International MBA program ranked among world’s best

The Krannert School’s international executive MBA degree program placed 11th worldwide in rankings released in October by Financial Times. The ranking was up one place from 2006. The publication ranked the International Master’s in Management (IMM) No. 6 among programs with a partner school in the United States.

The program is a collaboration among the Krannert School; TIAS/Nimbas in the Netherlands; Central European University in Budapest, Hungary; and the GISMA Business School in Hannover, Germany, and has consistently ranked among the top 20 programs in recent years. Prior to the No. 12 ranking last year, the program ranked No. 16 in 2005, 11th in 2004, and 14th in 2003.

“The continuous top-20 ranking in this international survey affirms that the world business marketplace knows about and values graduate education at Krannert,” says Dean Rick Cosier. “It shows our strategy to prepare graduates to compete globally is working.”

In a separate Financial Times ranking, Krannert’s international master’s program again ranked No. 1 in international course experience, which evaluates the global content of the learning experience. The Trium program from HEC Paris and New York University was second, and Duke University placed third.

In addition to studying in the home countries of each of the partner schools, students in the Krannert international master’s program also study in other countries. Graduates of the program have the opportunity to earn both a Purdue MBA and an MBA from one of the partner schools.

“In 2007 we expanded our global residencies to include a two-week session in China. By the time a current IMM student graduates, he or she will have studied in as many as six different countries on three continents,” says Chuck Johnson, director of master’s and executive programs at Krannert.

Like Krannert’s other executive MBA programs, students in the IMM program complete their degrees on a part-time basis utilizing a distinctive format that incorporates several intensive residencies and off-site learning.

Johnson says, “Our format not only permits students to balance work, family, and school, but the two-week residencies also immerse them in the locations where they are studying.”

The 2007 Financial Times rankings includes 90 schools in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Kellogg-HKUST in Hong Kong ranked No. 1 overall. New York University ranked No. 1 in the United States, followed by the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. Among other Indiana colleges and universities, Notre Dame tied for 58th with Michigan State University and Ohio State University.

In addition to the international master’s program, the Krannert School offers two other top-ranked programs for working professionals and managers: the executive MBA and the weekend MBA. The school also offers a variety of non-degree executive programs on the West Lafayette campus and at corporate training facilities.

— Maggie Morris

International Master’s in Management (IMM) students at work at GISMA Business School in Hannover, Germany, one of Krannert’s partner institutions in the top-ranked executive MBA degree program.