5 business schools that prep students for key management positions

27 Mar 2018

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker

Choosing the best-suited business degree can seem like a challenging task. No two schools are ever the same, each one providing varied academic portfolios and diverse study landscapes, all while promoting a unique and unbeatable international student experience.

But when it comes to studying business, institutions that demonstrate outstanding graduate prospects are the ones that prove their worth. Statistca recorded global business school enrolments of 25,849 for academic year 2015-16, making it the second-fastest growing subject field after the STEM-based disciplines. Universal popularity means the graduate pool has become increasingly competitive, so selecting a school with great graduate prospects is your best bet for gaining an ‘edge’.

“Student pressure on universities to help them get good jobs is not new, but it is becoming a greater priority,” notes the International Trends in Higher Education 2016-17 report. “Governments in many countries have for years put pressure on universities to be relevant and responsive to social needs. This initially focused on applied research and expanding access, but recently, improving employability has been added to the list.”

The report notes that new employability rankings have been launched to answer this demand. Times Higher Education (THE), for example, has established a global league table based on a survey of employers. QS has also jumped on the trend, introducing a new employability ranking based on employer reputation, alumni outcomes, employer partnerships, employer-student connections and graduate employment figures.

Choosing a school that emphasises these aspects sets you up for success. Since these are generally the institutions investing the most in their learners, it’s likely you’ll leave feeling primed for entrance to key management positions.

If you want to thrive as a global business leader, your prospective institution must examine the waves of industry trends and fluctuations. From technological to societal, even ethical change; you must understand core market developments if you are to be considered among the best.

“A lot of [business] grads have knowledge but not necessarily really good skills – interpersonal skills, critical analysis skills, problem-solving skills,” says Guy Ford, a leading business academic. “They can solve problems, but they tend not to ask if they are solving the right problems, and don’t look much deeper into the nature of the issues.

“We need to give students skills, give them a growth mindset and the confidence to operate lean and also to experiment. We also want to learn from each other,” he adds.

“It’s less about lecturing – in fact in some of the courses it’s virtually no lecturing; it’s more facilitating discussion. It’s the job of our facilitators to create these learning experiences and simulations.”

Think you’ve got what it takes? Here are 5 business schools that prep students for key management positions…

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER – UK

The University of Leicester School of Business is a vibrant, international and interdisciplinary community of over 200 academics. With more than 90 years’ experience in delivering business education, the school is internationally renowned for courses in accounting and finance, management, marketing and economics, with a global alumni network of over 30,000 qualified students. The institution is highly respected in terms of research power, reflecting the pioneering work the faculty conducts in partnership with leaders, managers and organisations.

The school’s overriding mission is to create leaders who are socially responsible, agile and resilient. Here, research, teaching and enterprise activities are animated by an entrepreneurial spirit, making a difference in the world through a commitment to engaged, creative and ethical approaches to business, management and economics.

The School of Business provides a friendly community environment to collaborate, challenge assumptions and innovate for a much brighter and more inclusive sustainable future.

STRATHCLYDE BUSINESS SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE – UK

Established in 1948, the University of Strathclyde Business School is globally known to produce the future’s brightest business minds. As the first Scottish business institution to gain full accreditation from AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS, it’s a school acknowledged for its outstanding performance and its innovative, entrepreneurial perspective.

Strathclyde offers a broad range of business disciplines across three types of undergraduate programmes that are flexible, specialist and cross-disciplinary. It also presents an array of postgraduate degrees within the following disciplines: accounting and finance, economics, human resource management, human centre for entrepreneurship, management science, marketing, strategy and organisation.

And if you’re looking to switch your career or refine new skills, the Strathclyde MBA will undoubtedly give you a boost. This highly-experiential degree makes you question, re-think and re-evaluate your personal business ventures, turning ambitious managers into strategic leaders.

TUCK SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, DARTMOUTH COLLEGE – USA

The Tuck School is a champion of hands-on education. Equipped with a faculty that understands the power of experiential learning, this curriculum is empowered and industry-informed, offering a wealth of distinct initiatives that drive real-world application.

An integrated first-year class schedule provides invaluable coverage of crucial business disciplines, while unique second-year electives – including Deconstructing Apple and Time in the Consumer Mind – promote rigorous exploration of current business issues. Instructors are known visionaries of their respective fields, devoted to student learning and advanced development of knowledge.

“Tuck prepares leaders to become the difference in the world of business and beyond,” says Matthew J. Slaughter, Dean of the school. During your time at Tuck, the community will support you in tacking new ideas, exploring the diverse planet, and growing the confident humility that is the hallmark of wise leaders.”

SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, UNIVERSITY OF BATH – UK

As one of the world’s most prominent business schools, the University of Bath aims to equip students with the best opportunities through its academic programmes – accredited by EQUIS and AMBA – and world-class research.

The school offers a varied course portfolio; from undergraduate to postgraduate and post-experience level, all designed to give students a solid foundation in key business disciplines. These courses attract around 2,500 students: 150 MBA students, 500 MSc students, 250 research students and over 1,500 undergraduates among them. A university-wide emphasis on excellence means programmes are acknowledged as hallmarks of quality and professionalism, encouraging respected industry links and bolstering rates of student employability.

Here, students get the chance to learn from the experts in the field, who also happen to bring the most current research findings to the classroom. Its sought-after Master’s offerings are intensive, one-year courses that expertly prepare participants for leadership positions in virtually every sector.

NYU STERN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (NYU) – USA

Nestled amid the thriving buzz of New York’s Greenwich Village, NYU harbours a likeminded and multicultural community of business students and scholars.

Through a comprehensive programme catalogue, Stern School promotes the academic excellence that helps shape your graduate life. Since being founded as a School of Commerce, Finance and Accounting, Stern has evolved into one of the most respected providers of management education and research in the US.

“Academic excellence is the foundation of our education,” the institution states. “We believe excellence is rooted in a broad awareness of global dynamics and realized by equipping students to solve real problems in real time. By working hand-in-hand with unparalleled faculty and peers, our students develop and implement ideas that challenge the limits of business and create value to change the world for the better.”

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International