ubc responds to falling global ranking of mba program
3 minute read
a survey of recent mba grads found only 52 per cent reported getting a job within three months after graduation.
richard lam
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the financial times’ annual global ranking of business schools has listed ubc’s sauder school of business second to last among top institutions offering full-time mba programs.
of the 100 schools ranked, ubc placed 99th on the list, ahead of only the university of glasgow. four other canadian universities finished ahead of sauder — western (74), toronto (81), mcgill (87), and queen’s (92).
ubc ranked 95th on the list last year, the first time the school appeared in the financial times rankings.
the financial times uses a variety of criteria for evaluating master of business administration programs, including average alumni salary three years after completion of studies, effectiveness of the alumni network as rated by alumni, and percentage of mba students that found employment within three months of completing studies.
at sauder, the average alumni salary three years after completion of studies was us$111,074, the effectiveness of its alumni network was ranked 91st, and 52 per cent reported being employed within three months of completing studies, down from 65 per cent the year before.
by comparison, average alumni salary three years after completion of studies at western university’s ivey business school was us$128,001, the effectiveness of its alumni network was ranked 52nd, and 80 per cent reported being employed within three months of completing studies.
in a statement, darren dahl, dean of the ubc sauder school of business, said “rankings methodologies vary across organizations and reflect a range of weighted factors at any given point in time.”
he noted that the employment measurement the financial times uses is three months after completion of the program, not three months after graduation.
“graduation takes place six months after students complete the program. during this period, employment outcomes rise significantly, reaching typically 70 to 80 per cent in this current employment landscape for the past three years.”
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the financial times reported sauder relies heavily on international students for its mba program, with international students making up 72 per cent of total enrolment.
by comparison, international students make up 60 per cent of those enrolled in western’s mba program and 53 per cent of those at the university of toronto.
dahl said the international composition of sauder’s mba program “reflects the school’s strength as a globally oriented institution.”
“this diversity of perspectives and experiences enriches classroom learning and prepares students to work across cultures and markets.”
the financial times noted that ubc’s sauder program received top scores for gender parity among students in the mba program.
que-tran hoang, a real estate appraiser with farm credit canada and the co-founder and president of qt holdings ltd., said she graduated from ubc’s mba program in may. her program was part-time and most of her cohort were already employed so her experience may not be reflected in the data.
she said she had a mostly positive experience and that ubc has a career hub to help students find employment.
“the majority of us use the degree to get promotions within our current employment,” said hoang.
“one month after our graduation, they send us emails and they continue to provide us with employment consults, alongside with professional networking events, where they try to connect to the industry,” she said.
dahl said sauder “remains focused on the long-term success of its students and on continuously strengthening the supports, programming, and industry connections that help graduates transition effectively into the workforce.”
editor’s note: this story has been amended to address errors and provide additional context. a reply from ubc has also been added to the story.
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