The Singapore Management University’s Master of Science in Wealth Management (MWM) programme has been ranked second in the world by The Financial Times (FT) in its Masters in Finance Post-experience Ranking 2013, making SMU the top institution in Asia to be ranked.
Elated with the good standing achieved, Professor Howard Thomas, Dean of SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, said, “SMU’s Master of Science in Wealth Management programme is distinctive for the fact that it was developed in close collaboration with the Wealth Management Institute and is supported by the wealth management industry. Participants in the programme benefit from a broad-based education and get strong grounding in wealth management through interactions with both practitioners and academics. They also get international exposure through the partnerships with Yale School of Management and the Swiss Finance Institute.”
“It is therefore rewarding to know that the programme has done well, particularly in providing students with international exposure and placing graduates in full-time positions. We are also proud to learn that, among the schools ranked, our graduates top the list in terms of career progression three years after graduation,” he added.
[Photo: (Left to right) Professor Howard Thomas, Dean, SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, with Professor Francis Koh, Academic Director of the SMU Master of Science in Wealth Management programme.]
Overall, the ranking demonstrates a high level of satisfaction amongst SMU’s MWM alumni. The survey found that SMU MWM alumni earn an average of US$85,836 three years after graduation and are the second-highest paid in the marketplace amongst the top five institutions listed. Among the five institutions, the SMU programme also saw the highest percentage of graduates who received employment within three months of graduation (85%) and the highest percentage of company internships (47%). FT’s survey also ranked SMU first in ‘Careers’, ‘Placement Success’ and ‘International Course Experience’.
Commenting on SMU’s longest-standing Master’s programme, Professor Francis Koh said, “Nearly 400 wealth managers have been trained under the programme since we welcomed our first batch of MWM students in 2004. In fact, we will be welcoming our 10th batch next month.” Professor Koh is the Academic Director of the SMU MWM and a Professor of Finance at SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business.
SMU’s MWM is a 12-month full-time programme that comprises a rigorous curriculum which leverages on the strengths of four institutions – SMU, Wealth Management Institute, Swiss Finance Institute and Yale University, across three continents – Asia, Europe and USA. The modular structure of the programme allows professionals to pursue a Master’s degree while working; those without wealth management experience can embark on an internship to enhance their employability.
This is the third year that FT is conducting the survey. To be eligible, schools must be internationally accredited and the programmes must have run for at least four consecutive years. The ranking considers the features of the institutions and their programmes, and is based on two questionnaires – one completed by alumni who have been in the workplace for three years since graduation and another by the business schools themselves.
The full results of the ranking can be viewed here.
