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The MBA program at the University of �޻���ֱ�� at Lafayette is one of the best in the nation, according to The Princeton Review.

The education services company �޻���ֱ��s UL Lafayette in the new 2011 edition of its book, “The Best 300 Business Schools,” published by Random House.

The book has two-page profiles of each school with write-ups on each school’s academics, student life and admissions process. More than 19,000 students from the 300 schools were surveyed for the listings.

“It is a privilege to be ranked as having one of the best programs in the country,” said Dr. Joby John, dean of the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration. “We offer a quality program in a close-knit atmosphere and convenience that our students appreciate.”

He said 200 students are currently enrolled in UL Lafayette’s program with about 80 percent of them working full time while attending classes.

“Our MBA program is classified as a part-time program which means that it is designed for the full-time working professional,”said John. “All of our courses are offered either in the late afternoon or evening. This allows our students to continue working while obtaining their MBA degree.”

In addition, the program offers small classes sizes with an overall average ratio of 10 students per instructor. Students tackle community-oriented projects such as the development of a master plan for the town of Delcambre, devastated by Hurricane Rita in 2005. Graduate students created marketing plans within the retail, real estate, industrial and tourism industries in the town.

“With community projects like this one, students are able to learn while addressing and finding solutions to problems currently affecting our region,” said John. “They’re not solving hypothetical problems, they address real problems.”

In addition to an MBA degree, the program also offers an MBA/Health Care Administration Concentration and a Certification in Health Care.

Students surveyed by The Princeton Review called the program “the best and the closest” when it comes to students interested in the health care industry, noting that the program offers “an appealing option to the area’s many health care professionals.”

Students also reported that their professors have a lot of experience in their fields and “can relate to what we need better than those who just teach us with no experience to back it up.”

In a “Survey Says...” sidebar in UL Lafayette’s profile, The Princeton Review lists topics that students it surveyed were in most agreement about. This list includes: solid preparation in general management and computer skills. The Princeton Review’s 80-question survey for its publication asked students about themselves, their career plans and their schools’ academics, student body and campus life.

“We are pleased to recommend UL Lafayette to readers of our book and users of our site: , as one of the best institutions they could attend to earn an MBA,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review senior vice president for publishing. “We chose the 300 business schools in this book based on our high opinion of their academic programs and offerings, as well as our review of institutional data we collect from the schools. We also strongly consider the candid opinions of students, attending the schools, who rate and report on their campus experiences at their schools on our survey for the book.”