QS Distance/Online MBA Ranking 2014: Methodology

The world’s only ranking dedicated exclusively to online and distance learning MBA programs, QS Distance Online MBA Ranking is designed to assess the all-round services offered by programs to students, with a particular emphasis on employer reputation.

The ranking sets out to answer a number of questions: How attractive is a given program to prospective employers? How well established, competitive and accredited is each program? What services are on offer to students, and how well equipped is each program to cater for their needs? How large and diverse is the student intake?

In order to answer these questions, the ranking employers 18 indicators. Data comes from two main sources. Employer reputation data is drawn from the QS Global Employer Survey, which asks graduate employers around the world to identify the programs from which they recruit MBA graduates. Additional data is sourced directly from schools, and independently verified by QS Intelligence Unit.

• 30% Employer reputation – based on a global survey, in which respondents identified the online and distance MBA programs from which they recruit candidates
• 5% Average years of work experience – Number of years of previous work experience of most recent intake
• 2% Applicants per place – number of applicants for each admitted student in most recent cohort
• 6% Average GMAT score – for most recent cohort
• 2% Students with first degree – percentage of students entering with at least a bachelor’s degree
• 7% Establishment year – number of years for which the program has been running
• 4% Accreditation – Yes/no answer. Full score is awarded if the program has been accredited by at least one of the following bodies: AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB, EPAS
• 4% Students enrolled – size of most recent cohort
• 5% Faculty student ratio – size of cohort divided by number of academic staff employed
• 5% Percentage of full-time faculty – number of full-time faculty divided by total number of academic staff employed
• 5% Completion – ratio of admitted students who complete the course
• 2.5% Physical meet-up – Yes/no answer. Full score given to programs that offer in-person meet-up as part of course
• 2.5% Compulsory attendance - Yes/no answer. Full score given to programs for which there is compulsory attendance to online classes at a set time/date
• 2.5% Regular online classes - Yes/no answer. Full score given to programs for which there is an online class held at a regular time
• 2.5% Group work - Yes/no answer. Full score given to programs in which students are required to complete work in groups
• 5% Percentage of assessed group work - percentage of assessed coursework where students interact directly with one another
• 5% Nationalities - Number of nationalities represented in most recent cohort
• 5% Percentage of female candidates – in most recent cohort