, as well as non-traditional, distinguishable aspects of their programs.
In addition to this honor, Belmont’s program has also been recognized as a National Model Undergraduate Program for Entrepreneurship Education by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) and was featured last year as one of five schools to consider when studying entrepreneurship by Fortune magazine.
Belmont’s innovative program enables students to get involved in one of several student-run businesses on campus and provides students with the resources and support necessary for them to start their own businesses. Approximately 3,500 square feet of prime retail space in the Curb Event Center has been set aside by Belmont University for students to use to develop retail or service businesses —Buzzy’s Candy Store, Feedback Clothing Co, and BLVD Music Shopare currently operating in this space. Also, Student Business Hatcheries provide an office environment containing basic resources and support to help students as they develop their own entrepreneurial ventures. Students are advised by faculty, staff and local entrepreneurs, who are part of the Belmont Entrepreneur Network. Other resources available to students include free legal clinics, accounting clinics and practicing entrepreneur roundtables
“Behind the top ranked schools is not only a great formal classroom experience, but a cross-disciplinary approach to teaching entrepreneurship that embraces and encourages a student’s vision to build a successful business,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s Senior Vice President – Publisher and nationally recognized expert on college admissions.
“The right education enhances and reinforces curiosity and creative thinking in entrepreneurs,” commented Amy Cosper, vice president and editor in chief at Entrepreneur. “This ranking provides a unique look at top schools that offer the type of training, encouragement and direction that nurtures entrepreneurial skills. It’s an excellent resource for those interested in academics as a pathway to their goals, and it can help tremendously in the discovery process to finding the right program.”
The results of the survey, along with the analysis, appear in the October issue of Entrepreneur, which hits newsstands today, September 20.
About The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review (Nasdaq: REVU) has been a pioneer and leader in helping students achieve their higher education goals for 30 years through college and graduate school test preparation and private tutoring. With more than 165 print and digital publications and a free website, www.PrincetonReview.com, the company provides students and their parents with the resources to research, apply to, prepare for, and learn how to pay for higher education. The Princeton Review partners with schools and guidance counselors throughout the U.S. to assist in college readiness, test preparation and career planning services, helping more students pursue postsecondary education.
The company also owns and operates Penn Foster Education Group, a global leader in online education, providing career-focused degree and vocational programs in the fields of allied health, business, technology, education, and select trades through the Penn Foster High School and Penn Foster Career School (www.pennfoster.edu). Penn Foster creates the platform to leverage the company’s Career Education Partnerships division with the National Labor College (NLC). This venture was formed to bring high-quality bachelor degree completion and certificate programs to the AFL-CIO’s 13 million members and the working adults in their families. For more information, visit www.PrincetonReview.com.
About Entrepreneur Media Inc.
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