VILLANOVA, Pa., October 19, 2009 – The Villanova School of Business (VSB) Executive MBA Program has been ranked #18 among US-based programs and #55 in the world by the Financial Times. The London-based annual ranking hits news stands worldwide today.

The “Work Experience,” category, in which VSB placed #5 among US-based programs, reflects student quality according to the seniority of positions held, duration of positions, company size, and international work experience among program participants. The “Aims Achieved” category, in which VSB placed #6 among US-based programs, reflects academic quality by determining whether alumni fulfilled their most important goals or reasons for enrolling in the program.

Among US-based programs, Villanova placed #7 for “Salary Percentage Increase,” which represents the change in average alumni salaries pre-program and post-program. VSB placed #14 for “Salary Today,” which is the average salary among alumni three years after graduation, and for “Career Progress,” which represents the changes in seniority and company sizes among alumni pre-program and post-program.

“The Financial Times ranking is directly correlated to the success and satisfaction of our executive MBA graduates,” said Robert Bonner, Associate Dean for Graduate and Executive Programs. “Our performance in this ranking underscores the fact that we are delivering on our program promises, and that our alumni see a significant return on their MBA investment.”

VSB also placed #11 and #18 among US-based programs, respectively, in two categories related to gender diversity: the school’s percentage of female faculty members and its percentage of female students. With respect to a curricular emphasis on the practice of global business, VSB placed #11 among US-based programs for “International Course Experience,” which refers to the percentage of classroom teaching hours that occur outside the country.

In addition to being ranked by the Financial Times, VSB’s MBA programs have been ranked among the best in the nation by The Princeton Review and BusinessWeek.

VSB serves over 2,500 students across its undergraduate and graduate programs. The Executive MBA program is a 21-month collaboration among highly motivated students, experienced faculty members, and seasoned business leaders. The curriculum emphasizes systems thinking—a way of conceptualizing, acting, and motivating others that enables effective executive leadership. The next Executive MBA open house will take place on Wednesday, November 18.
Learn more at www.villanova.edu.business

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