Indian B-Schools make a mark globally in the FT Executive MBA ranking 2020

An executive MBA can be just the right boost that seasoned professionals may need to tide over the overall slump caused by the pandemic. While hitting the books again can be an uphill task, it can be equally rewarding too. Distinguished institutions like The Economist, QS and Financial Times etc. publish their report on Master in Management programs, Master in Finance programs and Executive MBA among others. Financial Times on 26th October, Monday released the seventh global FT Executive MBA ranking. India is making a place for itself in every aspect on a global front, and the education sector is not too far behind. Find below how some of our great institutions fared among their international counterparts.

What is an Executive MBA?

Executive MBA is a program that offers a degree targeting corporate executives. Designed on similar lines to that of a regular MBA degree, an executive MBA program is meant for those who wish to continue their education and training alongside their regular jobs. Intensive classes and training to reinforce expertise and fill knowledge gaps are the driving force for executives to enroll in this program. It is often misconstrued as a better version of an MBA but it is actually meant for the existing workforce.

This year saw a surge in the number of people applying for an executive MBA. The pandemic has put even more pressure on the already struggling economy, which has further strained the job market. Now more than ever the emphasis is on value add skills. In this milieu of “Survival of the fittest,” an added degree to your resume gives you an edge over the others helping you to quickly climb the ladder of success. “Demand for the course is holding up because there tends to be only one period in someone’s life when it is possible to balance part-time study with full-time work and raising a family,” said DeGraca. Lockdown has allowed people to spare time from their tight schedules to study for their executive MBAs.

FT Executive MBA Ranking 2020

Financial Times(FT) is one of the renowned institutions that releases its independent ranking. Programmes can be evaluated across a wide range of criteria, from average salary to value for money. On 26th October FT released its 7th annual rankings.

Here’s a sneak peek into the top 10 global institutions:

While the rankings were topped by EMBA-Global Asia: Columbia/HKU/LB, only two Indian B-Schools were able to secure a place in the top 100 list. In India, the PGP in Management for Senior Executive (PGPMAX) offered by the Indian School of Business (ISB) secured the first rank in India and 53rd globally. It was followed by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore which secured 95th rank globally.

Beating HEC Paris, Kellogg, and HKUST Business School’s Executive MBA topped the ranking this year according to FT executive MBA ranking. The programme topped in four out of the past five years with its alumnus receiving the highest average weighted salary.

The executive MBA offered by ISB is a 15-month global level programme-PGP in Management for Senior Executive (PGPMAX) for senior executives and business owners. It requires a minimum of 10 years of experience and it is “specially designed for experienced working professionals with 10-20 years of experience. With splendid faculty, competitive peer group, and international immersions PGPMAX is one of the exclusive programmes for the senior executives.

According to  Rajendra Srivastava, Dean, ISB “The rankings not just highlight the relevance of the PGPMAX programme but also the importance of an executive MBA for working professionals. It becomes more critical for the experienced executives to equip and brace themselves up to be ahead of the curve with the current circumstances. The need of the hour is to reinvent and gear up to meet uncertainties & looming challenges.” 

If you find this article useful, here’s a link to a few articles you might be interested in reading:

• Why is 2020 the best time to do an MBA?
• The onset of virtual MBA - An era of Zoom calls and GMeet
• IIM Calcutta rises in QS Global MBA rankings 2021
• The subtle art of not giving up in order to convert MBA interviews -By Nitesh Singh from IIFT Kolkata
• IIM A, B, C, Udaipur and SPJIMR take a spot in FT Masters in Management Rankings 2020