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Military Times has placed the Florida State University College of Business at the top of its inaugural "Best for Vets: Business Schools" rankings.

The college, which sponsors the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), ranked No. 1 among public business schools and No. 3 among all of the 100 business schools that responded to a detailed, 60-question survey. The ranking reflects Florida State's focus on becoming the nation's most veteran-friendly public university.

To be included in the Military Times' rankings, schools must offer graduate-level business degrees. Rankings were determined by accommodations and programs available for veterans, service members and their families. The survey asked about each school's academic policies, financial aid, academic and career support and average Graduate Management Admission Test scores of their students. To create the "Best for Vets: Business Schools" ranking, Military Times evaluated responses to the business schools and colleges surveys, looking at the academic support, student services and campus culture at each institution, as well as measures of academic success and selectivity.

"Business schools are particularly suited to helping veterans transition from their military service," said Randy Blass, director of the college's Center for Veteran Outreach and The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship. "Armed with business degrees, veterans become highly sought after talent. In our Center for Veteran Outreach, we work to support veterans navigating this transition. We are fortunate to be part of a much larger effort to become the most veteran-friendly public university in country."

The EBV, launched in 2008, is sponsored by the Center for Veteran Outreach. The yearlong program features an on-campus workshop during which veterans spend an intense week in classes and breakout sessions and hear from industry professionals on best practices that will help them start a business or take their current business to the next level. Florida State also offers a similar program — Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans' Families (EBV-F) — to caregivers of veterans who have sustained disabilities related to their military services, survivors of those who lost their lives or spouses of active duty military. 

The college also offers an array of other veteran activities and services, including networking opportunities; career advising; internships, externships and job placement; and a student-veteran lounge. Veteran-designated scholarships, fellowships and assistantships also are available. 

In 2011, Florida State announced plans to become the most veteran-friendly public university in the nation by providing support and services to assist veterans in their transition to college and successful pursuit of a degree. The university established a Student Veterans Center, launched the nation's only Student Veterans Film Festival and created a number of programs designed to build a sense of community among student-veterans and between student-veterans and non-veteran students.

Billy Francis, director of FSU's Student Veterans Center, praised the College of Business for its efforts to complement the institution's overall veteran-friendly culture.

"Each college and department at Florida State has been challenged to be the most veteran-friendly and empowering for veterans of its national peers," said Francis, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel. "The College of Business has been a leader on campus in this effort and continues to examine, identify and pursue programs and policies to help veterans transition into college, graduate and get jobs. This ranking is an encouragement and motivator to the FSU family and a reminder of our duty to each other as Americans."

A listing of the top-100 business schools appeared in the March edition of Military Times Edge and the Military Times website. Rounding out the top five business colleges are Park University in Parkville, Mo.; D'Youville College in Buffalo, N.Y.; Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas; and Excelsior College, with headquarters in Albany, N.Y.

By Barbara Ash
22 March 2013