Nov. 17, 2011

VCU School of Business Part-Time MBA is Nationally Ranked

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By Tom Gresham

Bloomberg Businessweek has ranked the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business part-time MBA program No. 51 in the United States. 

This is the first time that VCU has been included in the national ranking, which is based on separate measures of student satisfaction, academic quality and post-MBA outcomes.

“This is terrific news,” says Ed Grier, dean of the VCU School of Business. “It is gratifying to know our students find the program valuable. I am especially pleased that the Bloomberg Businessweek national ranking recognizes the VCU MBA for both academic quality and student success.”

VCU ranked 7th in the nation for average salary increase, valued at a sterling 41.6 percent. In addition, VCU ranked 12th for post-MBA outcomes, determined by the percentage of student survey respondents who say their part-time MBA program was “completely” responsible for them being able to achieve their career goals.

According to one VCU student responding to the survey, “The major strengths of the program are its challenging core curriculum, its smaller classroom sizes for a more personalized learning experience, its inclusion of successful Richmond-area business leaders in class discussions and its expansive alumni network that is very active in the area.” 

VCU MBA students gave the part-time program particularly strong report card grades for curriculum (A+), caliber of classmates (A+) and teaching quality (A).

Jana McQuaid, assistant dean of master’s programs, cites the “wonderful mix of students” as key to the part-time MBA program’s success. “The variety of backgrounds and companies represented contribute immeasurably to the experience in the classroom.”

The VCU MBA program started in 1974 and has graduated more than 2,600 students. Today the school offers the MBA in full-time, part-time and executive formats.

Other Virginia part-time MBA programs ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek were the University of Richmond (No. 18), the College of William & Mary (No. 48) and Virginia Tech (No. 57).

Earlier this year, the VCU School of Business was ranked the No. 97 Best Undergraduate Business Program by U.S. News & World Report.  The VCU MBA is included in the Princeton Review’s guide “The Best 294 Business Schools: 2012 Edition.”