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DALLAS, Texas (SMU) - For the second time in less than a month, the Cox School of Business has been recognized as a top business school, this time in an international survey by the Financial Times. In its inaugural survey, the Financial Times ranked Cox's Executive MBA (EMBA) program among the top 40 programs in the world, at #36, and among the top 25 EMBA programs in the U.S., at #24. The Financial Times survey comes on the heels of another EMBA survey by BusinessWeek, which placed Cox among the top 20 EMBA programs in the nation as well as #1 in entrepreneurship and #7 in leadership.

The ranking examined the value of an EMBA program and the business schools that provide them. In selecting the top EMBA programs in the world, the Financial Times surveyed 1998 EMBA alumni to determine how their graduate school training and experience has helped advance their careers. The survey looked at three broad areas: the career progression of the graduate, diversity and international experience, and research. The ranking revealed that Cox EMBA program was in the top 12 internationally for average current salary and #9 in top salaries for the U.S. Cox graduates experienced a 52 percent increase in salary since receiving their EMBA degrees in 1998. The Cox School also ranked #2 for Most Experienced Intake in U.S. and #7 for Most Sponsored Students in U.S.

"In today's business environment, executives must continuously enhance their skill sets and expand their business knowledge to stay competitive," said Albert W. Niemi, Jr., dean of the Cox School of Business. "By measuring the success of Cox alumni, the Financial Times survey and the BusinessWeek ranking confirm the value of a Cox education."