Launched in 2022 in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation, the QS International Trade Rankings is a first of its kind project to recognise institutions who are providing best-in-class master's level education in international trade.
The Rankings enable students to identify graduate trade programmes that offer academic rigor coupled with practical skills development to prepare graduates for roles in cross-border trade.
Eligibility
- Offer postgraduate programmes in business that pertain to international business and trade content
- Only one programme is permitted from each school (per table – one for the ITR - Master’s & MBA table, and one for the ITR - EMBA table)
- Have either AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS or EPAS accreditation. We also allow schools which have rated at least 3 or more QS Stars*.
- Non-zero Reputation and Research performance thresholds
Inclusion
To be included in the ranking, the programmes must pass the inclusion criteria below:
- Trade Programme Content threshold - have at least 16 available courses out of the listed courses
How to take part
If you would like your programme to be considered for inclusion in the International Trade Rankings and your institution has not received a submission email, please contact: rankings@qs.com.
Details on the information we ask for in the submission process can be found by viewing our SUBMISSION FORM GUIDELINES.
Methodology
Each relevant programme is assessed by looking at key areas of its offering, including the programme’s content, the reputation of the institution, the outcomes it can offer to graduates, the strength of the programme’s links to industry, the nature of its teaching, and the strength of its research.
Several of these areas, including the assessments of reputation and research strength, are based on established methodologies used in other QS rankings.
Lenses
To produce the ranking we assess each programme using six different lenses. Below is the breakdown of how much each lens contributes to the programme’s overall score.
For more information on each lens please follow the relevant links in the table.
| Lens | MBA and Master’s | EMBA |
| Trade Programme Content | 30% | 30% |
| Reputation | 20% | 25% |
| Graduate Outcomes | 15% | 15% |
| Industry Engagement | 15% | 15% |
| Innovative Teaching | 10% | 5% |
| Research | 10% | 10% |
Indicators
Within each of the six lenses we have a number of indicators which look at specific areas of each programme. Below is the breakdown of how much each indicator contributes to the programme’s overall score.
For more information on each lens please follow the relevant links in the table.
| Indicator | Lens | MBA and Master’s | EMBA |
| Module Content | Trade Programme Content | 30% | 30% |
| Employer Reputation | Reputation | 15% | 15% |
| Academic Reputation | Reputation | 5% | 10% |
| Graduate Employment Rate | Graduate Outcome | 10% | 10% |
| Graduate Support | Graduate Outcome | 5% | 5% |
| Faculty Industry Experience | Industry Engagement | 5% | 0% |
| Partnerships with Employers | Industry Engagement | 10% | 15% |
| Experiential Learning | Innovative Teaching | 5% | 5% |
| Internships | Innovative Teaching | 5% | 0% |
| Citations per Paper | Research | 10% | 10% |
More Information
To learn more about the International Trade Ranking please Submit a request
