Belk College of Business

UNC Charlotte’s Belk College of Business made big gains in the part-time MBA rankings by U.S. News and World Report, placing among the top 20 percent of all business schools nationwide.

The Belk College’s part-time MBA jumped 27 spots in the 2017 “Best Graduate Schools” rankings released Wednesday, landing at No. 59 among national universities and No. 35 among public schools. UNC Charlotte tied at No. 59 with 7 other schools including University of Connecticut, University of Richmond, and University of Colorado-Boulder.

The North Carolina economy continues to grow, but there are several areas to watch in 2016, UNC Charlotte economist John Connaughton reported today in the Babson Capital Management/UNC Charlotte Economic Forecast.

UNC Charlotte’s MBA again has been recognized as a top program in the country. CEO Magazine has ranked the Belk College of Business’ MBA in its “Tier 1” for North American universities in the newly released 2016 CEO Magazine Global MBA rankings.

Turn on a TV and be bombarded by ads for new medications. Yet, new research indicates that the firms that aggressively market these drugs are less likely to produce truly pioneering ones.

In studies published by UNC Charlotte faculty members Denis Arnold and Jennifer Troyer, research shows the more pharmaceutical firms spend on marketing drugs, the less likely it is that the firm will produce breakthrough drugs that offer major advances in treatment.

John Connaughton, a faculty member in the Belk College of Business, talks about interest rates; his comments were made earlier this month following his quarterly economic forecast.

The North Carolina economy will continue modest growth in 2016, UNC Charlotte economist John Connaughton reported today in the Babson Capital Management/UNC Charlotte Economic Forecast.

“Signs are pointing to a stable new year for the N.C. economy. In 2016, the North Carolina economy is expected to increase by an inflation-adjusted rate of 2.5 percent over the 2015 level,” Connaughton said. “This growth in 2016 follows four years of steady growth in North Carolina Gross State Product.”

UNC Charlotte economist John Connaughton will give his quarterly forecast for the North Carolina economy at a luncheon and press conference Tuesday, Dec. 8, at UNC Charlotte Center City. Connaughton’s presentation begins at noon in the auditorium. Lunch will be available beginning at 11:30 a.m.                               

UNC Charlotte’s Master of Science in Mathematical Finance program ranked No. 20 in the 2016 Master of Financial Engineering Program Rankings.

This is the third national ranking for the Mathematical Finance program, which is an improvement from last year’s ranking at No. 25. The rankings are calculated based on a series of factors, including average GRE scores, starting salaries and bonuses, undergraduate GPA, acceptance rates and the number of employed graduates.

UNC Charlotte’s part-time MBA ranked 20th among 74 programs profiled in the Bloomberg Businessweek biennial rankings.

“I am so proud to see our part-time MBA ranked as one of the top 20 programs in the nation. This significant recognition is representative of the caliber of students, faculty and graduate programs staff that embody our program,” said Belk College of Business Dean Steve Ott.

Alumnus Robert Niblock, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Lowe’s Companies Inc., is donating $2.5 million to UNC Charlotte’s Belk College of Business. His gift will support the Student Center for Professional Development in the Belk College, which will be named the Robert A. Niblock Student Center for Professional Development.