PRESS
RELEASE
CONTACT: Cindy Raines
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PHONE: 865-974-4359
FAX: 865-974-1766
E-MAIL: craines1@utk.edu
KNOXVILLE, TN –The Wall Street Journal ranked the
University of Tennessee MBA program No.
4 in the South and No. 12 in the
United States for MBA programs that predominately serve regional corporate recruiters.
This is the first time that the UT MBA program has appeared in this prestigious
ranking. A total of sixty-three schools qualified; 19
serving a national recruiting base and 44 serving a more regional recruiting
base.
"The strength of UT's MBA program is in its cross-functional
approach," said Rod Thomas, director of logistics planning for Lowe's
Companies, Inc. and a 2000 graduate of UT's MBA program. "Lowe's recruits
more logistics graduates from UT than from any other program nationwide, and it
is the only school from which we recruit year-after-year. Its integrated
curriculum focuses on teamwork and immerses students in every piece of the
supply chain — dynamics that are essential for success at Lowe's." Lowe’s
is a recipient of the 2003-2004 MBA Employer of the Year Award.
As
reflected in the Wall Street Journal
rankings, corporate recruiters were particularly impressed with UT’s
supply-chain management focus and transportation core curriculum and how
well-prepared were its students and administrators. According to the survey,
the business segments hiring the most University of Tennessee MBA graduates
were industrial products and services, consumer products and services,
healthcare product and services, and management consulting.
“The Wall Street Journal
ranking confirms the high regard that corporate recruiters hold for our
students, and the immediate value our students deliver to their organizations,”
said Dr. Sarah Gardial, associate dean of
academic programs. “We feel privileged that this
highly respected group recognizes the exceptional range of skills of our
students and considers our program to be one of the top in the country. For
our inaugural appearance to be number 12 — that’s extremely rewarding!”
In compiling this ranking, The
Wall Street Journal surveyed 2,849 corporate recruiters between December 2,
2003, and March 31, 2004. Respondents rated schools on 20 different criteria,
including leadership potential; teamwork skills and interpersonal qualities;
and the school's "mass appeal," or the number of recruiters that it
attracts. Also evaluated was "supportive behavior," defined as the
recruiters' intention to return to the school to recruit and the likelihood of
extending job offers during the next two years.
“Recruiters recognize the uniqueness and
value of our innovative, 17-month program,” said John Anderson, MBA program
director. “Our pioneering curriculum focuses on management skills essential to
success: traditional business disciplines; career development and leadership
skills; and integrated value chain management. Our Wall Street Journal ranking confirms that our integrated program
design is responding to both corporate and student needs.”
Complete Wall Street Journal ranking information
is available at www.careerjournal.com.
Complete information about UT’s MBA program is available at http://mba.utk.edu.
The
MBA program’s Wall Street Journal
performance closely follows its Financial
Times international ranking in which it ranked No. 1 among U.S. schools for
alumni value three years after graduation.
The
University of Tennessee MBA program is not alone in garnering impressive
rankings for the university. Financial
Times recently ranked UT’s Senior Executive MBA program No. 32 in the U.S.
and No. 58 internationally among all institutions offering executive MBA programs,
while Modern Physician magazine ranked
UT’s innovative Physician Executive MBA program as the No. 1 MBA program for
physician executives.
About The University of Tennessee College of Business
Administration
The mission of the
University of Tennessee College of Business Administration in Knoxville,
Tennessee, is to provide innovative leadership in management education and
practice. The College consistently breaks new ground with both its scholarship
and award-winning integrated curriculum that is taught within
its undergraduate, graduate and nationally recognized executive education
programs. The college is accredited by AACSB International - The Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. For more information about the
University of Tennessee College of Business Administration, visit www.bus.utk.edu.