WisBusiness: International rankings show improvement for UW’s executive ed classes

The 2004 ranking of UW-Madison’s open-enrollment executive education programs improved in the Financial Times’ sixth annual international survey of business schools.

In the open programs category, which includes classes open to anyone, Wisconsin ranked 29th, up from 31st in 2003 and 41st in 2002. Two Big Ten schools ranked higher: Northwestern, which tied for 2nd, and Michigan, which finished 12th (down from 5th the year before).

In the custom programs category, however, none of those Big Ten schools fared as well and all three showed significant drops from their 2002 rankings. Custom programs are tailor-made for executives with specific training needs. Wisconsin ranked 44th, down from 34th two years earlier. Northwestern ranked 18th, a drop from 7th in 2002, and Michigan was 28th, down from 13th. Penn State was ranked 32nd, down from 23rd in 2003.

The London-based magazine’s rankings were compiled from the responses of course participants, corporate purchasers and a survey of the schools.

See the Financial Times rankings: