Outstanding employability has contributed to the Ulster Business School’s MSc/Grad ICSA in Management and Corporate Governance course being named Postgraduate Course of the Year at the 2012 Gradireland Awards in Dublin.
Since 2009, over 80 per cent of its students each year have obtained graduate level roles in relevant professional areas despite the continued downturn in the economy.
“In fact, if you add in the graduates who seek employment in other areas we can actually claim almost 100% job placement,” said course director, John Thompson.
“Our links to Irish and international employers are excellent and employers return each year to recruit. The Irish employers include all the major accounting and law firms and almost 40% of the firms in the Irish funds industry. International companies include Eversheds (Manchester), Baille Clifford (Edinburgh) and a range of Trust companies including Barclays Wealth in offshore islands: Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.”
Businesses have been quick to recognise the added value provided by the course which is endorsed by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA).
Anna Moss of Belfast Citi said: “I have for the last four years consistently recruited graduates of this MSc course and am extremely impressed by the focus on cultivating and maintaining relationships with local employers towards employability.”
The postgraduate course, which is offered on a part-time or full-time basis, is delivered to up to 70 graduates each year by the Ulster Business School in both Jordanstown and Dublin.
In winning the Postgraduate Course of the Year award the Ulster Business School beat off competition from seven other leading providers including Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork and Queen’s University Belfast.
Professor Heather Farley, head of Department of Management and Leadership said: “The true test of the success of an applied Masters is the success of its students in gaining employment. In addition to the quality of our teaching we put collaboration with employers and professional bodies at the top of our agenda to deliver professional education for professional life.
“We are delighted to have won this prestigious award which recognises the Ulster Business School’s commitment to providing top quality programmes that produce much sought after, and highly employable graduates.”