Master of Business Administration

• 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.

• 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.

You have the option to undertake a 30-week placement at the end of the course, providing an opportunity to apply your acquired knowledge and skills in the workplace. You are required to find your own placement; however, our Careers & Employability Service and your faculty placements office are on hand to support you.

The placement is intended to foster personal and professional development, and to help you to make a connection between academic learning and the working world.

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 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.

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 two years 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 two years 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.

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. 

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.

• Marketing
• Project Manager
• Financial Analyst
• HR Assistant

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.

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.

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject and a minimum of two years relevant full-time work experience. However, applicants with other backgrounds may be invited to interview and are encouraged to discuss their application with the MBA Director.

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry:

• India: Bachelor’s degree (4 years) from a recognised HE institution with a minimum overall result of 55%. 
• Nigeria:  Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution with a minimum classification of 2:2
• Thailand:  Thai Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution with a minimum GPA of 2.5/4.0
• Turkey: Bachelor’s degree (Lisans Diplomasi - four years) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.3/4.0
• Vietnam:  Bachelor's degree/Bang tot nghiep dai hoc with an average score of 6.5/10, or a Master’s degree/Thac si.

All applications will be subject to a minimum grade and your degree may need to be in a relevant subject area.

English language 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 5.5 in writing, 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.

Roles our Masters of Business Administration graduates are in include:

• Director
• Lead Project Manager
• Head of Economic Development Services
• Head of Information and Systems Development.

• Business
• Finance
• Marketing
• Human Resources.

If you want to continue your studies after achieving your MBA, you can look into our range of doctoral programmes.

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:

• 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
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• 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.

Additional costs

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:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding BU financial support funds. 
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
• Travel costs, outdoor wear and footwear for optional field trips.
• Travel costs to and from the university campus. An annual bus pass is included in your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation.
• Textbooks, 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
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• SportsBU membership.

While all aspects of the programme, including required field trips, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

If you need to repeat one or more units during the course of your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full time fee.

International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable £3,000 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.

We offer a range of scholarships to students who are beginning their studies at BU. Our fees and funding pages also provide details on living costs, budgeting and paying your tuition fees.

Deborah is the Director of the MBA programme and a Senior Lecturer at Bournemouth University. Deborah joined Bournemouth University in 2010, having worked within the Investment banking and the recruitment industry. Her teaching centres on the areas of Organisational Behaviour and Leadership at both postgraduate and undergraduate levels. Research interests include Psychological Ownership, Leadership, Career and Talent Management. 

Dr Phyllis Alexander is a Principal Academic in Accounting and Taxation within the Business School of Bournemouth University. She joined BU’s Accounting, Finance and Economics Department 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 received her doctorate from Bournemouth University in 2013. Her PhD thesis is entitled Owner-occupied Housing Taxation: An Equity Evaluation of the UK and US Tax Systems. Phyllis’ research interests include aspects of personal tax equity and efficiency, international tax matters, financial analysis, corporate governance, accounting pedagogy and fair access to higher education. 

Phyllis has taught various subjects during her tenure at BU, including advanced accounting, financial analysis, personal and corporate taxation within national and international contexts. Her current PhD candidates are researching in the specialist areas of corporate governance, financial distress, and auditing. 

Julie is Associate Professor Marketing in the Department of Marketing, Strategy and Innovation and her research interests lie in corporate brands and trust repair, particularly within financial services. Julie has received research funding from the ESRC, Academy of Marketing and the European Commission. She is a member of the Board of the Association of Insurance Marketing and a Senior Associate of the Centre for Risk, Banking and Financial Services, University of Nottingham. 

Julie is on the senior editorial board of the Journal of Financial Services Marketing, and the editorial board of the International Journal of Bank Marketing and the Service Industries Journal. She has guest-edited several special issues, mainly on financial services marketing. She has published in international journals, including the Journal of Business Research, Marketing Theory and Qualitative Market Research.  

Before joining Bournemouth University, Julie worked in a range of senior marketing roles for a global insurer in the UK and Germany. During this time, she helped to establish two professional groups: GIMRA (General Insurance Market Research Association) and the CIM Financial Services SIG. Today Julie is a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute’s (CII’s) Professional Standards Board, a past Chair of the CII’s Qualifications, Examinations and Assessments Committee and advises the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusting on their professional qualifications. She is also a Chartered Insurance Practitioner and received the CII’s President’s award in 2016 for her work in the insurance industry. 

Previous roles at Bournemouth University have included Associate Dean, Director of Enterprise and Head of Department, Strategy and Marketing. 

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

Following her previous roles including Deputy Dean for Education and Director of accreditation in the Business Schoo where she led successful AACSB accreditation, Gelareh is Associate Professor in Marketing and has recently been appointed as Bournemouth University’s Head of Centre for Excellence in Learning. Her previous senior posts have included Head of Department, Associate Dean for Education, Head of Programmes and Director of MBA. Her other responsibilities have included, Chair of Technology Enhanced Learning Strategy Forum for the University, Project Sponsor for Vision for Learning and co-Chair of the Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team. 

Gelareh has been serving on the Board of United Kingdom Academy for Information Systems for over 12 years, and she also serves as a ‘volunteer’ for AACSB International. She works with other UK universities as External Examiner, including Doctoral examination and programme validation, her responsibilities include Transnational Education. 

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. 

Milena is a key advocate of education innovation through staff-student collaboration and Technology Enhanced Learning. Her subject expertise is multi-disciplinary, with a critical 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. Her experience covers both extensive undergraduate (300+students) cohorts and small groups of MBA students. 

The outcomes of working with students as partners in subject-based research, enquiry and consultancy have been reported through a variety of channels, including conference publications, workshops and reports. Milena’s work in supporting student learning has received Bournemouth University awards for outstanding contributions to student learning in 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2014. 

Milena is a Member of the Chartered Management Institute since 2012. In January 2014 she was awarded a fellowship for the Centre for Excellence in Learning and the Centre for Excellence in Media Practice at Bournemouth University. 

Jeff is a Consumer Behaviour researcher and educator focused on the societal challenges of sustainable consumption both from an environmental perspective and a personal (health) perspective. This research has received external funding from a variety of sources and generated numerous academic journal publications.  

Jeff graduated from Bournemouth University in 2001 with a BA (hons) in Retail Management, from Stirling University in 2004 with an 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. 

Elvira is the Director of Accreditation (leading portfolio of world-leading accreditations, i.e. AACSB, CMI, CIM, IDM etc.), Associate Professor in Marketing at the Bournemouth University Business School and and Senior Fellow of HEA and Department of Marketing Assurance of Learning (AACSB) Lead. She is Regional President (UK) of IAPNM, on editorial board of Journal of Business to Business Marketing and Deputy Chair for the Academy of Marketing B2B SIG. 

Elvira has gained PhD with thesis titled 'Mobile Technology Capabilities and their role in service innovation practices in creative SMEs' and now is supervising other doctoral students in the fields of marketing and management with the focus on digital/interactive marketing. 

Currently, her research focuses on social media influencing, adoption of technology by businesses, trust repair in online space and responsible online gambling. Her recent consultancy projects have covered digital marketing planning and implementation for Dr Jackson's, Kudu Clothing and Eat Pho Ltd. 

Suranjita joined Bournemouth University in September 2011. She is a Senior Lecturer in the area of Accounting and Finance and has 12 years of university teaching experience at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level. As an experienced academic she is passionate about using new technology and inventive teaching techniques like Panopto, Padlet, podcasts and use of innovative assessments to emphasise conceptual understanding of the subject matter.

She has extensive experience in curriculum planning with proficiency in programme development of a specialist undergraduate and a specialist integrated master’s degree in accounting and finance. Suranjita has been a programme director in varied academic roles including academic liaison tutor with FE colleges, programme leader of a specialist finance and accounting programmes. Her ongoing research interest is in corporate governance, corporate finance and Tax.

Dr Suranjita Mukherjee is the Deputy Head of Department for Accounting, Finance & Economics.

Throughout her academic career, Lois has employed the positive philosophy and practice of continuous improvement; working in collaboration with various organisational stakeholders to develop teams and individuals in the context of organisational vision, mission and goals. 

As a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, People-centred Lean approaches and Appreciative Inquiry, underpin much of her work. 

She has worked with Bournemouth University for almost five years as a Head of Department. She began her role in leading a Human Resources & Organisational Behaviour Department. Subsequently, through consultation and collaboration, Lois built and now leads the multi-disciplinary Leadership, Strategy and Organisations Department. She has also supported wider organisational development through the implementation of a new Academic Career Framework and Workload Planning Framework. 

Lois is active in applied research in various areas including leadership and HRM good practice and has enjoyed collaborating with multiple organisations including IiP Scotland, NHS Lothian, and Dorset and Devon & Cornwall Police Forces. She has supervised PhD and DBA theses in a range of areas including culture change, lean management/continuous improvement, readiness for change, employee engagement, leadership practice, partnership working, and gender equality. 

Before working at BU, Lois was Director of Research Degrees (PhD and DBA) at Edinburgh Napier University with the remit of revitalising the doctoral research community. 

Hassan is interested in organisational learning, organisation change management and adopting innovative practices to improve performances in commercial and service organisations both in public and private sectors and also higher education. He examines the role of MIS, including Accounting Control and Information Systems, in the processes of organisational change; how MIS can be developed to improve performance, performance measurement systems and how that interacts with other organisational functions. Also, how intangible and tangible values can be measured. He also examines the diffusion and implementation of innovative managerial practices. His experience is both in developed and developing countries and considers globalisation as an important factor in developing business performance. Hassan is also active in areas such as accounting education, Islamic accounting and ethics in accounting. 

Dr Stefanos Marangos is a Senior Lecturer in Strategy at Bournemouth University Business School and a Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Global Business Management (Top-up - online). 

Stefanos has a PhD in Open Innovation and an MSc in Management Sciences and Finance from the University of Southampton and BSc in Financial Applications from TEI Kozanis in Greece. 

Current research includes open innovation and innovation management, strategic business models, self-managed learning, inquiry-based learning. 

Rebecca has a passion for enhancing the student experience and facilitating the development of students’ employability. She is a full-time Lecturer in the People and Organisations department within the Business School. In this role she contributes to the department through the management and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate student-centred teaching, the supervision of the department’s Peer Assisted Learning Leaders and her doctoral research into education, students’ transition to Higher Education and student scholarship. 

Rebecca is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development and a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. Having led HR functions within multi-national corporations before joining BU, Rebecca can leverage her extensive professional network for guest speakers. She can also draw upon her depth and breadth of experience to develop materials that improve the students understanding of business in the ‘real world’.