Owen's Executive MBA program ranked 17th by 'Business Week'

The executive MBA program at the Owen Graduate School of Management was ranked 17th in Business Week's 2001 survey, as reported in the magazine's Oct. 15 issue.

The school also was included twice in Business Week's "Best of the Bunch" listings in which the magazine ranked the top five schools in teaching of five subject areas -- strategy, ethics, marketing, finance and global business. Students ranked the Owen School second in finance and third in strategy.

"This is a very significant accomplishment for our program," said Owen Dean William G. Christie. "I believe that these results speak volumes regarding our commitment to executive education, to the talented individuals administering the program and to the outstanding students that graduate with executive MBAs from Owen."

In its profile of the Owen School, Business Week points out that the Owen School graduates "laud new director, Martin Rapisarda." Rapisarda, associate dean for executive education, joined the Owen School a year ago, having worked previously at Purdue University and the University of Pennsylvania.

The ranking is based on a survey of more than 3,000 graduating students and EMBA program directors at 82 schools. Students in the class of 2001 were asked 40 questions about their experience at their schools, focusing on areas from teaching quality to level of support services to curriculum flexibility. EMBA directors were asked to name 10 other schools with high-quality programs and to assess those programs.

This is the first time since 1991 that Business Week has ranked EMBA programs. The Owen School's full-time MBA program was ranked 22nd by Business Week in its latest survey.

The executive MBA program at Vanderbilt is a 20-month program designed for experienced managers who want to engage in a rigorous program of graduate business education while still working. About 125 students are enrolled, and they attend classes on alternate weekends.