SMU’s MBA rises to 51st spot in Financial Times global ranking

Singapore Management University’s (SMU) Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme, offered by the University’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB), advanced seven spots to be ranked 51st in the Financial Times’ (FT) 2022 Global Ranking. Significantly, SMU’s MBA programme excelled in indicators such as ‘Environmental, social and governance (ESG)[1]’, leaping to 20th spot, as well as in the area of being ‘value-for-money’[2].

The ranking also places LKCSB firmly in the top 50 for its world-leading research.

The newly released FT Global MBA Ranking reflects the efforts made by the programme to sustain the long-term career success of its students, by ensuring that they are fully attuned to the changing needs of today’s world. With a burgeoning demand worldwide for ESG investing, the MBA programme’s efforts to curate and integrate ESG-related topics and project hours into its curriculum, received a nod of recognition. The MBA programme advanced 75 spots to rank 20th in the surveyed field of ‘ESG’ this year.

The MBA programme’s commitment to sustainability in its teaching underscores SMU’s strategic priority area of ‘Sustainable Living’. Through this area of focus, the University seeks to drive solutions in managing climate change and sustainable city living, enhancing quality of life, as well as to shape legal, regulatory and financing frameworks to build healthier and happier societies.

In tandem with using compelling teaching materials for a robust curriculum, LKCSB was also recognised for its world-leading research, measured by research articles published in leading academic journals. These efforts allowed the MBA programme to jump 14 spots to rank 43rd in the surveyed field of ‘FT research rank’[3].

Since its inception in 2009, the SMU MBA programme has consistently delivered value to its students. In the surveyed field of ‘value-for-money’, which measured the average alumni salary three years after graduation as a fraction of their MBA’s total cost, the programme was rated 25th in the world, up from 31st spot last year. Alumni of the programme reported a weighted salary[4] of US$121,907.

“We are glad to see our efforts recognised by the FT. This ranking reinforces the global stature of our MBA programme, where our world-leading faculty engage our students with an engaging and relevant curriculum, ensuring that they are equipped to become future leaders in an ever-changing world. We will continue to work closely with the business sector and to deliver a rigorous programmme that arms graduates with the resilience, resourcefulness and creativity to further advance their careers,” said Professor Bert De Reyck, Dean of SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business.

SMU LKCSB was one of the youngest business schools in the world and the only Singaporean business school, in 2018, to achieve ‘Triple Crown’ accreditation. This distinction of being triple accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), AMBA and European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), is held by a very select group of business schools around the world.

About the SMU MBA programme

Started in 2009, the SMU MBA is well recognised as a programme that offers a purposefully planned curriculum with an Asian perspective, delivered by a strong faculty panel with extensive teaching and industry track record. To cater to the changing needs of busy professionals, SMU offers flexibility in allowing for its full-time MBA programme to be completed in 10 months or in 15 months, while the part-time MBA programme can be completed between 15 months or 18 months.

The programme comprises real-world learning from a blend of award-winning case studies on Asian and best practices of Western companies, interactive seminar-style pedagogy and exposure to an internationally diverse faculty. The curriculum is constantly updated to ensure that the programme keeps pace with the changes in its environment. The SMU MBA programme prepares our students to be digitally ready, analytics savvy and ESG conscious as well as responsible economic citizens.

Students also benefit from the opportunities to engage with outstanding leaders from the business community, and an immersive and international learning experience comprising overseas exchanges and Overseas Immersion Programme (OIP). Post graduation, MBA students are offered the option of enrolling in complimentary MBA elective classes at SMU, to keep up with industry trends and take advantage of learning opportunities.

About the FT Global MBA Ranking 2022

FT’s closely watched annual ranking, now in its 24th year, ranks a total of 100 full-time MBA programmes from countries around the globe, according to multiple criteria such as career progression and salary of alumni, and the diversity of students and faculty. The ranking considers the features of the institutions and their programmes and is based on surveys of the business schools and their graduates.

[1] ESG: proportion of teaching hours from core courses dedicated to ethics, social and environmental issues.

[2] Value for money: calculated using salary today, course length, tuition and other costs, including lost income during the MBA.

[3] FT research rank: calculated according to the number of articles published by current full-time faculty members in 50 selected academic and practitioner journals between January 2019 and July 2021. The FT50 rank combines the absolute number of publications with the number weighted relative to the faculty’s size.

[4] Weighted salary US$: average alumnus salary three years after completion, US$ PPP equivalent, with adjustment for variations between sectors.