Although the status of the national and global economy has some experts predicting there is no light at the end of the tunnel, the future of the Cal State Northridge College of Business and Economics is looking brighter than ever.

That vote of confidence was put forth by the Princeton Review, which selected CSUN’s College of Business and Economics as one of its ‘Best 296 Business Schools,’ now listed in its 2009 edition, published by Random House.

In its profile on CSUN, the Princeton Review cited its most positive assets to be its ‘diverse student population, its understanding of the educational needs of its surrounding community, and its commitment to students’ educations.’ The profile also quoted CSUN students who praised the business school for its record of ‘producing great MBA graduates’ and the fact that ‘the school is well respected in the defense industry.’

The director of the CSUN MBA program, Deborah Cours, Ph.D., said she was pleased that the school was featured among the best schools.

‘The CSUN MBA has been recognized locally as an outstanding program, especially for fully-employed professionals. Recently we have been getting more public recognition. It’s wonderful recognition for our high quality faculty, student body, and staff,’ Cours said.

The program is unique because ‘we stand out for our focus on the employed professional. Since we only offer an evening MBA program, it is not a stepchild to a daytime program.’ said Cours. ‘Our emphasis on the integration of theory and practice is also important. In each class we try to make connections between the academic content and what the student is living at his or her job during the day.’ Dr. Cours points to the excellence in teaching, stating, ‘We have an outstanding faculty. They have Ph.D.’s, yet most also have significant ‘real world’ experience.’

One example of the ‘real world’ coming alive in the classroom is that the current economic crisis is discussed right in class. Investment strategies, risk, ethics, leadership, decision making, valuation are all topics in the CSUN curriculum that inspire discussion on the financial crisis.

CSUN business students said they are proud their school was chosen as one of the best.

‘I think it is a true testament to the academics of CSUN,’ said freshman business major Greg Kiselyuk.

Vladimir Bochkarev, a business junior, said, ‘I think the program is wonderful because of the great teachers and material. I am learning a lot.’

The Princeton Review’s profile highlighted the business school’s affordability and efficient use of time in terms of helping students work towards their degree. Students interviewed for the CSUN profile also praised the passion of the school’s leaders and the fact that the school recognizes the accomplishments of its current students and alums.

Also commended are the state-of-the-art classes on the entertainment industry and the potential for some flexibility in their curriculum. The only shortcoming listed was the lack of ‘the option to travel abroad’ as an educational experience, which students realized is due to the limits imposed by state funding.

According to its research, the Princeton Review stated CSUN offers ‘solid preparation’ in marketing, general management, teamwork, communication/interpersonal skills, presentation and quantitative skills.

There are approximately 200 students in the business school currently enrolled for fall semester, most of whom work full-time and attend the school on a part-time basis in the evenings. The male to female ratio is 56 to 44, and 17 percent are international students.

The average age of entry is 29, and students generally enter the school with seven years prior work experience. There are 6744 undergraduate business majors, and 66 students in the MS Taxation program. Another 53 are enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration.

In order to be included in the rankings, Princeton Review surveys the student body and collects data from school administrators. Within the ‘best 296,’ there is no ranking. Instead, the qualifications of each school are presented in a concise and informative descriptive fashion.