The CEMS Master in International Management has retained fourth place globally in the QS Master’s in Management ranking 2027, with its overall score increasing to 95.2 out of 100.
The result marks the second consecutive year that the programme has ranked fourth globally. It also improved on its overall score of 92.7 in the previous ranking and performed above the global average across all five QS indicator groups: value for money, thought leadership, employability, alumni outcomes and diversity.
At the UCT Graduate School of Business, the CEMS Master in International Management is offered as part of the Master of Management specialising in International Management, a dual qualification that combines a University of Cape Town master’s degree with the CEMS qualification. UCT GSB is the only business school in sub-Saharan Africa to offer the programme.
Gadija Allison, CEMS MIM Programme Manager at the UCT GSB, said the result reflects both the quality of the programme and the international opportunities available to students.
“Retaining fourth place globally for a second consecutive year, with an improved score, reflects the calibre of the CEMS Master in International Management and the strength of the alliance behind it. For our students, the ranking is a validation of what they experience firsthand: a rigorous, internationally-minded programme that opens doors across CEMS's global network of schools and corporate partners. As the only business school offering CEMS in sub-Saharan Africa, we're proud that UCT GSB continues to give African talent a genuine seat at that table.”“
The CEMS Alliance brings together 33 business schools across six continents, more than 70 corporate partners and eight social partners. Students follow a common curriculum across at least two member schools, work on a business project set by a corporate partner and complete an international internship.
At UCT GSB, this international dimension includes a credit-bearing study term at another CEMS partner university, an international internship and a business immersion project with CEMS corporate partners.
The 2027 QS results show strong performance across the programme’s different measures. CEMS scored 99.4 for value for money, 92.7 for thought leadership, 91.6 for employability, 89.7 for alumni outcomes and 82.4 for diversity. It received full scores for international faculty ratio, international student ratio, research impact and value for money.
Dr Annika Surmeier, CEMS MIM programme director at UCT GSB, said:
“Being part of CEMS connects a programme based in Cape Town with a network of leading business schools and organisations across six continents. That creates an important exchange between our own context and those of our international partners, and gives students opportunities to encounter different approaches to business and management throughout their studies.”
Applications for the 2027 intake of the UCT GSB Master of Management specialising in International Management are now open and close on 30 April 2027. The programme begins in August 2027.
Programme information and applications: https://www.gsb.uct.ac.za/academic-programmes/cems-mim
