Singapore's 30 Largest MBA Programmes and 10 Largest MBA Providers 2015

Why MBA candidates all over the world are looking to Singapore.

In a country where top companies and industry frontrunners both thrive in and create a strong global business presence, the academe plays a significant role in mentoring the leaders of Singapore’s formidable workforce. Singapore business schools have developed some of the best MBA programmes in the world with many outstanding leaders, Singaporeans and internationals alike. “Singapore is one of the leading places in Asia attracting top academic talent,” says Stephanie Villemagne, director of the INSEAD MBA Programme. Considering that Singapore is an international hub not only in the academe but also in business, it seems natural that their MBA programmes would accentuate the importance of experiencing globalisation first hand.

“Generally more business schools are collaborating with other universities in offering their MBA [programme],” says Lo Chee Wen, chairman of the YMCA Education Centre. Topnotch MBA programmes make their students’ career aspirations a priority and Singapore is certainly no exception. “Business schools [in Singapore] have strengthened their career services to help students realise and increase the ‘return on their MBA investment,’” says Nilanjan Sen, associate dean of graduate studies at Nanyang Business School. To complement the changing market, Singapore’s business schools have evolved by offering specialised MBA programmes. “We [have noted] a demand for specialised qualifications as more potential students seek to differentiate themselves from the pack,” says Tan Gek Khim, PBM and senior director of the Management Development Institute of Singapore, pointing out that the choice between a traditional MBA programme and a specialised one is dependent on what would best suit the student’s interests and career goals.

Specialised MBA programmes are also often offered as Master’s programmes because of the focus on a particular field rather than on the overall leadership and management skills of the traditional MBA. For those looking into MBA opportunities, it would be a serious understatement to say that graduating from one of Singapore’s top business schools would give one a competitive edge. Whether traditional or specialised, Singaporean MBA programmes shape future managers and leaders poised to take on the challenges of the contemporary business landscape.

Who made it onto SBR list?

While Singapore Business Review’s list of the largest MBA programmes and providers is based on the number of students, it is important to note that the quality of a programme is difficult to assess through that numerical factor. Thus, we reiterate that this ranking is not a qualitative but a quantitative list of MBA Programmes. The second edition of our much-talked about ranking was participated in by over 20 local providers. INSEAD has once again topped SBR’s ranking of 30 largest MBA programmes with 1,018 total number of students. INSEAD is then followed by National University of Singapore with 492 students. Joining them in the top five spots are Manchester Business School with 400 students, JCU Singapore with 382 students and Lee Kong Chian School of Business of Singapore Management University with a total of 285 students.