Fordham University’s Executive MBA (EMBA) program has been ranked 25th internationally in a report released in the Sept. 30 issue of The Wall Street Journal.
In what is the Journal’s first poll of the world’s best EMBA programs, Fordham’s exclusive program in the Graduate School of Business Administration (GBA) received an overall “corporate impression rank” of 6.33. Total scoring was based on feedback from students, MBA graduates and hundreds of companies weighing in on how well programs develop management and leadership skills.
“This is exciting news,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham. “Today we celebrate the excellence of our executive MBA program. For us, it helps to build Fordham’s reputation and to build our brand.”
The survey’s two top-ranked schools were Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, with a “corporate impression” score of 8.5, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, with a corresponding 8.92 score.
Schools were assigned a student rank, a corporate rank and a management skills rank as part of a composite score.
Although Fordham’s overall ranking was 25th place, its student ranking was substantially higher, at 17th place. Fordham’s classmate quality was also ranked among the highest of those schools included.
The competitive 22-month program currently enrolls 35 students, with an additional EMBA cohort to begin in January at the University’s new Westchester campus.
According to Francis Petit, Ed.D., assistant dean and director of executive programs at GBA, Fordham’s program helps develop a camaraderie between students through creative class applications that differ from other programs, and other outside activities. Last year, students were offered a management/jazz simulation course in which they learned team dynamics through musical performance.
The program also requires that students take business ethics.
“Such a unique program experience—along with a capstone academic experience in China—makes our students very passionate about our program and their experience at Fordham,” Petit said. “Our goal is to equip our students to be future leaders in business, society and their communities . . . with the idea of developing leaders who are not only ethically principled, but who are also sensitive to corporate social responsibility.”
The Journal survey questioned more than 4,000 students and recent graduates from 72 such programs worldwide and 455 human resource and development managers at leading companies.
EMBA programs are on the rise and tend to attract older, more experienced students. The median student age, according to the Journal study, is 37 years and the median management experience per student is 10 years.
Petit said that the northeast region of the United States has experienced a 14 percent increase in applications to EMBA programs since last year. Fordham’s program is expected to reach 70 students in fiscal year 2009.
