The Whitman EEE program is unique in that it offers entrepreneurship curriculum tracks in new venture development, corporate entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and family business management.
The Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University’s graduate entrepreneurship program was ranked #17 in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of the best business schools for entrepreneurship.
The full rankings, released March 10, are published at http://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/entrepreneurship-rankings?int=a4d609.
The Whitman EEE program is unique in that it offers entrepreneurship curriculum tracks in new venture development, corporate entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and family business management. No other entrepreneurship program offers this kind of structured curriculum.
Whitman is continuously improving its course offerings to reflect entrepreneurial best practices. The school recently launched the “Entrepreneurship Launchpad,” a course designed to help students receive academic credit while starting and running their business.
Whitman’s EEE program taught almost 400 graduate students in 2013-14. “We’re very proud to be included again this year in U.S. News & World Report’s graduate entrepreneurship ranking,” says Professor Alex McKelvie, chair of the Whitman EEE Department. “It is quite rewarding to be competitive with large programs at top international graduate schools, such as Harvard, MIT and Wharton. We have worked hard to increase interest among traditional MBA, online MBA and military veteran students and to help those students recognize that they will rely on their entrepreneurial skills and mindsets throughout their careers. The significant inroads we have made in providing entrepreneurial career development and offering a quality graduate-level learning environment for aspiring entrepreneurs is reflected in these rankings.”
The U.S. News & World Report’s annual specialty rankings are developed based on the input from experts, such as deans, program directors and/or senior faculty who are asked to nominate outstanding programs in each specialty area. A survey is sent to all AACSB-accredited business programs around the United States to collect these opinions.
At Syracuse, the entire University, led by the Whitman School, has made a major commitment to entrepreneurship. In the 2013-14 academic year, the EEE department taught almost 1,800 undergraduates, including 779 in the Introduction to Entrepreneurship course alone. Approximately 80 percent of the students in that course are from outside of Whitman.
The Whitman School heavily emphasizes experiential learning, and the EEE department is committed to providing a myriad of opportunities for students to gain and apply real-world perspective and skills. The Falcone Center of Entrepreneurship at Whitman makes connections with the community and supports the EEE program’s outreach efforts. Last year, the Center’s Couri Hatchery housed 94 student businesses, which is nearly twice that of the previous academic year. Collectively, those businesses have raised more than $2.4 million in external capital. What’s more, more than 950 people attended the annual WISE (Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship) Symposium, one of the many impactful outreach programs offered through the Falcone Center.
“These ranking accomplishments are a result of collective work and dedication. Our entire EEE team, including faculty, staff and the Falcone Center, has been doing a tremendous job in fulfilling our research, teaching and service missions. The rankings validate the world-class work we are doing in all of these domains,” McKelvie concludes.
The Whitman School’s annual report can be accessed at http://whitman.syr.edu/publications/pdfs/EEE_2013-14_AnnualReport.pdf.
