University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and the Zell Lurie Institute Named Top Graduate Program in Entrepreneurship

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Michigan's Ross School of Business was named the number one graduate entrepreneurship program in the nation, in recognition of the programs, courses, and engagement offered through the school's Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazines recognized Ross in the joint ranking of its top 25 graduate entrepreneurship programs, which surveyed more than 2,000 schools. This marks the fourth consecutive year Ross has appeared among the top five, advancing from second place in 2012 to the top spot for the first time.

"We have created a culture at Ross where entrepreneurship is a major focus of our curriculum and a core value," said Alison Davis-Blake, dean of the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. "As more and more students look to entrepreneurship as a way to make a positive difference in the world, we are proud to be the leader in entrepreneurial education and will continue to innovate in the field."

"This ranking is a badge of honor and a resounding endorsement of our unique and effective methodology," said Stewart Thornhill, executive director of the Zell Lurie Institute. "As the nation's top program for graduate entrepreneurship, we set the bar for entrepreneurial education across the U.S. and complement the University's flourishing entrepreneurial community. We do it through a matrix of multidisciplinary coursework, action-based learning, staff and faculty seminars and alumni networking."

The University of Michigan has been a driving force in the advancement of entrepreneurial education since 1927, when it offered the nation's first course in entrepreneurship at what is now the Ross School of Business. The launch of various entrepreneurial programs followed and in 1999, the University was among the first to launch a full program dedicated to entrepreneurial education with the creation of the Zell Lurie Institute. This was made possible with a $10 million gift from iconic American businessman Sam Zell and distinguished philanthropist Ann Lurie, the wife of Zell's late business partner, Robert H. Lurie.

Ross' programs and curriculum have set the bar for entrepreneurial education across the U.S. Examples include the Wolverine Venture Fund, which was the first student-led venture fund of its kind in the country and is now complemented by the Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund and the Social Venture Fund. Together these 'evergreen,' student-run funds have $6.5 million under management and deliver returns that are comparable to the top quartile of professionally managed funds. Since its inception, Zell Lurie has provided scholarships, grants, competition awards and internship funding totaling more than $3 million to help advance new venture development and the entrepreneurial skill set of more than 5,000 students.  In 2012, U-M Ross launched a new Master of Entrepreneurship degree program, offered jointly with the College of Engineering. The degree leverages the strengths of both schools to teach students how to build successful, new business concepts around advanced technologies.

Ross' entrepreneurship education programs are strengthened through boundaryless collaborations and partnerships across the University. The partnership with the Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Engineering launched TechArb, a student accelerator that is jointly managed by the Zell Lurie Institute. In addition, the Zell Entrepreneurship & Law program and Medical Innovation Center host programs in which the Institute's graduate students participate.

"To educate and launch entrepreneurs has always been our mission. The only thing that makes us more proud than being recognized as the very best in the nation at doing this is to see our students go out into the world to deploy their entrepreneurship skills, knowledge and experience," said Tom Kinnear, the D. Maynard Phelps Collegiate Professor of Business in marketing at the Ross School of Business and former executive director of the Institute (1999-August 2013). "The Zell Lurie Institute is a linchpin in the University of Michigan's remarkable coursework and active, real-world engagement that is catalyzing and refining student entrepreneurship and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders."

Visit www.bus.umich.edu to learn more about Ross, Zell Lurie and the Master of Entrepreneurship degree.

About the Stephen M. Ross School of Business
The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a vibrant and distinctive learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross School of Business mission is to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society.

Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the MBA, Part-time MBA (Evening and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Entrepreneurship, Master of Management, BBA, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management.

About the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies
The Zell Lurie Institute and its Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance bring together a potent mix of knowledge, experience and opportunities from the front lines of entrepreneurship and alternative investments. The student learning experience is further enhanced through internships, entrepreneurial clubs and events that serve to provide viable networks and engage the business community. The School's three, student-led investment funds, with over $6.5M under management, immerse students in the business assessment and investment process. Founding Board Members include Samuel Zell, Chairman of Equity Group Investments, and Eugene Applebaum, Founder of Arbor Drugs, Inc. For more information, visit the Institute at www.zli.bus.umich.edu.

SOURCE The Zell Lurie Institute