Poets & Quants recently named the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business to its 10 Undergrad Business Schools To Watch In 2024 list. The publication built its list from undergraduate business programs that recognize and are adapting to the business world’s rapid evolution, noting that developments like climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and artificial intelligence are transforming how business is done. One of just five public colleges on the list, Haslam is the only SEC school included.
Steady Progress Meets Alumni Praise
To compile the list, Poets & Quants weighed colleges’ drive and adaptability as well as their innovations, differentiators and unique qualities that equip graduates for the challenges of today’s business climate. It also considered schools’ performance in its yearly rankings of the best undergraduate business programs.
The publication called Haslam one of the most consistent risers in its annual rankings. The college climbed from 67th out of 88 schools ranked in 2018 to 35th out of 91 ranked schools in 2024. Poets & Quants commended Haslam’s performance in the rankings’ academic experience category, drawn from surveyed alumni’s statements about their schools. Poets & Quants’ Kristy Bleitzeffer wrote “96 [percent] of Haslam alumni said they would absolutely recommend the program to a friend or family member, perhaps the highest praise a student can bestow on an alma mater.”
Pairing an Academic Home with Professional Preparation
Poets & Quants featured expansive profiles of each school on 10 Undergrad Business Schools to Watch in 2024 list, exploring their initiatives to prepare students for an ever-more dynamic business environment. Lane Morris, Haslam’s associate dean of undergraduate studies and student affairs and the John W. Fisher Professor of Innovative Learning, told the publication about multiple endeavors Haslam recently launched to further these efforts.
These include breaking ground on a new, state-of-the-art business building; creating a new emerging technologies course for Haslam’s business core curricula; launching an international business major; and expanding the three-year Business Fellows honors program, which is open to the top 10 percent of Haslam students. All Haslam undergraduates go through the Haslam Leaders professional development curriculum to gain basic professional and career development skills, including interview presence and presentation, resume building and using LinkedIn for networking and job seeking.
Morris also explained how the college values its undergraduates and MBAs equally, which is conveyed in its continued growth and upward movement in rankings. He added that humility, a strong work ethic and the Volunteer Spirit of selfless leadership set Haslam graduates apart, calling the college a vibrant community with a culture that embraces competition but encourages collaboration. He also observed that Haslam leads UT in fostering a sense of belonging, an element of the college spirit that has increased retention and graduation rates. Haslam undergrads feel at home in a community of scholars and are supported by the school’s resources and opportunities.
“Haslam Undergraduate Business offers a holistic and integrated, college-based student experience that combines academic advising, student engagement, international programs and study abroad, professional and career development in a seamless one-stop shop for students to maximize their collegiate experience,” Morris says in the article.
Stephen L. Mangum, Haslam’s dean and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair, called the college’s inclusion on Poets & Quants list of Top 10 Undergrad Business Programs to Watch an honor and a challenge.
“Haslam is forging ahead on multiple fronts to build a community in which our students thrive and grow while also ensuring our graduates are ready to succeed and lead in a rapidly changing world of business,” Mangum says. “We are honored that Poets & Quants has recognized the work of our faculty, staff, students and alumni by including Haslam on this list. But this recognition also challenges us: To be a ‘business school to watch,’ we must continually refine and improve our academic programs, professional and career development offerings and co-curricular activities so that all of our students have the opportunity to become the best business leaders they are capable of being. As a college of action, this is a challenge we wholeheartedly accept.”
About the Haslam College of Business Undergraduate Programs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
The undergraduate programs in the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, sets the standard in developing future business leaders, with more than 8,000 undergraduate students, 192 faculty and 177 staff members. The programs consist of seven departments and 10 undergraduate majors. UT was founded in 1794 and was designated Tennessee’s land‑grant institution in 1879, while the Haslam College of Business was founded in 1914.
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CONTACT:
Scott McNutt, senior business writer/publicist, rmcnutt4@utk.edu
