UConn One of Only Two CT Business Schools Named “Best for Vets”

Selection focuses on culture and curriculum that caters to vets.

This week, the Military Times newspaper named the UConn School of Business and its MBA Program to its “Best for Vets: Business Schools 2014” list, in recognition of the School’s commitment to providing opportunities to America’s veterans.

It is the latest acknowledgement of the strength of services for veterans offered through UConn’s School of Business, which has a record of success engaging those who have served in the armed forces.

“This acknowledgement truly represents several years of engagement and commitment by the staff and leadership of the School of Business, and more recently by the University,” said Michael Zacchea ’12 MBA, a retired Marine LtCol and Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient. “From my own UConn experience as a student, I could tell there was a sincere desire by faculty and staff to support veterans, but they didn’t always know how or where to find the answers or services,” adds Zacchea, who also directs the business school’s highly successful Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. “Since becoming a focus, however, there has been tremendous improvement in the coordination and delivery of veteran’s support services. This ranking reflects that progress.”

UConn’s status at 42 among 140 colleges and universities surveyed by the Military Times placed it within the top third of the nation’s business schools. Overall, schools were evaluated in five categories: university culture, student support, academic outcomes and quality, academic policies, and cost and financial aid.

The organization comprising Army TimesNavy TimesAir Force Times and Marine Corps Times focused on culture and curriculum that caters to military veterans when conducting and scoring the second annual Best for Vets: Business Schools survey, a highly respected, nearly 80-question analysis of a school’s complete offerings for veterans.

“As with all of the Best for Vets rankings, Best for Vets: Business Schools is an editorially independent news project that evaluates the many factors that make an institution a good fit for military veterans,” said Amanda Miller, editor of Military Times EDGE magazine.

Best for Vets provides service men and women a gauge by which to judge whether a school or program will truly benefit them. The rankings factor in academic quality, outcomes and policies, school culture, student support, and cost.

“With a growing number of veterans looking at educational opportunities, this places UConn at the top for our service members who are actively searching for a college or university to pursue their business degree,” said Kristopher Perry, director of the Office of Veterans Affairs and Military Programs. “UConn is leading the pack and becoming a destination of choice for veterans across the country.”

Within the last year, UConn launched a full-service Office of Veterans Affairs and Military Programs, which has quickly gained a reputation as a leader in the field. Another publication, Military Advanced Education, recently designated UConn a top 2014 Military Friendly university.

“The bottom line is that we have a nationally ranked MBA program that is also a nationally ranked place for vets,” said George Plesko, associate dean of the School of Business. “If you are looking for a high-quality, affordable MBA program, at an institution that also provides great veteran support, UConn should unquestionably be on your list.”