MEDIA RESOURCES

DATE: August 19, 2005

CONTACT: communications@mail.cox.smu.edu

SMU Cox PMBA Ranked Top 10 in the Nation by Forbes Magazine;

MBA Rises to #31

DALLAS (SMU) – Announced today in its fourth biennial ranking, Forbes magazine has yet again placed the Cox School among the top MBA programs in the nation. Furthermore, this year for the first time the Forbes survey ranked part-time, or professional MBA (PMBA) programs, and the Cox School ranked #10 in the nation – the only school in Texas and the South on that list.

Forbes’ school rankings are based on return on investment – meaning compensation five years after graduation minus tuition and the forgone salary during school. Yet, scholarships are not accounted for in the ranking, and 57 percent of SMU Cox full-time MBAs for the class of 2000 received more than $1 million in scholarship funding, which would propel the full-time ranking even further up the list. Nonetheless, Cox rose to #31 from #36 in 2003. The full survey results can be found at the magazine's Web site at http://www.forbes.com.

Earlier this year U.S. News & World Report ranked the Cox PMBA program #12, making it the only program in Texas named in the category, and the Executive MBA (EMBA) program ranked #15. This ranking is 100 percent based on peer opinion, as surveyed by accredited deans and directors.

Additionally, Financial Times currently ranks the Cox EMBA program among the top 15 in the U.S. (and among the top 30 in the world). The value of a Cox EMBA is confirmed by the salaries of Cox graduates (which rank 7^th in the U.S. and #1 in the Southwest and West). And, Cox ranks #1 for students with the most professional experience prior to entering the EMBA program.

"In business and life, you’re known by the company you keep,” said Albert W. Niemi, Jr., Dean of the Cox School of Business. “While there are many rankings of business schools, only a handful of schools, including SMU Cox, are consistently recognized among the top 20 MBA programs for working professionals by BusinessWeek, U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times, and Forbes. These rankings support the quality and prestige of our programs in addition to our strong connections with the local, national, and global business communities."

The James M. Collins Executive Education Center

The announcement of our Top 10 PMBA program comes in the midst of the opening of our premier education resource for working professionals. The Collins Center will be the school’s newest asset to serve the needs of a dynamic corporate community. Through its state-of-the-art facilities, the Center will enable SMU’s Cox School of Business to expand its education programs and enhance the educational experience for all business professionals. The dedication is planned for September 9, 2005. Additional information can be found at www.smucoxcollinscenter.com.

About SMU Cox

SMU’s Cox School of Business offers a full range of business education programs, from BBA and full-time MBA to Professional MBA (PMBA), Executive MBA (EMBA), customized Lockheed Martin MBA Program, Masters of Science in Accounting, and Executive Education. With educational experiences like the SMU Cox Business Leadership Center (BLC), Caruth Institute of Entrepreneurship, American Airlines Global Leadership Program (GLP), and the Associate Board Executive Mentoring Program combined with an international alumni outreach of more than 29,000, it is no wonder SMU Cox is ranked among the top business schools nationally and internationally by major publications including BusinessWeek, Economist, Financial Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and U.S. News & World Report. At SMU’s Cox School of Business, what happens in the classroom is just the beginning.

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