Boost your career: The impact of Master's in Management rankings on graduate success

What does it take to lead a modern business and steer it towards success? Warwick Business School’s MSc Management is designed to answer that question. 

You will need the latest thinking and research to be the effective manager organisations need in these uncertain times, and at WBS, that is exactly what is delivered by its world-class academics. 

With modules on Data Driven Decision Making, Leading & Managing Change and Strategies for the Global Economy, the one-year course also allows students to specialise in entrepreneurship with optional modules. 

The quality of the School’s MSc Management course is reflected in it being ranked second in the UK by the Financial Times and 15th in the world by higher education analyst QS. 

What do Master’s in Management rankings look at? 

The Financial Times reports that WBS graduates earn on average an annual salary of $73,153, with 89 per cent of them employed three months after completing the course. 

Ultimately, students need a course that will boost the start of their career in business, and the Financial Times found the School's MSc Management was the 12th best in the world at delivering ‘career progress’. The media outlet calculates this according to changes in the level of seniority and the size of the organisation alumni are working for after completing the course. 

David Elmes, Course Director and Professor of Practice, believes bringing key business disciplines like marketing and operations together in modules helps students understand the complexities and nuances of evaluating data and making decisions as a manager. 

He said: “Instead of core modules looking at the different disciplines, we bring them together. So, we have a module that combines operations and marketing; we bring together strategy and economics as well. This helps students learn how successful managers need to integrate information in today’s fast-moving business environment.” 

As well as the FT ranking of Master’s in Management courses, higher education analyst QS also produces an annual ranking. The Master’s in Management QS ranking puts WBS third in the UK with the School scoring 91.8 out of 100 for diversity, which measures the percentage of women on the course and how international the faculty and student cohort is. 

“WBS is a truly global business school,” said Professor Elmes. “We have faculty from all over the world and our students reflect that as well. The 2025 cohort has 30 different nationalities, so class discussions take on interesting directions as the various cultures are explored. 

“This gives our MSc Management students a distinct advantage when applying their knowledge to their new jobs as they will already have an understanding of the nuances seen in different countries and markets.” 

Analysing the Financial Times ranking for Master's in Management 

The Financial Times ranking is based on two surveys, one by the business school and the second by alumni. In 2025 some 9,510 alumni completed the FT’s survey with 137 programmes assessed before they were boiled down to the top 100 in the ranking. 

The key components of the Master’s in Management ranking by the Financial Times are ‘weighted salary’ and ‘salary percentage increase’, with a combined weighting of 24 per cent. 

They are part of 19 criteria, with alumni responses informing eight of them and making up 56 per cent of the ranking’s weighting, with business school data used for the other 11 indicators. 

WBS has been a regular in the Financial Times' ranking, marking it out as one of the leading schools for MSc Management, highlighted by its three-year average ranking being at 34 globally.   

QS ranking of Master's in Management programmes 

Business school rankings are something higher education analyst QS specialises in with its three annual surveys - the QS Global Employer Survey, the QS Global Academic Survey and a survey completed by the business schools – powering their various world charts. 

The Master’s in Management ranking is no different, with only business schools accredited by the top three global bodies – EQUIS, which is the quality inspecting body for the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), the Association for MBAs (AMBA) and the US-based Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) – able to participate. WBS was the first business school in the UK to be accredited by all three organisations. 

QS uses five key indicators to rank business schools, with ‘employability’ having the biggest weighting of 35 per cent. As well as students having dedicated support from the WBS CareersPlus team throughout the year, the MSc Management includes an annual Management Conference for students to present their research to industry representatives and recruiters.  

 “The conference is a great opportunity for students to network, make connections and practice giving a clear message,” said Professor Elmes. “It can lead to future jobs for our students with our careers team heavily involved in organising the event.” 

‘Thought leadership’ is another important metric for the QS rankings, with thousands of academics surveyed across the world naming the institutions they believe are the strongest in management. It also considers the quality of institutions’ research. 

WBS scored 91.1 out of 100 for thought leadership, emphasising the quality and global reputation of its academics. 

“Our research in strategy, leadership, finance and behavioural science is world-leading,” said Professor Elmes. “This is all fed into the MSc Management course, giving students the most up-to-date thinking in the subject.” 

The role of rankings in career opportunities 

All MSc students at WBS benefit from a dedicated team to help with their careers once graduating. The MSc CareersPlus and Employer Relations team work tirelessly to not only help students find opportunities in an increasingly competitive job market but teach them skills business leaders are looking for. 

Indeed, employability is woven throughout the MSc Management course, helping to bridge theory and practice in the real world for students.  

Professor Elmes added: “The course is developed in collaboration with industry leaders; we embed the skills, mindset, and adaptability that employers demand today – and will need tomorrow. 

“Before they even step foot on campus, students gain access to the WBS MSc Careers Summer School, a series of online sessions on how to craft impactful CVs and cover letters; distinguishing yourself from the competition; and succeeding in interviews and assessment centres.” 

The course also offers students the chance to source a summer internship to increase their experience and employability. 

This focus on employability has seen students go on to work at world-leading companies such as Amazon, Jaguar Land Rover, PwC, Samsung and Unilever. 

Making informed decisions 

The careers team will help students make informed decisions on where they can move into once graduating. 

As well as gaining access to the WBS Career Guide – 30 step-by-step online tutorials – and one-to-one coaching while studying, graduates will have access to more careers support as an alum. 

Professor Elmes said: “The extra support students receive before, during and after the MSc Management course is why WBS is so highly ranked. It is a world-class course combined with a leading careers service.”

Discover more about the School’s MSc Management. 

Learn more about Warwick Business School’s Change Makers.