The University of Vermont's School of Business Administration has been named one of the nation's top 15 business schools by The Princeton Review in the area of operations.

The criteria for making the "Student Opinion Honors for Business Schools" list, which appeared in the April 2009 issue of Entrepreneur magazine, was based on students' assessments of how well their business school courses prepared them to succeed in one of the following six areas: accounting, finance, general management, global management, marketing, and operations.

The Princeton Review compiled the list using data from its national survey of 19,000 MBA students attending 296 business schools profiled in its book, Best 296 Business Schools: 2009 Edition. The 80-question survey asked students to report on classroom and campus experiences at their schools and rate their MBA programs in several areas.

Larry Shirland, professor of business and an associate dean, said that although specific student feedback wasn't provided from the Princeton survey, there are a few course offerings in operations that likely influenced students' responses. "Production and Operations Management," which focuses on the study of the operations function in manufacturing and service organizations, is one of the more popular courses offered. The class examines design, planning, and control, with emphasis on managerial analysis and decision making. "It's a nice honor," said Shirland. "It tells us that we must be doing something right in the eyes of our students."

UVM's MBA program was ranked sixth in 2008 by "The Princeton Review" in the category of "Greatest Opportunity for Women." It also received international recognition by the Aspen Institute for educational focus on social and environmental stewardship. The school engages the regional professional community through the Vermont Business Center and the Vermont Family Business Initiative, which provide leadership and man­agement development opportunities to individuals and organizations.