For students considering postgraduate business education in Ireland, the question is increasingly practical: where can a degree take you after graduation?
The latest graduate employment data from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School provides a clear indication of the career pathways available to its graduates. Overall, 88 per cent of UCD Smurfit School graduates were employed within nine months of graduation in 2025, up from 86 per cent the previous year. Importantly for students looking to build their careers in Ireland, 72 per cent of these working graduates were employed directly in Ireland.
“Our graduate employment outcomes reflect the strength of our academic programmes, the depth of our connections with industry and our clear focus on preparing our students for the evolving needs of employers,” says Professor Federica Pazzaglia, director of UCD Smurfit School and associate dean of UCD College of Business.
“Our alumni frequently tell us that they actively look to hire our graduates because they know the quality of talent coming through our programmes,” she says, “and the skills, knowledge and capabilities those graduates bring to their organisations.”
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The figures also show the breadth of employers recruiting UCD Smurfit School graduates, from international professional services firms and big technology companies to banking, retail, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, fintech and more.
For prospective students, the data points to more than a first job after graduation. It highlights an increasingly diverse employment landscape, with opportunities across a wide range of sectors and employers that means the potential pathways extend well beyond traditional professional services roles.
“Behind the employment figures is a careers strategy focused on building relationships with employers while helping students navigate an increasingly varied job market,” says Louise Campbell, head of UCD Smurfit Careers Network. “The employment data shows both the strength and diversity of the opportunities available to our graduates. We are seeing strong recruitment from professional services and consulting, alongside technology, financial services, retail, FMCG and other sectors. Our relationships with corporate partners, combined with tailored careers support, help students understand where their skills can take them and prepare them to compete successfully for opportunities across the market.”
That diversity is increasingly important in a changing employment environment, providing graduates with opportunities across multiple sectors rather than concentrating career destinations in one or two areas.
For Irish students and their families, the fact that more than 70 per cent of graduates are employed in Ireland is particularly relevant. It demonstrates that a UCD Smurfit School postgraduate qualification can provide a pathway into the domestic graduate employment market, while the employer data shows the scale and variety of organisations recruiting graduates.
“I wanted to do my master’s at UCD Smurfit School because of the school’s reputation for producing top-tier graduates and graduates with great employment opportunities,” says Aoife Corscadden Hennessy, an MSc in Digital Marketing alumnus who graduated in 2025. “When looking into UCD Smurfit School, I also spoke with a number of alumni who had a lot of positives to share about the school and were also very successful professionally.”
Now an agency partner manager for Pinterest at Accenture, Aoife felt that the master’s and the UCD Smurfit Careers Network helped to clarify expectations around the job market, and enabled her to build a tailored strategy for her desired career.
“I worked closely with the careers team,” says Corscadden Hennessy. “I was a Careers Network ambassador and they were pivotal in supporting me on my journey into tech sales. They offered honest, practical and iterative advice, which meant I could take real steps in the direction I wanted.”
Immediately after graduation, she attended a networking event which she helped to organise in her role as Careers Network ambassador. There, she spoke to an Accenture project lead and the recruiter.
“If I could advise others, networking is all it’s cracked up to be. Make the effort to authentically network where possible. Presented with opportunities and having the UCD Smurfit School master’s on my CV helped to open the door into my dream sales role. I’m not sure it would have been possible otherwise.”
For students making decisions about postgraduate study, and for parents considering the potential return on that investment, these outcomes offer a clear picture of the career opportunities that can follow a UCD Smurfit School education.
Ranked among the top 1 per cent of business schools worldwide and triple-accredited for more than 20 years, the school’s programmes consistently rank among the world’s best and evolve with changing market demands. With more than 92,000 professionals across 140 countries, UCD Smurfit School has cultivated one of the world’s most dynamic and influential business school alumni networks.
To learn more about the suite of master’s programmes available at UCD Smurfit School visit smurfitschool.ie and register for one of our upcoming events in Dublin or around Ireland
