QS Global EMBA Rankings 2017: Coming Soon!

QS is counting down to the launch of two very new QS MBA rankings. With 27 years of experience discerning which international business schools offer the best full-time MBAs, and five years experience of producing the distance online MBA rankings, the company is now extending its expertise and resources to deliver rankings exclusively dedicated to candidates interested in studying an executive MBA (EMBA).

The new rankings will place executive MBA programs into two distinct categories. The QS Global 100 EMBA Rankings by Region 2017 will allow candidates to view and compare programs within the geographical area of their choosing - ideal for prospective students who may not, for example, be able to travel extensively. The QS Global Joint EMBA Rankings 2017 will, on the other hand, allow candidates to compare executive MBA programs offered by partnered institutions that split study across multiple locations – interesting to those who might have business interests in particular regions, or who are more geographically flexible.

The executive MBA has grown in relevance over the last decade with more business schools offering the program to contend with increasing demand. "More senior professionals are staying in work and are seeking to study in a part-time, modular fashion, which the executive MBA facilitates," explains Nunzio Quacquarelli, managing director at QS. The new EMBA rankings therefore aim to answer this shift in preferences and plan to deliver a unique perspective on the varying strengths of executive MBA programs internationally.

A ranking to complement existing EMBA rankings

Two distinct features of the QS Global EMBA rankings 2017 are the QS Global Employer Survey and the QS Academic Survey – both the largest surveys of their kind today. With 12,125 employer responses from those hiring at the MBA level collected over a five-year period, QS has been able to compile ample data to show which business schools employers are most likely to reach out to and hire from first, including many employers of EMBA graduates.

The QS Academic Survey meanwhile, has assembled the opinions of academics globally, of which a total of 8,376 respondents hold expertise in the fields of business and management. These expert views were also collated over five years so as to determine which global institutions rank best for research excellence. An analysis of faculty citations per paper complements the QS Academic Survey.

"Our global surveys give us unique perspectives that no one else brings to valuations, particularly those of employers around the world,” says Quacquarelli, adding that, "QS is committed to shining a light on thought leadership and knowledge creation so [that's why] we also run the largest global academic survey in the world today."

In its first executive MBA rankings, QS will incorporate a focus on career outcomes for EMBA graduates, including salary uplift and promotion. Additionally, the new rankings will give candidates an idea of what to expect when enrolling in an executive MBA class, by covering measures that encompass diversity, years of management experience, as well as c-suite experience.

QS's hope is that the QS Global EMBA rankings 2017 will present an invaluable tool for senior executives looking to progress, or even change their careers through an executive MBA. While other ranking providers also measure the value of executive MBA programs, QS aims to offer an additional angle that will complement existing evaluations and which will bring important new information to prospective students.