BYU finished seventieth overall in the recent U.S.News & World Report annual survey of "America's Best Colleges," with the Marriott School's undergraduate program ranked among the top fifty in "Best Business Programs," coming in at thirty-seventh.

The 28 August 2006 issue of U.S.News & World Report ranked approximately 1,400 four-year accredited colleges and universities by mission and region. BYU fell under the category of "national universities," which includes schools that offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master's and doctoral degrees.

In 2005, BYU was ranked seventy-first in the "Best National Universities" category. This year the university is also listed nineteenth in the "Great Schools, Great Prices" category, which ranks schools relative to educational quality and price. Additionally, it is listed as twelfth in the category of "Least Debt," which compares the average debt carried by departing graduates. In specialty categories, the Marriott School's accounting program was ranked fifth and its international business program came in twenty-first.

"We have good students and a unique program with a very integrated curriculum that prepares students very well," says School of Accountancy Director Kevin Stocks. "It's a tremendous recognition of the quality of our program."

In overall rankings, Princeton topped Harvard, followed by Yale and Cal Tech.


Entrepreneur magazine recently ranked the Marriott School twelfth in the nation in its annual "Best Schools for Entrepreneurs" undergraduate program review.

The article, in the October 2006 issue of Entrepreneur, compiled rankings for both undergraduate and graduate programs, in cooperation with The Princeton Review. Ratings were based on the number of entrepreneurship courses offered; enrolled students and recent graduates who started their own businesses; entrepreneurs within the faculty; and scholarships offered. BYU has been ranked among the publication's top-tier regional schools since 2003.

Gary Rhoads, marketing professor and associate director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, says the center's students and volunteers are what set the Marriott School apart from the majority of collegiate entrepreneurial programs.

"Our students are just naturally entrepreneurial," Rhoads says. "We're one of the national hotspots for patents, new ideas, and new businesses. Our center is a response to the creativity that our students naturally show. We also have entrepreneurs who are highly dedicated to this program. They donate their time and services; how many places do you know that have people who would do that?"

The article states, "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."

The University of Arizona ranked first in the undergraduate program category, followed by Syracuse and DePaul Universities. Syracuse took the top spot in the graduate program category, followed by DePaul and Northwestern University.


The Wall Street Journal ranked Brigham Young University's master of business administration program third among regional schools in the paper's 2006 report of top business programs, up from sixth in 2005. The Marriott School was listed second as the best place to hire MBAs with high ethical standards. Recruiters also said BYU was underrated, and they cited three disciplines where the school shines nationally and internationally.

"We are elated that recruiters think so highly of our students and MBA program," says Ned C. Hill, dean. "There are hundreds of excellent business schools in the country, which makes this ranking particularly rewarding. We're also very pleased that our graduates continue to be known for their high ethical standards."

The Marriott School placed fourth on the ranking's "accounting" honor roll, fifth in "consumer products," and seventh in "corporate responsibility," a category added this year. Additionally, recruiters placed the program sixth on the list of schools that are most often "underrated," and gave the school top scores for students' teamwork skills, work ethic, and analytical and problem-solving abilities.

"Our professors are vigilant at developing and refreshing their respective areas of expertise," says Michael Thompson, associate dean. "This expertise is helping our students distinguish themselves in the organizations they enter after graduation."

This is the sixth year The Wall Street Journal has evaluated MBA programs around the world. More than 4,100 recruiters who hire full-time business school graduates participated in the 2006 survey. Recruiters evaluated schools on three components. Equal weight was given to perceptions of the school and its students, the likelihood of recruiting and hiring at the school in the future, and mass appeal—the total number of participating recruiters who recruit at the school.

The top ten regional schools for 2006 are: Thunderbird, Ohio State University, BYU, Purdue University, Michigan State University, University of Rochester, Wake Forest University, University of Maryland, Louisiana State University, and University at Buffalo/SUNY. The top ten national schools for 2006 are: University of Michigan, Dartmouth College, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, University of California–Berkeley, Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, Yale, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The list of schools eligible for the rankings came from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and discussions with experts in the field of MBA recruiting. Only 264 schools met the Journal's rating requirements. Of those, eighty-five schools were ranked.


The Economic Self-Reliance Center released a new publication in September as part of a continuing effort to facilitate information and idea exchange among self-reliance experts. The ESR Review is published in a magazine format and replaces the Journal of Microfinance. The new publication addresses the general topic of economic self-reliance, where the previous journal dealt mainly with the issue of microfinance.

"Since the inception of the Economic Self-Reliance Center, we've been looking at ways to refine and focus our scope as well as finding better ways to deliver information about economic self-reliance," Managing Director Todd Manwaring says. "This revamped publication is one of those visions we had from day one."

The goal of ESR Review is to provide a venue for those involved in the cause of economic self-reliance to network and exchange ideas. Microfinance, Manwaring says, is only part of the solution to economic self-reliance, and the new publication will involve other areas of study, including microcredit and microenterprise.

The ESR Review is a twice-yearly publication and also features a companion web site. The web site serves both to increase the center's visibility among fellow researchers and practitioners as well as augment the content of the publication. The new publication serves more as a tool for applied research and not as an academic journal about the field of economic self-reliance itself.

Ginny Smith, executive director of the B. Attitudes Foundation, a center for economic self-reliance, says she believes the ESR Review will result in a more cohesive and coordinated effort in the fight against world poverty.

"I would hope that those reading ESR Review would gain valuable insights into initiatives, programs, and agencies that would inspire and motivate them," Lowry says. "Rather than working in isolation one from another, readers may be made aware of, or even possibly partner with, other practitioners, resulting in a more global approach to problem solving. Collaborative efforts ultimately reach out to and improve lives in greater numbers."

Readers may subscribe to ESR Review and find out more about the publication by visiting the magazine's web site, www.esrreview.com.


Manoel Luiz Ferrao Amorim, managing director of Telefonica International, was honored with the 2006 International Executive of the Year award by the Marriott School Friday, 22 September 2006, at the annual National Advisory Council dinner.

Before coming to Telefonica International, Amorim earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1990 and took board positions at companies such as MasterCard International and Telefonica de Chile, S.A. After a brief period as president of AOL Brazil, Amorim took the helm at Telefonica International in Madrid, Spain. In the past five years, he has been named Brazil's telecom industry executive of the year three times by the economic newspaper Valor. Latin Trade Magazine also recognized him as one of forty "super CEOs" in 2001.

Amorim, whose three children attend BYU, thanked many within the institution and praised the Marriott School for helping produce capable graduates. He also commented on the school's emphasis on educating international students.

"I accepted this award because I think it reflects one thing that I want to be thankful for," Amorim said during his acceptance speech. "It is the attitudes that the school has today. It's reflected partially in this award—to give more opportunities to international students."

The IEY award was established in 1974 by the Marriott School to honor executives who have excelled in either private or public sectors while also demonstrating superior moral and ethical standards. Past recipients have included Philip Caldwell of Ford Motor Company; Alonzo G. Decker Jr. of the Black and Decker Corporation; and Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Amorim is the first person to receive this award who permanently resides outside the United States.

Published by the Marriott School at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. Copyright 2012 by Brigham Young University. All rights reserved. All communications should be sent to Marriott Alumni Magazine, 490 Tanner Building, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602. Email: marriottmag@byu.edu. Telephone: (801) 422-5083. Fax: (801) 422-0501. The views expressed are those of the various authors and not necessarily the Marriott School. Change your mailing address here.