Included in the QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Ranking 2019 was the first ever QS Masters in Marketing Ranking, which saw Columbia Business School take the top spot for its MS in Marketing Science program. Read on for closer look at why this school and program were ranked number one in the world.

Beating 69 other business schools in the new marketing ranking, Columbia soared to the top thanks to its extremely high scores in two of the five indicators used to compile the ranking: thought leadership and alumni outcomes. This shows that not only is Columbia leading the way in producing innovative ideas in marketing, but graduates of this course are enjoying excellent employment prospects. Looking at the class of 2017, most graduates have found roles within the media, analytics consulting and consumer products industries, working for companies such as Falabella Retail and WeWork.

Columbia’s MS in Marketing Science degree takes two semesters to complete and can be classified as a STEM degree. It focuses on marketing analytics, giving students the invaluable technical skills and expertise needed to pursue careers in industry, consulting firms, non-profits, government, and other organizations. You’ll take five core courses combined with two MBA electives in marketing and a minimum of two electives chosen from the doctoral program or from other schools at Columbia University, such as engineering and statistics. Students are helped by the Career Management Center (CMC) to boost their employability and build lifelong career management skills, and also benefit from Columbia’s location in the global business hub of New York City, giving them access to influential industry leaders.

There’s a 50/50 split between both international students and US nationals and men and women, and the MS class is very small and highly competitive, with 16 students and an acceptance rate of only six percent. To be eligible, you’ll need to have completed an undergraduate probability and statistics course, and ideally also studied marketing management and microeconomics. It’s also highly recommended that you develop some knowledge in the database programming language SQL prior to joining this program.

Tuition fees currently stand at US$62,460 plus $1,065 in mandatory fees. Taking into account all your personal expenses, room and board, books, health insurance and other costs, Columbia estimates that you’ll need a total budget of $96,346. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer merit or need-based scholarships for this course, however students could fund their studies with federal or private loans, or find a scholarship from a different source (see our list of scholarships to study in the US here).

How to apply to the number one marketing school

If you’d like to be one of the lucky few to study MS in Marketing Science at Columbia Business School, you’ll need to apply by submitting an application form along with the following:

• Two-part essay
• Your CV/résumé
• Academic transcripts
• Two letters of recommendation
• English language test results (if applicable)
• GMAT or GRE admissions test results
• Paid application fee ($100).

You should apply by January 7 2019 for admission in Fall 2019.

MIT Sloan School of Management is currently ranked as the number one business school for its Master of Business Analytics degree in the newly launched QS Business Masters Rankings: Business Analytics 2019, and for very good reason. Having also ranked number one in the world last year, MIT Sloan continues to impress through its high level of performance across most of the five indicators used to assess these schools: employability, alumni outcomes, value for money, thought leadership, and diversity. Read on for an inside look at this year’s number one school for business analytics.

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT Sloan was first established in 1914, at a time when the concept of providing business training within an academic environment was rapidly gaining wide acceptance.  

MIT Sloan was ranked number one for business analytics thanks to its perfect scores for employability, alumni outcomes and thought leadership, and, with an alumni which includes notable figures such as the late United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan and Microsoft chairman, John W. Thompson, its impeccable scores for the three indicators are anything but surprising.

Among the school’s wide range of specialized master’s degrees, its Master of Business Analytics course is designed to polish and prepare those aspiring for top careers in business analytics and the data science industry as a whole. It’s open to recent graduates as well as undergraduates (including applicants with a three-year bachelor’s degree from an international university) and those wishing to either change or take their career to the next level, such as engineers, mathematicians, physicists, computer programmers, and other technology professionals. The course is STEM-designated, meaning international students are able to extend their training in the US by 24 months after graduating.

The course takes a standard year to complete, although students are given the option to a further six months, which would provide them with the opportunity to take part in a highly beneficial summer work placement. Tuition fees currently stand at US$77,350 and cover all required course packs for the first-semester core classes, however, financial support is also offered to eligible applicants and a number of payment options are available to choose from.

Each year, several master’s in business analytics students at MIT Sloan are appointed to teaching and research assistantships which provide various levels of workloads and salaries. As well as helping students to finance themselves, assistantships also expose them to the school’s educational research programs, and include tasks such as working one-on-one with students, assisting in research, and grading assignments and exam papers. Fellowships are also immediately available to admitted candidates from all citizenships and academic backgrounds, but are only awarded to a select few with exceptional academic records, a history of personal achievement, and a demonstrable ability to perform well professionally.   

For applicants who wish to study business analytics at either undergraduate or doctoral level, MIT Sloan offers these courses too, plus non-degree programs for those who would prefer to take a slightly different academic route in the field.

If you wish to apply to MIT Sloan, the application process typically compiles several stages: a one-page resume (personal statement), an essay question (why you wish to pursue the Masters of Business Analytics degree at MIT Sloan), three letters of recommendation, academic transcripts, a video question (a brief video statement in response to a general interest question), GMAT or GRE test scores, and an application fee of $150. You’ll need to submit your application by January 9 2019 for Fall 2019 entry.

The results of the QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Ranking 2019 are out now, and include a ranking of the world’s top business schools for master’s in finance programs. This year’s number one is London Business School (LBS), which retains its position from last year. Aimed at experienced professionals who want to fast track their career, LBS’ MSc in Finance course is a highly specialized program which aims to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world.

Each business school in the QS Masters in Finance Rankings was ranked based on five indicators: employability, alumni outcomes, value for money, thought leadership and diversity. LBS received a perfect score for the employability indicator and was included in the global top 10 for the alumni outcomes indicator, reflecting the excellent career prospects available to graduates. This was showcased by the success of the Class of 2017, as 93 percent of graduates accepted a job offer within three months of graduation, earning a starting salary of $91,522. As you might expect, most graduates go into roles within the finance sector, with investment management, public finance and investment banking being the three most popular areas.

London Business School’s full time MSc in Finance program takes 10 to 16 months to complete, and is also available as a part time option, which takes 22 months to complete. Tuition fees are currently set at £45,250 (~US$59,000), plus the £120 Student Association Fee. There are numerous scholarships available for strong candidates to offset their tuition costs, such as the Masters in Finance Merit Scholarships, which are worth up to 50 percent of tuition fees.

As well as the school’s outstanding global reputation, students benefit from the school’s location in one of the biggest financial capitals in the world, with London itself ranked number one in the latest QS Best Student Cities index. Students also enjoy a range of opportunities to apply their learning, such as through practitioner courses and internships. They can also tailor the course to suit their interests by choosing up to 10 electives out of a choice of 40 – more than any other master’s in finance program. There are also opportunities to further your global perspectives on finance by taking part in an international exchange visit at a partner school in a business school in Asia, Europe or North America. Upon graduating, students will have gained the presentation, networking and interview skills needed to excel in their chosen career path, as well as key knowledge of coding and programming, which is becoming increasingly crucial in the world of big data.

There are 125 students in the class of 2018 of LBS’ MSc in Finance course, with 95 percent of these coming from outside the UK, representing 37 nationalities. The average is student is 29 years old and has around five and a half years’ experience under their belt.

How to apply for this year’s number one finance school

If you’re interested in studying LBS’ MSc in Finance program, you’ll typically need at least two years’ of relevant finance experience, ideally more, as well as an undergraduate degree, an international outlook, with the ability to work in multinational teams.

To apply, you’ll need to complete an online application form. You’ll also need to submit application essays answering two questions. The other requirements are:

• A one-page CV
• Two references
• The required GMAT/GRE score
• Proof of English language ability (if it’s not your first language)
• Paid application fee
• A copy of your university transcript/s

There are five application rounds throughout the year. For entry in August 2019, you must send your application by April 30 2019.

HEC Paris School of Management has been leading the QS Business Masters Rankings: Management as number one for two consecutive years – 2018 and 2019. Assessed on five important indicators which include employability, alumni outcomes, value for money, thought leadership and diversity, the school unsurprisingly hits the nail on the head for all three categories.

Read on for an inside look at the world’s number one school for management in 2019, and discover why it earned its well-deserved spot in the ranking.

Situated in the famously romantic but metropolitan capital of France, Paris, HEC Paris comfortably sits at the heart of the world’s fifth best student city, as ranked by QS Best Student Cities 2018. It was established in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce (CCIP) with the aim to develop world-class education in business management. With three distinguished values at its core – selectivity, international outreach, and sense of initiative and social diversity – the school is built on a strong social and academic basis which makes up its highly-regarded reputation as the world’s most prestigious business school for management degrees, both in 2018 and in 2019.

Proudly displaying very high scores across all five indicators for its master’s in management course, the school boasts a particularly immaculate score for alumni outcomes, which serves as no surprise given its wide range of notable graduates – including former French president François Hollande, and several successful businessmen such as Jean Paul Agon, Chairman of L’Oréal; and François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of the international luxury group Kering.

In addition, for students looking to study in a diverse study environment, HEC Paris offers just that; it scores highly for the diversity indicator, with its master’s in management class of 2017 reported to have had a class population of 65 percent international students, whilst also representing 17 nationalities in total. Gender disparity is also quite even, with women having made up 43 percent of the same class.

HEC Paris’ MSc Strategic Management course is an intensive program which focuses on developing students’ strategic thinking and skills, whilst aiming to increase their potential to land graduate jobs in the world’s most prestigious companies. The course takes 10 months to complete, and combines a challenging but rewarding curriculum which provides the most academically-driven students with a far-reaching and thorough understanding of diverse areas in business strategy. Throughout their course, students enjoy a constant interaction with leading consultancy firms, plus an additional availability of the option to undertake a company project, which allows them to apply their problem-solving skills to real-life strategic dilemmas. Tuition fees are currently set at €27,825 (~US$32,100), including fees for student services and administration costs.

Thanks to HEC Paris’ challenging and highly pragmatic master’s in management course, graduates reportedly have an extremely high placement success rate. 97 percent of students are in employment three months after graduation, with an average starting salary in the US$60,000-70,000 range. Graduates go on to work within a wide range of sectors and in significant companies, including management consulting groups such as Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey, and investment banking and financial services companies which include the Bank of America and HSBC.

If you’re interested and believe you have what it takes to study a master’s in management course at the world’s number one school for the subject, the application process is quite straightforward: applicants can expect to undergo a two-phase selection process which initially involves an evaluation made based on their applications and supporting documents. At the second phase of the process, the pre-selected candidates are then invited for either a face-to-face or Skype interview.

For applicants wishing to further discuss the MSc Strategic Management course with relevant staff members, HEC Paris will be offering an online session on October 18^th 2018. To participate, you can register here.