Bauer College At University of Houston Entrepreneurship Program Lands On Top Of Prestigious National List

Published on October 10, 2007

HOUSTON, TX, Oct. 10, 2007 - The C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston is celebrating another milestone this year as The Princeton Review has ranked its entrepreneurship program No. 2 among the nation's undergraduate business schools in Entrepreneur magazine.

This marks the first time that the University of Houston has been included on the list of the Top 25 Undergraduate Schools for Entrepreneurs, which names Babson College as No. 1 and also cites Baylor University, the University of Arizona, Notre Dame, University of Southern California, University of Maryland and Syracuse University among many others.

"We are extremely pleased with our number two ranking by two great organizations," Dean Arthur D. Warga said. "The Princeton Review is one of the country's premier ranking surveys for colleges, and Entrepreneur magazine is the top business title in the U.S. This very strong ranking is a reflection of our students, faculty, college and the University of Houston system," he added. It also accentuates the fact that Houston is a place where business on a local and global scale thrives."

Houston Mayor Bill White agreed, noting that entrepreneurship students and graduates from Bauer College greatly contribute to the city's economy with their business ventures.

"Houston, built on the brain-power and horsepower of entrepreneurship, is a great city of opportunity. The Bauer College is one of the best assets we have to harness that opportunity," White said.

"The excellence of Bauer's CEI program is the result of the hard work and dedication of its students and faculty," said John M. Rudley, interim president of the University of Houston. "Although we're well aware of the quality and importance of this program, it's gratifying to have it recognized nationally."

Bauer College has been educating business leaders for decades, with its Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CEI) cementing the school's status as a leader in entrepreneurship when it was created in 1993. The Commission for Higher Education approved entrepreneurship as a major in 1995. Since then, the program has flourished and now attracts more than 1,300 students a semester, said William Sherrill, founder and co-chairman for CEI.

In the past, Bauer's entrepreneurship program has been recognized regionally. This honor is its first national ranking, which is indicative of the tremendous growth and breadth of the program, which educates business students as well as those from other disciplines through its global business minor, Sherrill said.

"This sort of ranking really says a lot about the program," he said. "When people see what we have to offer, it attracts students, which is what we need to do at the end of the day. Also, any time any part of the university is recognized, it engenders a sense of pride in the city and gets us more support."

The ranking also validates the world-class education Bauer students have been receiving through the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation's entrepreneurship program, its global business minor and its intrapreneurship certification program, said program director Dan Steppe.

"This ranking is a reflection of the hard work, energy, goals and dreams of our students," Steppe said. "It shows who they are and what they're doing. They believe that an entrepreneurial vision is important, and we give them the tools, the strength, the determination and the lack of fear they need to realize that vision."

Bauer College offers its entrepreneurship students a "complete and comprehensive" program that includes a six-course lockstep program as well as several enrichment activities to supplement the academic instruction. Each year, between 30 and 35 students are selected through a rigorous application process to take CEI's major program in entrepreneurship.

In addition, the CEI certification program in intrapreneurship is the foundation of the college's global business minor for non-business students. More than 300 non-business students take CEI courses each year and have an opportunity to see how entrepreneurial thinking can be applied to their interests in engineering, science, social science or the arts.

As of 2007, an average of 70 percent of CEI students start a business while in school or shortly after graduating. CEI students have also won numerous awards in national business plan competitions - even outperforming MBA teams from other schools including Carnegie Mellon. Students in Bauer's executive MBA program have also had the opportunity this year to take elective courses in entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship.

"We are delighted to be in the No. 2 spot on The Princeton Review's list in Entrepreneur magazine and believe that we can be No. 1 with continued support from Houston's entrepreneurial community," said Dr. Edward Blair, chairman of the college's department of marketing and entrepreneurship. "The proof of our program is in the many awards our students have won in business plan competitions and the successful businesses they operate."

The Kaufman Foundation has estimated that approximately 464,000 people per month created new businesses in the United States in 2005. Small firms have generated 60 to 80 percent of new net jobs annually over the last decade and produce 13 to 14 times more patents per employee, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

"To be included in the Top 25 undergraduate entrepreneurship programs in the nation is a big success for us and very humbling," Steppe added. "It's an honor to be in that group of elite schools. The idea of teaching entrepreneurship has grown very rapidly, and there are a lot of good schools doing that now. It's very important for the future of our city and country."

The Princeton Review determined the rankings by evaluating key criteria in the areas of academics and requirements, students and faculty, and outside-the-classroom support and experiences from the 370 undergraduate programs that were surveyed.

For a complete listing of the schools ranked and a full database of details on each of their programs, visit www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges. Pick up the November issue of Entrepreneur on newsstands October 23rd to read the feature story.

Bauer College will celebrate with its UH family during an internal event on Oct. 18, while Mayor Bill White and the City of Houston will honor the college during an official recognition at the Oct. 23 Houston City Council meeting.

About The Center For Entrepreneurship & Innovation

The Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation was founded in 1993 by Bill Sherrill, former governor of the Federal Reserve, director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, corporate president and serial entrepreneur. The Commission for Higher Education approved CEI's request to allow entrepreneurship as a major in 1995. From its inception, CEI has followed a vision that the best instruction in entrepreneurship combines academic rigor with the perspective of experienced entrepreneurs. Each semester, more than 1,300 students enroll in a CEI entrepreneurship course.

About The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review, a leading provider of educational services, surveyed more than 370 undergraduate and business schools about their offerings in entrepreneurship. The survey included questions covering everything from mentoring, experiential learning and specific course offerings to alumni successes and career prospects of current students. Schools that ranked high demonstrated a commitment to entrepreneurship both inside and outside the classroom and had faculty, students and alumni actively involved and successful in entrepreneurial endeavors.

About Entrepreneur Media Inc.

Entrepreneur Media Inc. is the premier content provider for and about entrepreneurs. Our products engage and inspire every day with the advice, solutions and resources that fuel the bold and independent way entrepreneurs think.

After 30 years, nobody reaches more growing businesses. As the original magazine for the small and midsize business community, Entrepreneur continues to be the definitive guide to all the diverse challenges of business ownership. Entrepreneur.com is the most widely used website by entrepreneurs and emerging businesses worldwide. Entrepreneur Press publishes the books that turn entrepreneurial skills into business success.

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston, Texas' premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

About the Bauer College of Business

The C.T. Bauer College of Business has been in operation for more than 60 years at the University of Houston main campus. Through its five academic departments, the college offers a full-range of undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees in business. The Bauer College is fully accredited by the AACSB International - the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. In August 2000, Houston business leader and philanthropist Charles T. (Ted) Bauer endowed the College of Business with a $40 million gift. In recognition of his generosity, the college was renamed the C.T. Bauer College of Business.