For the fifth year in a row Miami University’s Institute for Entrepreneurship in the Farmer School of Business ranks as one of the best in the nation. The rankings, published in Entrepreneur magazine’s October issue, list Miami’s program as the 16th best in the nation.

The rankings are based on key criteria gathered from approximately 2,000 entrepreneurship programs. Factors considered include teaching entrepreneurship business fundamentals in the classroom, staffing departments with successful entrepreneurs, excellence in mentorship, providing experiential or entrepreneurial opportunities outside of the classroom, as well as non-traditional distinguishable aspects of their programs.

Brett Smith, director of the institute, said, “Our mission is to provide our students with a world class educational experience that extends far beyond the classroom. Real-world immersions, internships, and an internationally-recognized undergraduate social entrepreneurship program are integral aspects of that experience.”

Smith continued, “We are constantly innovating – practicing what we preach; adding new opportunities for our students. Last year, we developed and implemented a semester-long immersion program where a group of 10 students worked and lived in Silicon Valley to truly get a sense of the heart of the entrepreneurial world.”

Roger L. Jenkins, dean of the Farmer School and Mitchell P. Rales Chair in Business Leadership added, “The Institute’s growing reputation and impressive list of accolades have resulted in an interesting phenomenon – organizations seeking out Miami’s involvement in groundbreaking activities.

“In the last academic year,” he continued, “the executive board of Startup Weekend asked the institute to host the world’s first-ever, student-only Startup Weekend. The U.S. Department of State awarded $100,000 to the institute to host a one-week seminar in social entrepreneurship for Fulbright students from Afghanistan and The Brandery, a top-10 ranked hightech accelerator, invited the institute to partner with them as part of the Cincinnati entrepreneurial ecosystem.”