Updated: Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

The Executive MBA program at Suffolk University's Sawyer Business School has been named to the Financial Times' list of the 95 top executive MBA programs in the world.

The Boston-based business school's Saturday morning program combines classroom and online coursework to create curriculum that is tailored to working business professionals. Coursework emphasizes global leadership to prepare students to be successful managers when the current generation of executives retires.

Schools that made the international newspaper's list were selected based on survey and interview responses from alumni as well as evaluation of each program's impact on its graduates' career progress, salary growth and personal and professional aspirations.

Kristin Polito, director of Suffolk's executive MBA program, attributed the ranking to the "many tools [graduates] can use to transform obstacles into opportunities" that are provided by Sawyer's curriculum.

Associates and bachelors programs in business may offer students preparation for similar intensive MBA programs that can further boost career prospects. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for financial managers will grow by 13 percent over the next seven years.

PayScale.com, a research company, says that average salaries for holders of MBA degrees ranged from $73,510 to $171,583 in 2008, depending on the field, position and years of experience.

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