Gold stars for MBA program

Business

The University of Adelaide has scored a maximum five-star rating for its two MBA programs, achieving equal top ranking in Australia for its business courses.

The ranking, awarded by the Graduate Management Association of Australia (GMAA), appears in the 2007 edition of the Good Universities Guide to MBA and Executive Short Courses.

Adelaide joins the ranks of seven other universities to be awarded five stars for its short, 12-course MBA program and, along with the University of Western Australia, has also been awarded five stars for its long, 16-course MBA (Advanced) program.

The Head of the Adelaide Graduate School of Business, Professor Graham Hubbard, said it was an outstanding result for the University.

"The addition of a Careers Adviser, the pursuit of AACSB accreditation, high salary levels of graduates and the increased qualifications of our staff have all lifted us into the top ranking," Professor Hubbard said.

Closer ties with the business community in the past year are also credited with the University's performance.

The GMAA is Australia's umbrella association for graduates having MBAs, DBAs and other postgraduate management qualifications. It uses data to produce an index of the quality of each of the approximately 80 MBA courses provided by some 40 universities in Australia to onshore students.

Criteria taken into account include the structure of the program, links with the business community and international schools, the size, diversity and experience of academic staff, student support facilities, entry requirements, online facilities, course length and content.

Story by Candy Gibson