Trinity College Dublin's Executive MBA programme has been listed 44th in The Economist magazine's global ranking of Executive MBA (EMBA) programmes.
UCD's Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business Executive MBA programme, delivered at the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, the only other Irish programme listed, came in at 59th position.
An Executive MBA, or EMBA, is a graduate level degree with a focus on business and while it is similar to full-time MBA programmes, the EMBA is often delivered on a part-time basis and is geared towards working professionals seeking to develop their leadership skills.
The latest ranking, which assesses programmes according to two broad measures - personal development and educational experience and career development - is topped by the Yale School of Management programme, followed in second place by the EMBA programme at UCLAS/NAS, a programme jointly based in the United States and Singapore.
Three of the top ten programmes that feature in The Economist's rankings are run jointly by schools based in north America and schools in different countries, or continents while three others are run by business schools based outside the US and Canada.
Trinity Business School's programme, which rose 15 places from 59th place last year is also ranked first place in Ireland.
Professor Andrew Burke, Dean of Trinity Business School said: "This ranking demonstrates that Trinity Business School's ambitious high growth strategy is bearing fruit. The school is the fastest growing School in Europe, growing 78 per cent in the last two years alone. Trinity is well-known for its world class research, but it is the combination of research plus industry experience that gives Trinity graduates an edge on the competition. The timing of the announcement coincides with the School expansion of Executive Education programmes."
Director of the Trinity Executive MBA, Professor Amanda Shantz said: "The Trinity Executive MBA is distinct because our students are provided with an opportunity to put theory-to-practice. Each student is charged with creating bespoke solutions to multinationals, social enterprises, and SMEs. The skills that our students develop from these experiences position them as future leaders in their fields."
Meanwhile, the UCD College of Business has retained its AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation, one of the world’s foremost business school accreditations.
The college is one of only 86 worldwide and the only business faculty in Ireland to hold a triple accreditation (or Triple Crown accreditation) from international accreditation bodies for Schools of Business – EQUIS (Europe); AACSB (US); and AMBA (UK).
Speaking following the announcement, Prof Anthony Brabazon, Dean of the UCD College of Business said: "The achievement of AACSB re-accreditation and the maintenance of our Triple Crown status is a hugely important independent endorsement of UCD College of Business as an institution and of our consistent standards of excellence in business education.
“Maintaining and enhancing our reputation internationally requires commitment and ambition that is backed up by investment in faculty, research, facilities as well as innovation in teaching and learning methods, to deliver the optimum learning environment. That’s why initiatives like our five-year investment programme to 2020 are key to our future success while also supporting business and society in Ireland and globally.”
