BusinessWeek Ranks 2 MBA Programs in Top 25

For the first time, BusinessWeek magazine has ranked two UT Dallas MBA programs among the top 25 worldwide in their categories and No. 1 among public universities in Texas.

The rankings, released Thursday, place the School of Management’s Executive MBA (EMBA) program at No. 22 and the Professional Part-Time MBA at No. 24 in BusinessWeek’s worldwide polls. 

“BusinessWeek this year surveyed executive MBA graduates and program directors to uncover the best EMBA programs in the world,” the magazine posted on its Web site. “This year’s ranking has a few surprises. … One new school entered the ranking at No. 22: The University of Texas at Dallas.”

EMBA director Phil Sanchez said the ranking reflects the program’s challenging and comprehensive design.

“We provide a rigorous curriculum with a balance of executive coaching and career planning to enhance our students’ leadership skills,” said School of Management program director Phil Sanchez. “I don’t think students want what would be called an easy program. They are putting forth a lot of their time and effort to their education, and these students want that dedication to pay off.”

For the Professional Part-Time MBA, career development was a key factor in the rankings. More than 57 percent of the program’s graduates reported a salary increase after earning their degrees. The program also received high marks from students looking to change jobs. Overall, graduates gave teaching quality a grade of “A.”

“The students recognize what we know to be true – the professors in the School of Management are top-flight and go out of their way to make sure their students are successful,” said Assistant Dean Doug Eckel, who directs the Professional Part-Time MBA program.

“We also make sure our students are connected to the larger business community in the Dallas area. We are located in North Texas, an area where innovation and technology are at the forefront of the economy. We want our students to benefit from that.”

Comments from alumni made to BusinessWeek reflect Eckel’s beliefs. “The exposure to Dallas’ local business community was invaluable and the open access to the school’s cutting-edge technology and business research was great,” commented one alumnus. Wrote another: “The program has greatly exceeded my expectations regarding the quality of instruction, opportunities for networking and access to highly competitive employment positions.”  Another comment on the BusinessWeek web site stated: “There are many professors who are student advocates and really do teach students valuable lessons.”

Among all part-time MBA programs, Eckel noted, UT Dallas is ranked No. 6 for “post-MBA outcomes,” indicating their MBA was totally responsible for achieving their career goals.

Comments that Executive MBA alumni provided BusinessWeek similarly reflected that program’s strengths. “The classroom experience struck the right balance between being a place where we both learned and practiced new ideas, especially through intense discussion,” one student wrote. “The diversity of industries represented in the class was a key component of my learning,” wrote another.

“These rankings re-affirm what our students, faculty and alumni already know – that their MBA from the School of Management is invaluable to improving their careers,” said Dean Hasan Pirkul. “I know from talking to them that they researched this university before they enrolled and they chose to come here because of our programs’ excellence and  value. It’s nice that the rest of the business education community now knows it as well.”

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