For the third consecutive year, the University of Mississippi’s Master of Business Administration program has been named as one of the best in the nation by Bloomberg Businessweek News Service.

The UM program ranked No. 36 among American public universities in the annual rankings and No. 68 overall nationally.

“We are thrilled that the MBA program is getting the recognition it deserves,” said Ken Cyree, dean of the School of Business Administration. “We are excited our efforts have paid off through the commitment of our faculty, staff and board to provide excellent graduate educational opportunities.

“We are proud of our MBA graduates and the recognition that the program is receiving and look forward to the future.”

More graduate degrees in business are awarded annually than in any other field in the U.S., the report said. Also, dozens of new business schools are accredited each year. The data in the survey was compiled from more than 1,000 recruiters, 15,000 alumni and 9,000 recent graduates.

“As leaders and professionals, our board members understand the big picture,” said Ashley Jones, director of the university’s MBA program.

“They want an Ole Miss MBA student, with a polished resume in their hand, to walk into an interview and ‘wow’ a company, and to then transition into the workforce as a valued employee.”

The report indicates that more than 89 percent of MBA graduates find job placement within three months of degree completion.

“The recognition of the Ole Miss MBA program reflects the excellent efforts of our faculty, alumni board, administrators and the students themselves,” said Walter Davis, the program’s faculty director. “As a team, we are always looking for ways to add value to the experience of our MBA students.”

UM came in ahead of several respected programs, including Tulane, Case Western Reserve and Pepperdine universities, in the report. The university ranked sixth in the Southeastern Conference.

“I chose the Ole Miss MBA program not only to further my education, but to become a business professional,” said Shelby Buckley, of Farmington, Missouri, president of the 2016-17 MBA class. “The program focuses on how to apply skills learned in the classroom to our future careers.

“I value the professional development the program provides as well as the level of involvement of the board. They are a vital resource, and it is great to have other professionals helping us start our own careers.”

Bloomberg Businessweek News Service has ranked full-time MBA programs in the U.S. since 1988. Over the years, the organization has shifted its methodology to focus on how well programs prepare their graduates for job success. The survey measures recruiter opinions on how well MBA programs equip their graduates with relevant skills, and also records feedback from students on how thoroughly they have been prepared for the workforce.

According to the survey, the university’s MBA program’s two greatest strengths were in the employer survey and the student survey, ranking Nos. 37 and 46, respectively.

The UM School of Business Administration was established in 1917 and awarded its first MBA degree in 1946.