UCD’s Masters in International Management has placed third in the Financial Times’ top 100 masters in management programmes in the world.
It is the highest an Irish course has ever ranked on the list, which has been published annually for 17 years.
The Dean of UCD’s Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, professor Anthony Brabazon, said the ranking “sets a new standard of excellence in business education in Ireland.”
“Not only is this a reflection of our outstanding students, alumni, and faculty, but it further elevates our reputation as a global centre of excellence for postgraduate business education.”
DCU just cracked the list, coming 99th. Trinity placed second in the country at 28th.
European schools performed outstandingly well overall, making up 83 of the 100 on the list, which was topped by Switzerland’s University of St. Gallen.
2021 is the 11th year in a row the Swiss program has topped the list. It is also UCD’s fourth straight placement in the top five, finishing seventh in 2019 and eighth in 2020.
DCU debuted on the ranking in 2018, placing 85th. It was left off in 2019 before returning at 87th in 2020. This year is the first year the programme has made the list two years in a row, albeit falling 13 places in 2021.
The ranking criteria were derived from survey responses on several categories from management school alumni three years removed from the programme.
The survey recorded the graduates’ experiences with their course, but strongly emphasised salaries and salary increases in the three years since the graduate left the program. The comprehensive list also considers gender balance, diversity, international representation, and value for money.
The survey conducted to complete the list found that 81 per cent of DCU’s Masters in Management graduates had felt they had achieved their aims for that point in time, placing the school 75th overall in terms of career satisfaction.
It also found that 71 per cent of graduates were employed within three months of leaving DCU.
DCU’s Masters in Management programme graduates saw a 52 per cent average salary increase in the same three year period, which resulted in an average of just over 46,000 euros annually across all graduates.
One of the university’s strongest category rankings was in value for money, placing 36th out of the 100 third level institutions on the list.
Devin Sean Martin