Back to school: the best management programmes in 2017

Want to get ahead in the business world? Many professionals look to executive education programmes to turbo-charge their careers – but it can be difficult to know which one to choose.

So the Financial Times has ranked both the world’s best open-enrolment programmes (available to all working managers) and customized programmes (bespoke courses for corporate clients).

In the overall ranking IESE Business School in Spain takes first, with Switzerland's IMD in second.

In the open-enrolment category, IMD, located in Lausanne, Switzerland and in Singapore, comes first, while Spanish school IESE, which has campuses in Barcelona, Madrid, New York and Munich and an office in Sao Paulo, tops the customized programme ranking. The two business schools also each take second place in the category they don’t top.

This is the first time that two schools have held the top two spots in both categories, says the FT.

The FT’s executive education ranking has been running for 19 years, and this year analyses 85 customized programmes and 75 open-enrolment courses.

The ranking is based on surveys of participant and client satisfaction, and also looks at schools’ revenues, international reach and faculty diversity.

IMD remains in the top spot in the open-enrolment programme category – a position the school has held onto for the past six years. Participants told the FT that they enjoyed the way the course took them out of their comfort zones.

IESE and Harvard Business School complete the top three, while the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School is a notable riser – climbing five places to fourth. US and European business schools dominate the top 10.

IESE has topped the customized ranking for the last three years, having replaced Duke Corporate Education in 2015. Customized programmes are specifically designed and tailored for corporate clients.

According to the FT, IESE’s “academic rigour” is a particular strength, while it is also top for international clients and faculty diversity.

This ranking is also dominated by US and European institutions, though Antai College of Economics and Management, based at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, breaks the monopoly.