UW-Madison entrepreneurship programs ranked 11th

Entrepreneurship programs at the Wisconsin School of Business rank among the best in the nation, according to a recently published survey conducted by the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine.

The Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship at UW–Madison ranks 11th on a list of the top 25 entrepreneurial graduate programs in the U.S., up from 13th last year. UW–Madison’s undergraduate entrepreneurship program ranks 16th in the magazine’s ranking of the top 25 entrepreneurial undergraduate programs in the U.S. This is the first year that both graduate and undergraduate programs at the Wisconsin School of Business made the top 25.

“Wisconsin is committed to being a vital partner in the success of individuals and companies across the state and the world, and is dedicated to making our research discoveries relevant to the commercial world,” says Michael Knetter, Albert O. Nicholas Dean of the Wisconsin School of Business. “Our business school is focused on bringing undergraduate and graduate students from across campus in close contact with local companies and startups, and helping to create opportunities for new ideas and technology to drive the future.”

Now in its seventh year, the Princeton Review/Entrepreneur Magazine rankings are based on a survey of entrepreneurship programs at more than 2,300 undergraduate and graduate schools for the period from December 2008 through June 2009.

As part of the survey, schools were asked to answer questions relating to three basic areas: academics and requirements, students and faculty, and outside the classroom. The questions were refined and the results validated with the help of an advisory board comprised of professionals in the area of entrepreneurship education.

The Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship was established in 1986 and provides a variety of programs and services relating to entrepreneurial management and development.

“We combine classroom learning with a hands-on applied component,” center director Dan Olszewski told the magazine. “We understand the importance of entrepreneurship in helping us to continue to grow as a country and region.”