Masters in Management (MiM) programmes have seen increased demand of late, as graduates seek to boost their employability prospects in a tough jobs market.
Typically aimed at recent graduates at the start of their careers, MiM programmes are becoming increasingly popular. According to GMAC’s latest figures, applications to this type of programme grew by 7 per cent in 2025, the first significant surge since the pandemic.
But it’s a crowded market, with many choices for prospective students. The latest QS Masters in Management Ranking shows 234 ranked MiM programmes.
Students are judging programmes on several variables, including ROI and value for money, employment outcomes, school reputation, local and flexibility, to name but a few. And with leading MiM programmes now costing £30,000 – 50,000 in tuition (not including accommodation), business schools need to work hard to attract students.
Why media relations?
Securing regular, positive media coverage in the outlets that your prospective students read is one of the most powerful ways to support recruitment for MiM programmes.
Media outlets like the Financial Times (specifically its MiM rankings and special report) have enormous influence on students researching potential programmes.
Where media relations (or earned media) has the edge over paid-for content is that it lends third-party authority to a school.
Positive media coverage gives business schools visibility, credibility, and the ability to reach beyond their original audience.
It also allows business schools to highlight their unique strengths and why they are different from the competition.
And most importantly, it makes other marketing activities easier – for example, pushing people to a school’s website and providing ready-made assets for social media and sales.
The sting
Great, you say, let’s get some media coverage for our MiM programme! Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as that. Why?
- The media is fragmenting. Newsrooms are shrinking, journalists are being laid off because of AI, and freelancers are proliferating.
- Competition is high – not only from business school peers, but also from any organisation that has a view on business education and careers – from edtech companies to consultants.
- The bar for achieving coverage is higher than ever. Journalists are doubling down on quality stories. They are pushing back against AI-generated “slop” and focusing on human experiences, hard data and real experts.
Unless business schools know how to navigate this world, it’s very hard to achieve the visibility they want.
So, what should they do?
Here are our 5 top ways to get positive press coverage for your Masters in Management programme.
1. Shift your mindset
Journalists are not there to promote programmes – they are there to write stories. To interest them, business schools need to position their MiM as part of a bigger narrative that matters to their readers.
A MiM programme on its own is rarely news. But the trends around it are. How is Gen Z rethinking postgraduate education in a tough job market, for example? Why have sustainability and AI become the most in-demand topics? If your programme reflects or challenges these trends, you have a story worth telling.
Aligning outreach with key moments in the media calendar can help (e.g., major economic announcements), but be aware that there is some fatigue with jumping on bandwagons when there is no real story to tell.
2. Understand how journalists work
We’ve already talked about focusing on storytelling,
But how business schools approach journalists also matters.
Journalists are extremely busy people juggling multiple deadlines, an overflowing inbox and endless demands from their editors.
They want stories that matter to their readers first and foremost. Business schools need to know their beat, what they write about, what they have already written and what they are looking for. In approaching them, they want short, no-jargon pitches and clarity on what material is available (e.g., an expert, an interview with a leader, a case study). And while the story trumps everything, building a relationship with a journalist is more likely to result in them opening your email.
Conversely, they do not want to be sent non-stories or overly promotional content. Nor do they want things they’ve seen before: surprise them, tell them something new! Journalists need business schools to understand their day: they don’t want to be hassled or approached when they are on deadline or have already filed their story.
Finally, whilst it’s easy to send a generic press release out at the push of a button, most journalists prefer personalised emails that show a true understanding of how they work.
3. Mine your data
Journalists love data because they need it to prove trends and show that their story isn’t just theoretical, but that it stacks up in real life.
If business schools have insights into application trends, graduate outcomes or employer demand, these can form the basis of a compelling media pitch.
For example, can it show that MiM graduates are increasingly moving into tech roles, or that applications are rising from a particular region? Even small, well-presented datasets can generate interest if they tap into current debates.
Data and expert commentary on trending topics such as the future of entry-level jobs, skills gaps among graduates, or how employers are adapting their recruitment strategies are all good ways to open a conversation with a journalist.
4. Focus on human stories
Journalists are always looking for real human stories. There is even more urgency to this right now because of the wariness around AI. There have already been several cases of AI-generated case studies being used in the press and then being pulled.
Student and alumni stories are extremely powerful as these are real people navigating real career decisions. A student who chose a MiM over immediate employment, or an alumnus who pivoted industries early in their career, can bring your pitch to life.
The key is to frame these stories in a way that connects to broader themes, such as economic uncertainty, career switching, or international mobility.
5. Leverage your faculty experts
The strength of faculty is one of the reasons that students pick a programme.
Instead of pitching the programme directly, business schools can pitch the academics who teach on the programme as experts in their field. Rather than just concentrating on leadership or management issues, this can enable business schools to target a much wider range of business and practitioner media outlets and journalists. These range from technology to sustainability, geopolitics to entrepreneurship.
This builds credibility and keeps your school visible throughout the year.
Conclusion
Successful media coverage for a MiM programme comes from embedding it within the issues that matter to journalists and their readers. By focusing on insight, evidence and real-world impact, business schools can move from simply promoting a programme to shaping wider business conversations.
Summary
- Masters in Management (MiM) applications are rising again – up around 7% in 2025 – but with 200+ ranked programmes worldwide, schools face intense competition for students.
- Earned media in trusted outlets (the Financial Times, for example) provides powerful third‑party authority, boosting visibility, credibility, and support for recruitment, rankings and wider marketing.
- To secure coverage, business schools must think like journalists: tell data‑backed stories about trends (Gen Z, AI, sustainability, graduate jobs), pitch real students and alumni, and offer faculty experts who can comment on wider business issues.
- The most effective MiM media strategies combine strong data, human stories and expert insight, positioning the programme within bigger debates so schools move from simply promoting a course to actively shaping wider business conversations.
