Two European business schools, IMD and IESE, have become leaders of executive business education, taking the first and second place respectively for both kinds of EMBA programs: open and customized.
IMD Business School (Switzerland) is the first among open-enrolment programs, where anyone working in a managerial position might apply. For its customized courses, it was awarded second place. Such courses are prepared specifically for corporate clients. Meanwhile, the IESE Business School (Spain) has been recognized first in customized programs, whereas among open-enrolment programs it took the second place.
The Rankings
In all its nineteen-year-long history, the FT EMBA rankings has never had two universities tie in for the first and second place in both nominations among themselves.
Seventy-five best open programs and eighty-five best customized courses are included in the FT rankings. The competing schools are from all around the world. The success of every program is measured by way of establishing the level of customer and participant satisfaction, and, additionally, the universities’ profits and global diversity.
This Year’s Winners
The IESE school is nothing if not highly academic. The university, based in Barcelona, has always taken top spots in different customized programs rankings. It has never left the top-five list in at least eleven of the criteria used for assessment. Also, it can boast many global customers and a very diverse teaching staff.
 | The best thing about this school is, according to corporate clients, its innovative skills and the ability to be flexible. |
The third place after these glorified European winners is taken by an American school – Duke Corporate. This university has arrived third at this competition for the third consecutive year. Before that, it has always taken the first spot, until three years ago it was pushed back to the bronze spot.
Among the runners-up, one of the best competitors is Harvard Business Schools, which managed to become fifth (it was ninth last year) in the executive education rankings. Two years before, it was even lower, taking the eighteenth place.
Another US business school, the McDonough (Washington DC) has taken the 15th place. It’s something of an achievement, considering that last year it didn’t even land among the competitors, as clients had responded poorly to its program quality.
Other notable business schools taking part in this year’s FT rankings include such names as Said Business School (fourth place), Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School (Dublin, 48th place), Guangua School (Peking, 38th place), Antai College (Shanghai, 32nd place) and Eller College (Arizona, 68th place).
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