The University of Sydney Business School's master of management degree has been named in the world's top 50 such degrees by the Financial Times for the fourth consecutive year.
The Sydney degree was 44th in the world, fifth in Asia and first in Australia.
Philip Seltsikas, an associate dean of the business school who is responsible for delivering the degree, said there was increasing demand for the master of management, which is similar to an MBA but intended for graduates who have not yet begun their careers.
The business schools says that up to half of the 50-60 students who enrol in the 12-month degree each semester have a first degree in a non-business discipline and use it to gain a business qualification.
"Given the competition for good graduate jobs, students are realising this is the perfect supplement to a bachelor program," Associate Professor Seltsikas said.
He said that it opened doors to many sectors of business and many students who enrolled in the course expected to try for a career in consulting, then found themselves attracted to broader business roles.
"Because it is very industry connected they are engaged with corporate partners, like in the consulting project at the end of the program. Then they realise there is a world of other opportunities," he said.
"So there's no simple answer to where they end up across industries and sectors."
International counterpart
The University of Sydney's master of management is a companion to an international masters which is also taught in the business school as part of its membership of a globe-spanning organisation of 30 business schools – the CEMS Alliance.
Originally called the Community of European Management Schools, CEMS now has members in Asia and elsewhere which jointly offer the CEMS master of international management degree. It is a high-level course, requiring students to have both a previous business degree and mastery of English and another language.
Typically students will do the first semester of the three-semester degree in the "home" school where they originally enrol, and move to two other schools for the remaining semesters, making it a truly international degree.
Associate Professor Seltsikas said the degree was a "fantastic opportunity for the student who has aspirations to have a global career from the outset".
Each year all graduates of the CEMS degree have the opportunity to come together at a single graduation ceremony. In November 2017 it will be held in Sydney, the first time it has moved outside Europe.
Fees for domestic students for the master of management are $41,250 and, for the master in international management, $52,500.
