As jobs get harder to find, fewer people are opting to leave the ones they have to go back to school.

Therefore, the executive MBA programs — which offer part-time, accelerated education to full-time workers already in the field — are becoming more popular and increasingly competitive.

The University of Utah's executive Master of Business Administration program again earned a prestigious spot on Financial Times' survey of business education programs, landing at No. 34 in the United States and 80th in the world, although dropping from its slot at No. 74 last year. The EMBA program at the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University notched up to No. 90 on the 2008 listing, also dropping one spot from last year.

New programs introduced to the international market pushed many schools down in the ranks but increased competition.

"There just seems to be a greater degree of interest in this economy, to continue working and continue in your career and come back to school on a part-time basis," said Brad Vierig, dean of the U.'s EMBA program. "It's a format that makes it easy to come back to school." The U. serves about 120 students at a time, the average age being 38, having about 14 years of work experience, which is equal to the school's international counterparts.

London's Columbia University was named the top EMBA provider in the world, reporting a salary growth over 110 percent for its graduates. Other schools rounding out the top five, included Hong Kong's Kellogg UST Business School; TRIAM, a joint program forged by New York University, London School of Economics and Political Science and the HEC School of Management in Paris in third place; followed by the University of Pennsylvania and the IE Business School in Madrid.

Alumni provide feedback on the programs' characteristics to come up with the rankings. According to results, the David Eccles School of Business' EMBA "is a highly valuable asset" to its graduates. BYU grads say their experience at Marriott was well-rounded and proved to be a great asset to their employers as well as their own careers.

The most recent survey, on newsstands Monday, includes the U.'s class of 2005 reporting a 49 percent salary increase since graduation — which equates to an annual salary of about $115,000 for successful U. graduates. Respondents also commented on the much-welcomed diversity within the program, as well as faculty who demonstrate quality experience in business.

"My fellow students represented diverse professions, ethnicities and life experiences that enhanced the learning process for me," said U. EMBA grad Stephen Warner, who currently works as the vice president for health sciences at the U.