University’s international business program ranked 41st by Bloomberg Businessweek

May 19th, 2011

SMITHFIELD, R.I.  - Bryant University's international business program is now ranked 41st in the nation by Bloomberg Businessweek, which released rankings of 14 specialty business programs earlier this month.

(Businessweek released overall rankings of undergraduate business schools in March. Bryant's College of Business ranked 55th in the nation, up 11 points over the previous year, and 48th in academic quality.)

International business (IB) is the University's fastest-growing undergraduate academic program, with enrollment more than doubling between 2006 (with 150 students) and 2010 (with 328 students).

"Very quickly, Bryant's IB program has gained an excellent reputation," said Madan Annavarjula, professor of management in the College of Business and coordinator of the international business program. "Ours is one of the few programs in the country offering concentrations in business functions - accounting, computer information systems, entrepreneurship, finance, management or marketing - resulting in graduates that have broad exposure to international business issues as well as a depth of understanding of a particular field of business."

Annavarjula listed several other points of distinction contributing to the program's growing reputation for excellence:

• Businesses seeking advice about expanding globally are lining up to be a part of the intensive, hands-on consulting project that occurs in an IB major's senior year. During the project, teams of IB students work with companies to assemble business plans and develop contacts aimed at helping the companies enter markets overseas. Due to the quality of the students' work and the successful outcomes of the plans, the number of corporate participants has more than doubled - from six companies in the first year (2009) to 17 in 2011, Annavarjula said, with the possibility of openings for 24 or 25 companies in 2012;
• This spring, a team of Bryant juniors majoring in IB claimed the No. 1 spot in an online business simulation game that places 4,558 teams from 283 colleges and universities around the world in head-to-head competition. In that same simulation, several Bryant sophomores majoring in IB were ranked in the top 10th percentile in such categories as leadership, financial analysis, operations management, marketing management, and strategic analysis;
• International business majors have the option to graduate with the Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) credential offered through the University's John H. Chafee Center for International Business;
• Bryant's IB majors often receive multiple job offers upon graduation. One 2011 graduate, Ryan Letourneau, was one of just 10 people from around the world selected to participate in the International Graduate Training Program with Delhaize Group, a global food retailer based in Brussels, Belgium.

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Keywords: , College of Business, In the News, international business, rankings