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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.Katz MBA Rises to New Heights in The Economist Rankings
The annual rankings are based on a combination of quantitative data provided by the schools, ratings by current MBA students and alumni on career opportunities, educational experience and personal growth, increase in salary and alumni networking opportunities.
“Top 30 in the world is an incredible achievement for our MBA program and for the Pitt Business community as a whole,” said Arjang A. Assad, Henry E. Haller Jr. Dean. “The rigor, quality, individualized service and reputation of the Katz MBA is evident. And we have the rankings to support it.”
Pitt also earned high marks in the U.S. News & World Report 2021 Best Business Schools ranking, rising to No. 17 among public institutions in the U.S. and No. 39 overall—the highest U.S. News rankings for the Katz school in 20 years.
And Poets & Quants recently recognized Katz as one of the top five business schools to have risen the most in MBA rankings over the past decade.
Sara B. Moeller, associate dean of graduate programs, told Poets & Quants that a continual evolution of experience-based learning, new courses and programs have enabled the school to keep students agile and well prepared for an ever-changing marketplace—something increasingly attractive to employers.
The Katz school’s Signature MBA program continues to evolve. It’s recently been redesigned to enable students to earn their degree in 18 months, rather than a full two years, while including a summer internship opportunity and intensive capstone in the final semester.
What students say
Student satisfaction played a key role in The Economist’s MBA rankings.
“It’s very exciting that Katz is being recognized for how amazing it is,” said Malena Hirsch, who will earn her MBA/MHA this year. “Katz’s MBA program has been instrumental in my development both professionally and personally. From the faculty to the Career Management Team, each Katz member is dedicated to challenge and support you in becoming the best you can be,” Hirsch said. “Katz embodies the rigor of a large program with the personal touch and support of a smaller one. It’s abundantly clear that the students are the priority and at the center of everything they do.”
Patrick Savage, a second-year MBA student in finance graduating this spring, said, “What drew me to Katz at the outset of my MBA search and what continues to fuel my pride in finishing my degree here is the incredible quality of the people associated with the program.
“Year in and year out, Katz assembles extremely talented, diversely experienced student populations with a world-class faculty who bring to life experience-based business theory and real-world utility in a personal setting,” he said. “This continues to set Katz apart from other programs.”
Bianca Payton, who will complete her MBA in 2023, values the knowledge, experiential learning and the community of classmates, faculty and staff. “All of this combined creates a Katz family enriched with support and an environment filled with opportunities for people to seize on and help grow professionally and as a person.”
See this Katz school news item for more on the program’s latest ranking by The Economist.
Other news of note from Pitt Business
Clinical Assistant Professor of Business Paul T. Harper has developed a new course, Race and Business Ethics, to address questions of structural racism, justice and capitalism. “The last thing I want to do is have students leave unprepared for dealing with the awakening giant of race consciousness,” Harper said. “You’re seeing a moral reckoning going on here. I couldn’t see how any quality business school could proceed without that.