Duke Corp. Ed. tops new rankings

The Financial Times published its annual rankings of international non-degree executive education programs Monday, placing Duke University second, behind the Columbia Business School in New York. The overall ranking was based on the individual rankings of the Fuqua School of Business and Duke Corporate Education, Inc., a Fuqua corporate spinoff that separated from Fuqua three years ago.

Duke Corporate Education ranked first among custom program providers, beating out the Columbia Business School and IMD in Switzerland. Among custom programs-tailor-made for companies that wish to put their executives through specific training or development-Corporate Ed. ranked first in the corporate survey in categories for preparation, course design, teaching materials, faculty, new skills and learning, food and accomodation, facilities and value for money. Corporate Ed also ranked second for aims achieved, which measures the degree to which academic and business expectations were met, and third for follow-up, which measures the level of follow-up offered once participants returned to their workplace.

Fuqua ranked eighth among open enrollment program providers, falling between the business schools at the University of Virginia and Stanford University. Among open enrollment programs - which are open to all executives - Fuqua also ranked in the top 10 in the subcategories of preparation, course design, follow-up, aims achieved, and food and accomodations.

Schools must have more than $2 million of business in both the open enrollment and custom programs categories to participate in the rankings. Each ranking is based upon two surveys, completed by business schools and open enrollment participants or corporate clients.