The Princeton Review has recognized the University of Nevada, Reno College of Business as outstanding in its just-published 2009 guidebook of Best 296 Business Schools. The college received the recognition based on the quality of its MBA program in surveys of business school students during the past three academic years.

According to Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s vice president of publishing, “We select schools for this book based on our high regard for their academic programs and offerings, institutional data we collect from the schools, and the candid opinions of students attending them who rate and report on their campus experiences at the schools.”

“The greatest strength of the school is its practical, hands-on curriculum,” said one student who participated in the survey. Another student survey participant added that the University’s College of Business faculty and administration are “always willing to listen to your goals and dreams, and help to custom design the MBA program you need to follow.”

The guidebook specifically recognized the quality of the MBA program’s professors, stating: “UNR’s ranking as one of the top 150 research institutions in the U.S. attracts business professors who are ‘very accessible and helpful,’ as well as ‘skilled in blending real-world experience with academic theory,’ with an ability ‘to promote critical thinking and teamwork.’”

In its two-page profile of the college, The Princeton Review also points out that, “In 2005, three months after graduation, an impressive 99 percent of the College of Business MBA holders at UNR were employed, with an average starting salary of $50,000.”

The college’s MBA program offers areas of emphasis in accounting, finance, gaming management, international business, information systems, and supply chain management, helping to fill local and state employment needs. Earlier this year, BusinessWeek magazine ranked its part-time MBA program No. 17 in the United States.

“This recognition by The Princeton Review is representative of the quality of our faculty and students, and the outstanding leadership of Dr. Kambiz Raffiee, the director of the MBA program and associate dean,” said Greg Mosier, dean of the College of Business. “It’s always a team effort that achieves such excellent results.”