AFR Boss: No.1 MBA again
Sep, 2011
Once again, MBS is No. 1 in the prestigious AFR Boss rankings, two years after it first reached the top spot in 2009.
The rankings, conducted every two years, enshrine MBS as Australia’s leading business school, based on a survey of more than 1600 people who have graduated from business schools around the nation in the past three years.
Respondents also nominated MBS as the No. 1 institution they would attend if there were no restrictions on money and location, demonstrating the strength of our brand across the country.
The alumni responses constitute 55% of the overall ranking, while school data on faculty, entry requirements and other indicators are worth 45%.
An overwhelming 96% of alumni reported their MBA at Melbourne Business School had provided value for money.
More than 90% felt that in the light of the GFC, their MBA had prepared them well for a range of economic conditions, or at least given them the edge over their co-workers.
Acting Dean Paul Dainty said the result reflected the calibre and hard work of faculty, professional staff and students.
“We’re delighted to be recognised once again as Australia’s leading MBA school,” Professor Dainty said. “Our faculty members are renowned teachers, who produce leading-edge research in top publications.”
“Our close, longstanding engagement with the business community means we are in continuous dialogue on how to make what we offer relevant and inspiring.”
MBS faculty also drove the school to No. 1 spot in the research ranking, and gained plaudits for classroom performance. “Teaching staff are well connected with industry and government and willing to share advice”.
Singled out for praise for MBS were:
- rigorous selection criteria, including mandatory management experience;
- “fantastic faculty, diverse student population”,
- the face-to-face contact
- and MBS’s size: “a pretty intimate community for learning”
Also noted were the “abundant opportunities for networking with alumni... which enriches its reputation”.
MBS Director of Academic Programs Jane Prior said the ranking underscored the strength of MBS’s deep connections with alumni. “It’s our alumni who have made us No. 1,” she said.
“And the Melbourne Business School MBA is the Boss’s favourite in more than one sense, with employers seeking out our graduates, and valuing the MBS brand on CVs.”
The AFR Boss ranking follows strong recent rankings of MBS by other bodies: in the FT, The Economist and QS.
Professor Dainty said while the accolade was an honour, the core work of business schools remained providing excellent, relevant teaching and research that was useful for students, business and the wider community.
“Rankings can differ markedly and there are obvious differences of opinion about what they measure and how. But they remain an incredibly useful benchmarking exercise for business schools and a tool to help students chose where to undertake what can be a life-changing program.”
Melbourne Business School offers a full-time MBA lasting 16 months, with a 20-month option that includes an internship. The part-time MBA is delivered in two modes - evening and weekend. The Executive MBA program – which attracts executives with an average of 20 years’ experience - is conducted via four four-week modules over 14 months. “
MBS has a range of learning formats that offer maximum flexibility for busy people who want to break through to new leadership levels and capabilities,” Ms Prior said.
