Making The Grade

Few things in the international business world rank as prestigiously as CEMS accreditation, and the University of Sydney Business School can lay claim to having achieved the coveted recognition back in 2008.

An alliance of 28 world-class business schools and over 60 international companies, CEMS accepts only one educational institution per country for membership following a very demanding and rigorous selection process. The mainstay of the alliance is the Master of International Management degree - a program designed to create the next generation of international business managers. A pre-experience degree, it's offered only to elite students completing an accredited Masters degree from a CEMS member organisation (like the Master of Management at the University of Sydney). Requiring students to also be proficient in business communication in at least two languages, the degree offers the invaluable opportunity for participants to study in a Masters program at any one of CEMS' international member schools.

While the inherent strengths of the degree are numerous, a key component is definitely the international business project component that entails a six-week consulting assignment with an international company. Students also get the opportunity to participate in a number of skills seminars provided by corporate partners, with subject matter ranging from negotiation skills through to understanding climate change. It's these types of initiatives that represent a huge value-added component to what's being taught in the classroom.

In 2009, the Financial Times ranked the CEMS Master of International Management degree as number one in the world. Today it's the highest ranked degree open to students at any Australian university. That's one of the reasons the University of Sydney's Business School is now something of an international beacon, attracting leading students not only from within Australia, but from all over the world.

Author: Professor Nick Wailes - University of Sydney Business School