The University of Cape Town's Master of Business Administration programme has ranked second in the Knights Better World MBA Ranking, assessing 166 MBA programmes worldwide on sustainability in business education and graduate impact. This ranking makes UCT's MBA programme the highest ranked in Africa. The programme has introduced new courses, including Navigating Digital Disruption and Data-Driven Decision Making, to prepare students for complex business challenges.
UCT's Graduate School of Business moved ahead of Australia's Griffith Business School, which had held the top position for six consecutive years. Maastricht University's School of Business and Economics in the Netherlands took first place. According to Dr Catherine Duggan, director and dean of UCT's Graduate School of Business, the improvement followed changes to the MBA programme aimed at preparing students to deal with technological disruption and sustainability.
The programme's African focus is another important part of its approach, with students learning to work in markets where businesses often have to adapt to uncertainty. The courses also examine the social and ethical impact of technologies, including who benefits from their use and how they can support inclusive growth. The school changed its teaching and assessment methods to encourage students to think critically about technology.
The ranking placed greater emphasis on what graduates do after completing their studies, with the weighting given to graduate impact doubling from 10% to 20%. This measures the number of graduates working in sustainability-related positions or at organisations with a social or environmental mission. 62% of UCT GSB's recent graduates were working in impact-focused roles and organisations, compared with an average of 25% among other schools in the ranking.
These graduates work in various fields, including renewable energy, sustainable development, financial services, social enterprises, and organisations supporting digital transformation across Africa. Associate professor and modular MBA programme director Caitlin Ferreira said the stronger focus on graduate outcomes was important because it looked beyond what students learnt in the classroom to how they used their qualifications in the workplace.
The programme's African focus and approach to business education reflect the knowledge and innovation coming from the continent. Ferreira said some of the most interesting innovation in the world is happening in Africa, and executives and business schools around the world have much to learn from the approaches and insights developed on the continent.
The ranking shows that UCT's Graduate School of Business has become a global leader in business education while highlighting the work being done across Africa. The school aims to build a position in the global market that reflects the knowledge and innovation coming from the continent, with 83% of its core courses engaged with issues of impact and sustainability.
Key points
- UCT's MBA programme ranks second in global sustainability rankings
- The programme's African focus and approach to business education reflect the knowledge and innovation coming from the continent
- 62% of UCT GSB's recent graduates work in impact-focused roles and organisations
