Business school named top program

Bloomberg Businessweek magazine recently ranked the University of Richmond E. Clairborne Robins School of Business No. 16 on its 2014 list of America's best undergraduate business programs.

Atop the list were University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business, University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce and Cornell University Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management.

The business school also ranked second for academic quality and seventh for student satisfaction, as well as receiving an "A+" for teaching quality, facilities/services and job placement. The magazine listed that 82 percent of business school students receive job offers.

"As a small school with a global footprint, we can provide our students with a personalized education both in and out of the classroom," Nancy A. Bagranoff, the dean of the business school, said. "Our dedicated teacher-scholars and unparalleled support services develop our students to be career ready the first day they walk into a job. They are collaborative, personable and technically prepared."

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2014 marked the ninth straight year the business school appeared in the top 25 of Bloomberg's top undergraduate business program rankings, moving up one spot from 2013.

William T. Bishop, managing partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Richmond, said he was impressed by the professional breadth of knowledge business school students and graduates possessed.

"We recruit Robins School candidates heavily," Bishop said. "The combination of incredible technical instruction, individual attention from outstanding professors, opportunities for campus leadership and programs to develop communication and networking skills generates highly qualified graduates that fit right into professional organizations. We have high performing Robins School grads at all levels in our firm."

Brandon Hauser, a senior in the business school, attributes his positive learning experiences to small class sizes. Among the 186 undergraduate business programs ranked on Bloomberg's list, Richmond has the eighth smallest program enrollment.

"It's a privilege to be able to learn in such a renowned business school," Hauser said. "Learning in an environment that has small class sizes, interactive discussions and professors that get to know you more than just a student makes all the difference."

The business school is the country's only fully accredited top-tier undergraduate business school that also is part of a top-tier liberal arts university. Bloomberg Businessweek previously recognized the business school's MBA program as one of the top 30 part-time MBA programs in the country.

The business school's executive education division offers open enrollment courses and customized leadership development programs for individuals and businesses.

Kyle Scott, a 2013 graduate of the business school and a financial analyst at Thomson Reuters, said the school couldn't have prepared him better for the real world.

"When it came to finding this job and now being prepared and thriving at this job, I have to give a lot of credit to the faculty and environment of the Robins School for that," Scott said.

Contact reporter Oliver Murphy at oliver.murphy@richmond.edu