Master of Business Administration

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Delivery:
Full time according to Funding Council definitions, Sandwich (Thick) out of college.

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Accredited by:

This course is delivered by the AACSB-accredited Business School, an accreditation attained by fewer than 5% of business schools worldwide. It recognises our focus on continual excellence in all areas.

The Bournemouth MBA is designed to help you take your career to the next level. It will help you to operate as a global leader who understands the business ecosystem in an increasingly volatile environment, and is designed with the practical application of knowledge in mind.

We work in an integrated, collaborative way, bringing together topics that are often taught in isolation at other universities to ensure you benefit from a holistic understanding of how organisations work.

How we do it:

We’re committed to helping businesses develop in a sustainable, inclusive and responsible way, and that’s embedded into what we teach and how we teach it.
There’s a clear focus your professional development, along with the chance to develop future networks that can benefit your business and your career.
You can choose to take an optional 30-week work placement if you are looking to gain work experience in the UK, or considering changing careers.
We always have one eye firmly on the future, and have recently introduced a unit that specifically considers what work might look like in a heavily automated environment.

You will develop comprehensive knowledge and skills in business and management, and enhance your understanding of the people behaviour and attitudes, to become an effective, independent and credible leader. You will develop soft skills such as emotional intelligence and team working and adopt a responsible and inclusive leadership approach towards the creation of sustainable value for business and society.

Your leadership and managerial skills will be enhanced through a series of master-classes, guest lectures from industry speakers, case studies and consultancy work with real business clients. There are also opportunities to attend professional meetings and conferences to work with staff on their research and in some cases to publish together as well.

All statistics shown throughout this page are taken from Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) and BU institutional data.

Image description — Executive Business Centre

Key information

Next start date:

September 2019, September 2020

Location:

Bournemouth University, Lansdowne Campus

Duration:

1 year full-time; 2 years full-time with an optional 30-week placement

Accreditations:

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), The Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

Required subjects:

All subjects considered

Entry requirements:

For 2019 entry: A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject and at least 1 year of relevant work experience, however applicants with less experience may be invited to inverview. For more information see our full entry requirements.

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in speaking, listening and reading. For more information see our full entry requirements. For more information see our full entry requirements.

Course details

The MBA is made up of eight units and a consultancy or research project. Seven units from the core programme will be taken by all MBA professionals.

Download the programme specification (pdf 296kb)

Core units

Developing Sustainable Strategies: This unit will consider the key concepts, methods and thinking used to develop and deliver effective business and marketing strategies that consider both profitability and societal concerns such as the environment. The understanding, techniques and skills required to analyse and evaluate accounting and financial data and their links to organisational strategy will be critically examined.
Leading & Managing Change in Socially Responsible Organisations: Leaders and managers are increasingly subject to greater levels of complexity and ambiguity within a global business context. The unit will explore a range of contemporary CSR issues and management challenges faced by organisations, both internally and through external influences, in increasingly complex, global, diverse and fast changing stakeholder environments.
Managing Organisational & Individual Performance: This unit aims will equip you with the methods, techniques and skills to critically evaluate performance management practice and relevant performance metrics. It will develop your understanding of business intelligence and business analytics, and your ability to derive insights from a pool of data to inform effective decision making.
Shaping the Future of Work: The workplace is currently experiencing unprecedented change via influences such as digitalisation, machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics alongside demographic changes and the emergence of new ways of working. Combined with the recognition that talent shortages are likely to be the new norm, these changes are also leading to a renewed interest in intrinsically human skills such as emotional intelligence. This unit will examine a variety of contemporary trends/issues disrupting and shaping our workplace and evaluate the potential opportunities and challenges that organisations and their workforce may face in the future.
Project (MBA): An opportunity to undertake a significant piece of self-managed research in an area that interests you. The project will stimulate independent learning and idea generation, critical thinking and reflection, allowing you to demonstrate the application of inter-disciplinary knowledge, analytical and evaluative skills, and audience-tailored communication skills. The work could take either of the form of a consultancy project focusing on a business or societal problem/opportunity situation. A distinguishing characteristic of this work is the engagement of a client within a business, organisation or community from outside the programme. You are normally expected to work as a team for the development of ideas and delivering of the client output(s). The work will be assessed through individual reports. Alternatively you can complete a research project, a systematic study with research and applied outcomes conducted as an individual piece of work. The work could take either of the form of a:

Consultancy Project - focusing on a business or societal problem/opportunity situation. A distinguishing characteristic of this work is the engagement of a client within a business, organisation or community from outside the programme. You are normally expected to work as a team for the development of ideas and delivering of the client output(s). The work will be assessed through individual reports.

Research Project - a systematic study with research and applied outcomes conducted as an individual piece of work.

Option units (choose one)

Digital Marketing: You will be introduce to a range of digital marketing concepts underpinned by the digital marketing planning process including analysis, planning, implementation and control. Emphasis will also be placed on evaluating the effectiveness of various digital marketing tools.
Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Design: You will develop an effective entrepreneurial, innovative, and design thinking mindset. The implementation of design management principles, innovative culture and governance will be explored in a variety of business contexts. The unit will explore the nature of entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, attributes, competences, and behaviours.
Global Innovation Management: This unit explores and evaluates the theoretical and practical perspectives of innovation management, as well as the managerial issues facing organisations in the global environment.
International Taxation: This unit will provide knowledge of the business opportunities and business risk entailed in cross-border trading and of the measures commonly taken by countries to protect their jurisdiction to tax.
Projects in Society: Projects can be seen as being at the heart of the global economy, communities and wider society. They introduce change, both positive and negative. We will explore the challenges, controversies, opportunities and debates around managing projects in a global context.
SME & Entrepreneurial Finance: This unit explores various theories of finance while drawing on practical knowledge of government grants, business angels, venture capitals (VCs), private equity, investment banks and other financing types for early-stage businesses.

Optional work placement

The placement is intended to foster personal and professional development and to improve your employability. It should enable you to consolidate and extend the professional competencies you have developed during the first two semesters of study.

You should consider how a range of management theories can be used, and if management in industry could be improved. The transferable skills developed will improve your performance in your future career, both as employee and manager.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Your application

What we’re looking for

For Masters of Business Administration we are looking for applicants who:

Have a passion for business and personal development
Are looking to focus their knowledge and skills on key business concepts and disciplines
Can connect theory to practical application to use in day-to-day business operations
Have current knowledge in concerns and issues facing businesses.

At least one year of relevant work experience is required, however if you do not have the required qualifications we would encourage you to apply as each application will be considered on its individual merit. Applicants with less than one year of work experience may be invited to a Skype or face-to-face interview with the MBA Director. Social enterprise, volunteering or entrepreneurial experience may also be considered.

Selection methods

We’ll be selecting the candidates for this course by looking at their applications. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU.

You could be invited to an interview with that MBA Director that could be via Skype or in person. For more information, take a look at our postgraduate how to apply pages.

How and when to apply

There is no application deadline for this course. However, if you will need a visa to come to the UK to study, think carefully about the length of time it will take for your visa application to be processed and make sure your visa will be ready in time for the beginning of your course.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section.

Placement

An exciting part of your studies with us is the opportunity to do a minimum 30-week industry placement. This takes place after the taught elements of the course are complete (before the project), and provides you with the opportunity to gain valuable experience and apply the learning that you have achieved through the course.

Find out more about placements for postgraduate students

Example placement roles

What support is available?

We provide a lot of support for you to help you find work, including a block of seminars, covering topics such as writing a CV and a covering letter, completing an application form, performing well in interviews, and we also provide language support to assist you with the written elements of your applications.

However, it is ultimately your responsibility to find work. The university does not guarantee that you will find a place. As you all probably know, it is hard work finding a job, and for this reason, many students change their mind once they are here, and choose a taught unit instead of doing the placement.

During your time on placement you will be supported by a unit tutor and a placement development advisor who will visit you on placement and keep in touch by phone and email.

International students

If you choose to do a placement as part of your course:

If you have previously studied in the UK, we will consider any study limit that may apply. We will issue your CAS according to the length of time you are entitled to under UKVI regulations (if you do not have enough time left for a work placement year, we will issue your CAS to cover your course dates only).

If you decide after you have enrolled on your course that you do not want to do a placement, this will be reported to the UKVI when you have successfully completed your course.

If you choose not to do a placement as part of your course:

We will note this on your CAS and your visa will only be granted long enough to cover your taught course, excluding placement.

If you change your mind while you are here and decide you want to do a placement, you will need to leave the UK to make a new Tier 4 visa application for the additional year of study. You would need to pay for your return travel back to your home country, as well as the cost of a new Tier 4 student visa application.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject and at least 1 year of relevant work experience, however applicants with less experience may be invited to interview.

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry Team for more information.

International entry requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in speaking, listening and reading, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level.

You can also find further details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our postgraduate entry requirements page.

Careers

With academic expertise drawn upon from across BU’s Faculties, our MBA is constantly evolving to ensure it remains at the forefront of change and advancement in all sectors. This course provides you with a springboard for developing a managerial career.

Typical starting job roles

Industries worked in

Further study

Costs and fees

You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate fees and funding section, including details of the Postgraduate Loan (subject to fee status).

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per year. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course.

No hidden extras

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

One set of study-related consumables such as a memory stick/ DVD
Materials for laboratory and field-based teaching activity
Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement
A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
Disability and additional learning support
The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

Additional cost

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
Optional fieldwork travel, outdoor wear and footwear (where applicable)
Text books, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of text books and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses.

Repeat units

Deposits

International (non-EU) students need to pay a non-refundable £2,000 deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:

You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

Financial help available from BU

Our staff

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that teaching staff can change.

Deborah Taylor – MBA Director

Deborah joined Bournemouth University in 2010 having worked within the Investment banking and the recruitment industries. Her teaching is at both postgraduate and undergraduate levels and includes the MBA and Business Studies programmes. She is passionate about education and its opportunities to enhance individual’s personal and professional development. Her research interests include psychological ownership, leadership and talent management.

View Deborah Taylor’s staff profile

Dr Phyllis Alexander – Principal Academic

Dr Alexander joined BU in 2007, following a successful twenty-year career as a US Certified Public Accountant. Her professional experiences included general accounting and auditing services with a medium-sized public accounting firm followed by international tax consultancy services with a ‘Big 4’ accounting firm.

She remains an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New Jersey Society of CPAs. Phyllis’ research interests include aspects of personal tax equity and efficiency, financial analysis, environmental reporting and taxation and corporate governance.

View Dr Phyllis Alexander’s staff profile

Dr Julie Robson – Associate Professor

Julie specialises in financial services marketing with a career in the insurance industry, where she worked in a range of management roles including marketing, new product development and research. More recently Julie's research has been extended to include marketing within the banking, insurance, broker and Islamic finance sectors.

Julie is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Bank Marketing and is currently chair of the Qualifications Examination and Assessments Committee of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and a past President of the Bournemouth Insurance Institute.

View Dr Julie Robson’s staff profile

Dr Gelareh Roushan - Head of Centre for Excellence in Learning

Dr Gelareh Roushan successfully completed her PhD titled: Role of Information Systems Specialists in Business Process Re-engineering. Her industry background is in the financial sector prior to entering academia. She has over 25 years experience in the Higher Education and she has held leadership positions through most of her career.

Gelareh’s area of research is in Innovation Science and she has published and presented on digital solutions to meet emerging business and educational requirements for over 20 years. More recently, her area of research has been in Medtech innovation diffusion and development of a new Surgical Innovation Framework, in collaboration with the National Health Service.

View Dr Gelareh Roushan's staff profile

Dr Milena Bobeva – Principal Academic

Dr Bobeva is a key advocate of education innovation through staff-student collaboration and Technology Enhanced Learning. Her subject expertise is multidisciplinary, with a key focus on system analysis, business process improvement, blended and e-learning, and performance management. For more than 15 years Milena has actively adopted real-life project-based learning and the use of contemporary information and communication technologies for documenting and marketing the outcomes of student work.

View Dr Milena Bobeva’s staff profile

Dr Jeffery Bray - Principal Academic

Jeff graduated from Bournemouth University in 2001 with a BA (Hons) in Retail Management and from Stirling University in 2004 with a MBA. After a career in a variety of operational retail project management roles, he joined Bournemouth University as an academic in 2004 and graduated with a PhD in Consumer Behaviour in 2011. Jeff has taught a variety of modules related to consumer marketing and behaviour at both UG and PG level, supervised several PhD students and held a number of management roles. His current research examines consumer decision making with respect to food choice, and the health impact that might be achieved through influencing these choices.

View Dr Jeffery Bray's staff profile

Dr Elvira Bolat - Principal Academic

Course changes

Changes in 2019

Date	Changes to this course
10/06/19	Where the change was made: Course content/details Change: Following a course review the course overview and unit content has been revised and updated for September 2019 onwards.

Changes in 2016

Date	Changes to this course
18/06/2018	Where the change was made: Entry requirements Change: The entry requirements have been reduced from a 2:1 to a 2:2 Previous text: A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:1 in any subject, or equivalent and at least 1 year of relevant work experience, however applicants with less experience may be invited to inverview.
19/05/2016	Where the change was made: Duration, delivery method Change: 2 years part-time (blended learning, on-campus and online) option is suspended for 2016 and 2017 entries
26/02/2016	Where the change was made: Course details Change: Elective unit change. Removal of the unit Industrial Economics and addition of the unit Global Economic Challenges Previous text: Industrial Economics: Develop your understanding of firm conduct and performance in various market structures. You'll be introduced to a traditional microeconomic analysis of firms and markets, with a focus on imperfect competition and government intervention. You'll also examine more recent developments in this area including pricing, game and firm theory. The unit will also develop your ability to analyse various business practices, such as pricing, advertising and innovation, with reference to the latest research.
26/02/2016	Where the change was made: Course details Change: Removal of elective unit, Business Law and Intellectual Property Previous text: Business Law & Intellectual Property: Develop your understanding of the commercial legal framework and context in which business operates. You'll evaluate the impact of legal regulation, procedure and practice on business management.