LUSEM is proud: Our Master’s programme in International Strategic Management rises in the prestigious Financial Times ranking of Master’s programmes in Management. Not that this has never happened before; last year in 2022 the programme climbed from #77 to #57 in this international ranking. And now the programme has continued to climb the list, 13 more places reaching place 44!

The programme director about the success factors

Reached by the great news programme director Ulf Ramberg is both happy and proud:

"This is of course both very honorable for LUSEM and the programme and a clear confirmation that we together with our motivated and driven students create added value. It is also proof that the programme's profile towards an integrated approach on ESG and strategic management both bears fruit and creates interest in the programme," he says.

Ulf can not stress enough how important the students are to the programme and its success:

"The experiences, knowledge, and capabilities that the programme's students bring with them into the programme are of course of decisive importance, just as the mix of students. This year we have students with 20 different nationalities. The students are undeniably the programme's most valuable resource," Ulf explains.

He continues:

"LUSEM's emphasis on students having both in-depth conceptual knowledge and the ability to apply it in real live business cases is also very central."

Ulf says that there are many interacting aspects on why the students are so pleased with this MSc programme. Even though the programme is both intense and demanding Ulf sees an ever-increasing knowledge among the students and he and the other teachers receive challenges in return:

"The fact that we managed to create relevant content in less than half the programme time compared to many of our competitors is undeniably important. Our students need to walk an extra mile, or two, to pass but when they step up, their learning undeniably increases which of course challenge us teachers to constantly be at the forefront."

"Alumni are crucial to the ranking of the programme"

Martin Blom, Vice Dean with special responsibilities for education, believes that the programme management and the students are to thank for the success:

"This is of course very encouraging and a result of the incredible work that the programme director and his team of teachers are doing. The quality of the students and their impressive careers as alumni are also crucial to the ranking of the programme," he says.

Being the Vice Dean of education at LUSEM, what do you think this means to the School and for future prospective students?

"We know that the rankings of the School and its programmes are extremely important to our students and to our international partners around the world. Recognitions such as this help us to continue to develop as a top business school in the Nordic region."

"It is a clearly thought-out programme that addresses the issues of our time, for example sustainability or artificial intelligence and their impact on the future of management."

What do the students say?

The students at the programme are of course, just like Ulf Ramberg stated, the most valuable resource. In order to give a really clear, fair picture of what the students think about the Master’s programme in International Strategic Management, we turned to both current and former students.

Marc Leon Willemsen from Germany who studied the programme at LUSEM in 2020/21, says that he applied for the programme for two reasons; the very good reputation (through the Financial Times ranking), and the exchange with former graduates. These graduates actively recommended Lund, due to the format, content and learning approach; a combination of individual and group work.

What was good about the programme, Marc?

"The programme was good in many ways. On the one hand, being very well prepared within one year for jobs in the consulting industry or even strategic corporate jobs. On the other hand, to live the cultural aspects and to implement them in work. Especially the interpersonal aspects, which are incredibly important later on in the job, are exactly where Lund sets a unique advantage and promotes the experience immensely."

What do you do today?

"After my master's degree, I joined Porsche Consulting as a strategy consultant in the life sciences team. Since then I am a proud consultant and love what I do."

Soroor Mansouryar came from Iran to study the bachelor in International Business at LUSEM. She says that the standards at LUSEM "in terms of teaching methods, materials and its ambitious environment exceeded my expectations". When looking into the content of the Master’s programme in International Strategic Management she found it both broad and specialized at the same time. The perspective it offered in strategy, encouraged her to apply for the programme and to continue her studies at LUSEM for another year in 2022/23.

What was good about the programme, Soroor?

"I think what is particularly good about the programme is, first, its diversity of the material and courses. We started by getting a broad understanding of what strategy is and later dove deeper into it from a sustainability perspective, digital and even organizational point of view. 

Second, I appreciated how almost all our professors added their experiences from the industry into the programme, offering us more practical knowledge and complementing the theories. 

And lastly, I can’t emphasize enough how the diversity of the programme, in terms of nationality and academic background, enriched our experience even further."

What do you do today?

"After my master’s, I got offered a spot at the graduate program at Ernst & Young (EY) so I am currently working as a management consultant. I must add that even though I have just started my job, it’s amazing how many times I have come across cases we have already touched upon in the programme."

Tim Warzawa from Germany is a current student at the Master’s programme in International Strategic Management 2023/24. He says that the programme has unique objectives:

"The programme is unique as it aims to educate students towards reflective decision-makers by not only studying theories but also applying them in cases, company workshops and scenarios discussed in class. It is a clearly thought-out programme that addresses the issues of our time, for example sustainability or artificial intelligence and their impact on the future of management."

Why did you apply for the programme?

"I applied to this programme because of its strategic focus, its international orientation as well as it’s strong reputation."