Henley’s ‘game-changer’ global MBA climbs the world rankings

Henley Business School’s Global MBA has taken a leap forward, moving up 22 places in the QS Global rankings of Executive MBAs, released last week.

The Henley programme, which boasts an international student cohort and is offered part-time over 24 months in several markets across the world, will celebrate its first African intake later this year. According to Jon Foster-Pedley, dean and director of Henley Business School Africa, this is a big deal.

‘African students will now be able to get a global qualification from a top-ranked international business school without the need to relocate overseas. What’s more, the degree has been priced for the local market. Students can enrol via our Joburg campus at around 70% of the cost of enrolling in the same degree in the UK.

‘This is a game changer! If you are going to study further, you should go further.’

Henley Business School, which is part of the University of Reading, has had an established presence in South Africa for the past 30 years with campuses in Johannesburg and Cape Town. It offers a range of business qualifications in management practice, and this year has extended its offering by introducing the Global MBA to its suite of local offerings.

Mamodise Mailula, marketing lead at Henley Africa, says that the school has had tremendous interest in the new MBA degree from senior execs across Africa who see a global career for themselves. ‘If your potential is borderless – so should your MBA be,’ she says. ‘And with five international study immersions as part of the Global MBA, delegates are getting a peerless international experience.

‘The Henley Global MBA is an exclusive transnational experience even by global standards. With a handpicked senior multinational cohort, study immersions in strategic global locations, and packed with career, leadership, and professional development coaching elements, the degree opens the door to turbocharging global executive C-suite careers,’ she says.

Global value, priced for African business

Henley’s decision to extend its offerings in Africa follows the success and rapid growth of its Flexible MBA in the South African market. Dual-accredited in the UK and South Africa, students registered for the degree in South Africa gain an international qualification when they graduate. ‘Our Flexible MBA is very competitive with local MBAs and, as a result, it has proven extremely popular among aspiring leaders wanting to navigate the complexities of a globalised world,’ comments Foster-Pedley.

He adds that Henley Africa has grown dramatically over the last decade from a small five-person team graduating just 30 MBAs out of Johannesburg each year to a thriving 100-plus team graduating almost 2,000 students a year across a suite of programmes. The school also recently expanded its footprint to Cape Town, opening a new campus in Woodstock, and accreditation for its Doctor of Business Administration degree is imminent. ‘The introduction of the global MBA is a natural extension of this growth,’ says Foster-Pedley.

The new Global MBA is a substantively different experience and degree to the Flexible MBA offering. Its shorter format (24 months versus 30 months), and limited class sizes facilitate fast-track learning. The South African cohort will join up with groups from Europe, the UK, and beyond, making the student body truly international, whereas the Flexible MBA is mostly a South African student body. Henley ranks 51^st in the world in the QS ranking in terms of student diversity, reporting 11 distinct student nationalities on its programme.

Additionally, candidates experience five international study immersions (two in the UK, one in Scandinavia, one in North America, and one in Cape Town, South Africa) giving them access to a wide array of context and experiences, from Nordic innovation and the rich history of the United Kingdom, to North American financial and tech markets.

Ranked in the top 10% in the world for career outcomes

Foster-Pedley comments that the impact of the degree can be measured in its outcomes and so it is particularly gratifying to see that it ranks 16^th in the world in terms of career outcomes amongst the world’s most exclusive business schools. ‘This places Henley in the top 10% of performing schools globally,’ he says. ‘Henley has gained this ranking because, on average, 90% of its graduates report securing a promotion within 12 months of graduating, and the average salary increase pre- and post-programme for graduates is almost 63%.’

Henley also places in the top quartile for the executive profile of its students, meaning that the classes are made of individuals with extensive and varied management and C-Suite experience.

The QS rankings are highly regarded for their credibility in the higher education marketplace. This ranking looks at five key metrics:

1. Is the programme highly regarded by employers?
2. Is it highly regarded among the global academic community?
3. What is the level of work experience, management experience, and C-Suite experience of this programme's students?
4. Do graduates of the programme enjoy strong salary increases and post-study promotions?
5. Does the programme offer a high level of gender diversity? Are its cohorts global in nature?

The Henley Global MBA performs consistently strongly in other rankings as well. Earlier this year, it was ranked 8th in the world by QS Global Trade Rankings, and it is ranked 40th in the world by the Financial Times Global MBA rankings. There are over 13,000 business schools in the world.

Taken together, Foster-Pedley says that there is really nothing to touch it in Africa right now. ‘Aside from the recognised prestige that this global degree offers, if you aspire to operate globally and remain relevant and connected in this day and age, you need to study with a business school that can help you get known and build your influence and credibility around the world.’

The first intake of the Henley limited-intake Global MBA in South Africa will be in October. For more information, click here.