GSB ratings soar in survey

The Graduate School of Business's (GSB) full-time MBA programme moved up 16 places to 66th place in 2005 in the Financial Times' 2005 survey, and remains the only South African MBA to be ranked in the prestigious Top 100.

The GSB became the first South African business school to receive an international MBA programme ranking in 2005, and GSB director Professor Frank Horwitz said the leap up the rankings represented an important benchmark for the GSB.

"This year's ranking represent an international affirmation of the continued refinement and development of our MBA, as well as the experience that students have at the school. It's also an important indicator of our progress relative to our international counterparts and bodes well for the future," he said.

"Moving up such a high profile global ranking is also a strong drawcard, and will attract increasing international attention to the GSB," he added.

Dr Vash Mungal, whose portfolio as new director of the Associate in Management (AIM) programme and Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice (PGDMP) has recently been expanded to include the MBA, said it would be a challenge for the school to maintain this momentum.

"My predecessor, Elspeth Donovan, raised the bar in terms of quality, innovation and service delivery – our goal is to build on this tremendous platform and continue to look for avenues to raise the standards," she said.

She highlights the strengths of the UCT MBA programme as its unique integration across courses and the opportunity for practical application, as well as its social and personal development focus.

Mungal has also inherited an important curriculum change at the GSB, which will see the school ensure the MBA offers a more holistic experience and addresses market needs.

"The objective of recent changes has been to integrate or string a common thread through courses and avoid the silo approach. The market calls for graduates with a holistic view as opposed to the traditional fragmented approach," she said.

This holistic approach also includes the Career Management Services provided for MBA students at the GSB during and after their studies.