Bloomberg Businessweek has ranked the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business at No. 16 in the nation for learning experience. The ranking was released as part of Bloomberg Best B-Schools 2019-20.
Mary Goss, executive director of Graduate Business Programs, says the ranking speaks to the college’s focus on preparing graduates for the real world. “In the current environment where business is questioning the relevance of MBA programs, it’s gratifying that the Haslam MBA stands out in delivering applied learning experiences and immediate impact for our graduates as they enter their post-MBA careers,” Goss says.
The recognition comes as no surprise to MBA candidates currently enrolled at Haslam, where the Executive MBA was ranked No. 1 in the world for program relevance by The Economist in 2018.
“The Bloomberg ranking is on point with my day-to-day experiences inside and outside of the classroom,” says Hunter Jones, Haslam MBA student. “A strong focus of the MBA program is the application of material. We do not focus on just theories. We focus on the application of theories and the tools that are essential for being leaders in business.”
Bloomberg bases its findings in large part on nearly 27,000 survey responses from MBA students, alumni and recruiters, as well as extensive interviews with deans, professors, administrators and analysts. To establish the learning index rankings, it examined each school’s quality, depth and range of instruction. Bloomberg explored each curriculum’s applicability to real-world business situations; the degree of emphasis placed on strategic thinking, problem solving and innovation; the level of inspiration and support available from instructors; class size and collaboration.
“As a Haslam MBA student, I have been impressed by the combination of a world-class education paired with individualized guidance and support,” says Stephen Jenkins. “Though the rankings capture the impact of curriculum, the care and passion of the Tennessee faculty and staff truly put the program over the top.”
In addition to the learning index ranking, Bloomberg ranks Haslam at No. 31 for networking and No. 55 among U.S. business schools overall. The complete list of Bloomberg Best B-Schools 2019-20 rankings is available online.
Contact: Stacy Estep, sestep3@utk.edu, 865-974-7881
