The Financial Times ranks RSM Erasmus University Master's in Management Program 20th in Europe

The Financial Times newspaper has published a new ranking of European Master’s Management Programmes for students that do not have practical experience. According to the criteria selected, the RSM Erasmus University MSc in Business Administration is ranked 20th.

The CEMS MIM (Community of European Management Schools Master’s in International Management) as a whole was ranked third in Europe, and RSM is the only school in the Netherlands offering the programme. “We are proud to be on the list of the 25 best MSc programmes in Europe. It’s quite an achievement when you consider that there are probably hundreds or even thousands of European MSc programmes in the post-Bologna era,” explains Professor Eric Waarts. Summarizing the opinion of most university staff he adds, “Many of our European partner schools are also on the FT list, which is also an indication that RSM has the best possible network. It’s also encouraging that our alumni regard the RSM programme as one of the best European MSc programmes in terms of value for money.”

It is important to note that the ranking was based on a survey done among alumni who had finished long before the Bologna structure was introduced in the Netherlands. The Bologna agreement was signed in 1999 and paved the way for the formation of a European higher education area. Since 2002 the RSM Erasmus University has been running a very successful international bachelor’s programme and all master’s programmes are now taught entirely in English. The introduction of the BaMa system has resulted in a much more international system with greater mobility for students. Nevertheless this is not yet visible in the rankings.

“We are happy that the master’s programme of the RSM Erasmus University is on the list of the 25 best master’s management programmes in Europe,” comments Professor Han van Dissel, the Dean of RSM Erasmus University. He points out that the high positions gained by the Grand Ecole in France are the result of the very tough selection. Companies are aware of the selectiveness of this school and pay higher salaries to these graduates, resulting in a higher position in the rankings. RSM Erasmus University, however, has a different strategy. “We don’t want to disappoint students or force them to go for their second choice. Therefore we have no quotas for our programmes, and once a student has successfully completed a bachelor’s degree, he or she can choose any master’s programme at the RSM Erasmus University.” He continues, “We are particularly happy that the CEMS MIM came third, as we were one of the founders and it is now a great success throughout Europe.”

CEMS is a network of top European business schools and universities together with more than 50 of the world’s leading multinational companies. Each country is represented by only one institution (university or business school), many of which are on the FT top 25 list. The number of partners grew from 4 in 1989 to 17 in 2002. CEMS MIM offers an outstanding level of cultural diversity and is nurtured by long-standing teaching and cooperation between all parties.
The survey shows that CEMS MIM is an extremely valuable programme that provides high quality to internationally oriented students. “Actually, we are not surprised about the high ranking of CEMS in the Financial Times, as all CEMS partner schools invest a lot of energy in their programmes,” comments Professor Waarts. “Undoubtedly this ranking will really boost the visibility of this particularly selective, and sometimes small CEMS programme, making it even more valuable for the educational institutions, companies and students.” Waarts adds: “In the ranking one can see that CEMS alumni are among the highest paid in Europe. That is surely a good signal to potential CEMS students!”

Click here for the exact rankings of Masters and MBAs.

Source: Erasmus Magazine