The executive MBA program at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business has climbed into the top 10 in the Financial Times annual EMBA rankings. Smith appears at No. 7 among U.S. schools in the 2015 list, up from No. 11 the previous year.
Smith also climbed in additional categories from the past year — to No. 11 from No. 15 among U.S. schools with joint programs or international campuses, and to 39th overall in the world, up from 44th.
Financial Times editors base their rankings on 16 criteria, giving the most weight to alumni salaries and the percentage of salary increase after graduation. Evaluators also consider faculty qualifications, student work experience, diversity and international focus.
"We always will look for continuous improvement in our executive MBA program,” said Gary Cohen, associate dean at Smith’s Office of Executive Programs. “This includes raising the bar on admissions standards, ongoing enhancements to program operations and delivery, and working closely with our faculty on curriculum design, learning outcomes and critical thinking skills.”
Announcing the rankings to the Smith community, Dean Alexander Triantis credited faculty and staff, as well as executive MBA alumni. Regarding the latter, he said: “They are actively involved in shaping and improving the program for current and future students, and are enthusiastic brand ambassadors for the program.”
Cohen said students and alumni work together in a close-knit, collaborative community. “We continuously raise the bar in terms of our executive coaching, career services and alumni engagement,” he said.
The Smith School launched its executive MBA program in the United States and China in 2003. Both programs cater to working professionals, who typically have more than 10 years of professional experience.
Action learning projects complement traditional classroom sessions in the 19-month programs, and personalized executive coaching represents a large component of the experience. A culminating, weeklong business simulation challenges students to create a successful multinational company.
For more information about the Smith executive MBA, visit www.rhsmith.umd.edu/emba.
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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.