UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School has had its full-time MSc in Finance programme ranked 36th in the world and 31st in Europe, in the prestigious Financial Times Top 60 Global Master in Finance rankings, published today. UCD Smurfit School is once again the only Irish business school to feature in the ranking, reinforcing its standing as Ireland’s leading centre of excellence in the delivery of world-class postgraduate business education.

The FT Masters in Finance ranking is the latest in a series of rankings placing UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School’s programmes in the Top 50 globally. Most recently, UCD Smurfit Executive Development was ranked 48th in the world and 26th in Europe for its Open Enrolment programmes, in the 2017 Financial Times Executive Education Rankings. Last September UCD Smurfit School’s MSc in International Management was ranked 22nd in the world in the Financial Times Masters in Management (MiM) ranking.

The Financial Times’ rankings assess the performance of business schools across the globe and are independently adjudicated in accordance with strict criteria. Key metrics for the MSc in Finance ranking include salary increase of graduates, career progress, international mobility and international experience on the course, and this year’s rankings saw graduates of the MSc in Finance achieve a 47% salary increase on average within three years of completion of the MSc in Finance, and 95% of course graduates securing relevant employment within three months of graduating. Rankings with strict objective criteria such as the Financial Times are the only truly independent and internationally respected classifications by which the world’s top business schools are ranked.

Welcoming the latest Financial Times ranking Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, Dean, UCD College of Business said: “Our continued success in being ranked in the prestigious Financial Times MSc in Finance global ranking shows our commitment to maintaining and increasing standards of excellence in the delivery of this programme at UCD Smurfit School. Our ongoing partnerships with leading firms in the financial services sector ensure that we are constantly innovating and tailoring the MSc in Finance to deliver a cutting-edge educational qualification with a global reputation, relevant and responsive to the needs of the sector.

UCD Smurfit School’s consistent innovation in programme development in line with financial industry needs, is best illustrated through the provision of a finance internship module on the MSc in Finance, and in developing the MSc in Aviation Finance programme in direct partnership with the sector, delivering a Masters that is the first of its kind in Europe. As Ireland seeks to attract FDI in the wake of Brexit, having a world-class Business School with strong links to industry will ensure prospective employers have access to the highly skilled workforce they need.”

For further information on the Financial Times rankings published today log onto www.ft.com/businesseducation