Entrepreneur Magazine Ranks SDSU Among Top 25
in Nation for Entrepreneurs

Contact:
Tom Hanscom
San Diego State University
(619) 594-2585 office
hanscom@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO (Friday, October 19, 2007) — San Diego State University's entrepreneur program has been named one of the nation's top 25 graduate schools for entrepreneurs in the latest Entrepreneur and The Princeton Review ranking of graduate and undergraduate entrepreneurship programs, released this week.

San Diego State University placed No. 19 for graduate programs in a survey of 900 schools nationwide, ranked behind only University of Southern California and University of California, Los Angeles for programs in California. The survey will be featured in Entrepreneur magazine's November issue.

“San Diego’s dynamic business environment makes SDSU an ideal place for students to hone their skills as entrepreneurs,” said Gail Naughton, dean of the College of Business.  “This ranking provides us with another much-appreciated stepping stone leading us on our path to excellence.”

The Princeton Review survey included such key criteria as the entrepreneurial emphasis of the curriculum, mentoring, experiential learning, faculty credentials, and the success of graduating students and alumni. Results of the survey suggest that SDSU, through an integrated curriculum, demonstrates a commitment to practical, hands-on experiential learning to provide the skills that translate into real-world businesses.

“We strive to provide our graduate students in entrepreneurship with skills that will help them succeed at recognizing and capitalizing on opportunities throughout their careers,” said Sandy Ehrlich, Qualcomm executive director of Entrepreneurship at SDSU’s Entrepreneurial Management Center. 
 
Ehrlich was named among the nation’s top 18 professors in entrepreneurship in the September issue of Fortune Small Business.

In September, Fortune Magazine named SDSU one of America’s best colleges for undergraduate entrepreneurs.  Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report ranked SDSU’s graduate entrepreneurship program one of the best as well.
SDSU offers a concentration in entrepreneurship at the undergraduate and graduate levels. SDSU’s College of Business also recently announced a new Global Entrepreneurship MBA in which students study over a 12-month period in San Diego, China, India and the Middle East to learn from executives from our corporate partners: Qualcomm, Invitrogen, Microsoft, Intel and KPMG.  First classes are scheduled to begin in November 2008.

SDSU’s College of Business fosters excellence in business education and develops business professionals through innovative programs, applied learning, research, collaboration with alumni and the local business community.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 81 areas, master's degrees in 73 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU's approximately 35,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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