MBA
Course code: MN2CK (required to complete application form)
All over the world, the MBA is the recognised management and leadership qualification. It's formal recognition that you have the strategic knowledge, insight and understanding to become a successful manager – and an inspiring leader. Our online MBA is a popular choice for busy professionals from all over the world, who want the benefits of this top level qualification, without having to travel to attend fixed lectures or fit in with someone else’s timetable.
Studying online gives you the flexibility to study at the most convenient time and place for you. Course modules still operate within a fixed semester or term time, but you can choose to study during the day, in the evenings or at the weekend rather than having to attend fixed lectures.
An MBA approved by your professional body
It’s one of only a few MBAs in the UK that has been accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) – the UK's professional body for managers and leaders. That proves our course meets the highest professional management standards and means you can apply for Chartered Manager status* once you’ve finished; that’s the highest status possible for managers.
Theory that means something in the workplace
Because we asked key people working in industry to help us design this MBA, you can be confident that it will give you the skills desired by top employers. On top of this, we constantly encourage you to put your new knowledge to the test at work and evaluate its success – particularly in the Business Impact Study; a more practical alternative to the traditional dissertation or Independent Study as it’s now known. If you aren’t currently employed, don’t worry; we will use real case studies so you can still see how this knowledge can be applied.
* Chartered Manager requires a formal application process to CMI that includes an assessment questionnaire, submission of an Independent Business Impact Study (not an Independent Study or Dissertation) and an assessment interview.
Course Length:
3 years of part time study
Start Dates:
September, January and May
Entry Requirements:
- a bachelors degree with honours (at least 2.2) or equivalent professional experience
- 2-3 years' relevant work experience at a supervisory or managerial level
- EU/International students - a suitable standard of English (IELTS 6.5/TOEFL 580[PC 237])
- You will need to submit a full CV with your application
What is equivalent to a bachelors degree in my country?
Professional top-up routes and exemptions
- ACCA, or CIMA qualified, CMI (Level 7), Edexcel (Level 7) will be awarded 90 credit exemption and need to study 3 modules plus the Independent Study
- ABP/ABE will be awarded 75 credit exemption and need to study 4 modules plus the Independent Study.
- ICS who have completed CSQS may be awarded up to 60 credits exemption. Other higher level qualifications (equivalent to level 7) may be considered at the time of application.
Fees:
| UK/EU/Overseas | Per module | Modules | Total | Start |
| Stage 1 -Certificate | £885 | 4 | £3,540* | Sept/Jan/May |
| Stage 2 - Diploma | £885 | 4 | £3,540* | Sept/Jan/May |
| Stage 3 - Masters | £1035 | 4 | £4,140* | Sept/Jan/May |
| Total cost | £11,220* |
*Prices correct for 2012/2013. Subject to annual increase in September 2013 (NB: Fees for UK and Non UK students are the same).
New flexible payment plans available
Choose from three options:
- Pay only for the modules you are studying
- Pay your full course fees upfront and avoid annual increases
- Pay for all modules studied in the year and receive a 5% discount (September enrolment only)
Career Information:
People take an MBA to further their career as a manager. It's a well-respected award that proves you have met a high international standard in leadership and management.
Testimonials:
Neelesh Sawoky studied online for his MBA from his home in Mauritius. He heads up the international audit department ofa commercial bank on the island, and wanted to gain a masters degree to prepare himself for higher managerial responsibilities.
Because he was already ACCA qualified and held a first degree, Nellesh gained a full MBA in just one year, by taking advantage of one of the professinal top-up routes. Study had to fit around his busy lifestyle so he chose the online route. Neelesh says, "I now have a much better understanding of how businesses are managed; how to deal with their operations, marketing and human resources."
Julie Basford's MBA took her to some suprising places. Having started as a part time student while working for Derby City Council, she ended up moving to Abu Dhabi during her third year and completed the programme as an online student.
Julie's now living and working in Australia and benefiting from the confidence and skilsl the MBA has given her. She says, "Starting work in Australia was a complete culture shock in many different ways, but having studied international culture as part of my MBA, I was much better prepared."
Course Leader:
Modules Summary:
The MBA offers a tailored progression route through three stages which culminates in the award of the MBA.
The first stage, the Postgraduate Certificate in Management Studies, gives you a broad recognition and awareness of the environment and context within which business operates. You will have a practical introduction to the key knowledge, techniques and skills required to manage effectively in today's organisations.
The Diploma and Masters stages build on this with a more in depth exploration of a range of tactical and strategic areas in line with the CMI Level 7 qualification standards. The second stage, Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies, enables you to step back and take a more overall view of organisations, and to develop more strategic thinking skills. You will develop your ability to apply and decide business tactics and strategies.
At the final stage of your MBA you will develop your critical thinking skills even further. You will be enhancing your strategic management expertise as you apply your learning to current and future business issues and scenarios. Your study at this level encourages a deeper understanding of the challenges of strategy and its implementation.
The emphasis is on the integration of contemporary theory and practice. You will be combining skills for implementing change, and understanding and implementing business decisions and the strategic context. This all culminates in the completion of a Business Impact Report. Here you will develop and demonstrate your powers of rigorous analysis, critical enquiry, clear expression and independent judgment.
Top-up routes
If you are a member of ACCA, CIMA, CMI or Edexcel (at Level 7) you can be awarded up to 90 credits exemption and will typically need to complete the following modules to be awarded a full MBA:
- Sustainable Customer Value
- Strategy, Competition and Sustainability
- Change, Challenge and Strategic Leadership
- Independent Study - for CMI it must be the Business Impact Report.
Association of Business Executives (ABE) may be awarded up to 75 credits exemption dependent on the specific programme of learning studied with ABE. You will typically need to complete the following modules to be awarded a full MBA:
- Sustainable Customer Value
- Managing Organisational Information
- Strategy, Competitition and Sustainability
- Change, Challenge and Strategic Leadership
- Independent Study (Business Impact Report or Dissertation)
Members of Institute of Chartered Secretaries (ICS) who have completed CSQS may be awarded up to 60 credits exemption. Other higher level qualifications may be considered at the time of application to further exempt an additional 30 credits but should not be assumed during the application process. You will typically need to complete the following modules to be awarded a full MBA:
- Sustainable Customer Value or Research Methods
- Managing the Dynamic Organisation
- Leading, Managing and Developing People at Work
- Managing Organisational Information
- Change, Challenge and Strategic Leadership
- Indepdendent Study
Modules Summary Stage 1:
You will need to take all of the CORE modules below.
Modules Summary Stage 2:
You will need to take all of the following CORE modules and then select ONE of the OPTIONAL modules listed below.
Modules Summary Stage 3:
You will need to take the following CORE module and then choose ONE of the OPTIONAL modules listed below. To apply for Chartered Manager status with the CMI you must complete the Business Impact Report, not the Independent Study.
Student Profile:
Neelesh Sawoky studied online for his MBA from his home in Mauritius. He heads up the international audit department ofa commercial bank on the island, and wanted to gain a masters degree to prepare himself for higher managerial responsibilities.
Because he was already ACCA qualified and held a first degree, Nellesh gained a full MBA in just one year, by taking advantage of one of the professinal top-up routes. Study had to fit around his busy lifestyle so he chose the online route. Neelesh says, "I now have a much better understanding of how businesses are managed; how to deal with their operations, marketing and human resources."
Julie Basford's MBA took her to some suprising places. Having started as a part time student while working for Derby City Council, she ended up moving to Abu Dhabi during her third year and completed the programme as an online student.
Julie's now living and working in Australia and benefiting from the confidence and skilsl the MBA has given her. She says, "Starting work in Australia was a complete culture shock in many different ways, but having studied international culture as part of my MBA, I was much better prepared."
Career Information
People take an MBA to further their career as a manager. It's a well-respected award that proves you have met a high international standard in leadership and management.
Modules
The MBA offers a tailored progression route through three stages which culminates in the award of the MBA.
The first stage, the Postgraduate Certificate in Management Studies, gives you a broad recognition and awareness of the environment and context within which business operates. You will have a practical introduction to the key knowledge, techniques and skills required to manage effectively in today's organisations.
The Diploma and Masters stages build on this with a more in depth exploration of a range of tactical and strategic areas in line with the CMI Level 7 qualification standards. The second stage, Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies, enables you to step back and take a more overall view of organisations, and to develop more strategic thinking skills. You will develop your ability to apply and decide business tactics and strategies.
At the final stage of your MBA you will develop your critical thinking skills even further. You will be enhancing your strategic management expertise as you apply your learning to current and future business issues and scenarios. Your study at this level encourages a deeper understanding of the challenges of strategy and its implementation.
The emphasis is on the integration of contemporary theory and practice. You will be combining skills for implementing change, and understanding and implementing business decisions and the strategic context. This all culminates in the completion of a Business Impact Report. Here you will develop and demonstrate your powers of rigorous analysis, critical enquiry, clear expression and independent judgment.
Top-up routes
If you are a member of ACCA, CIMA, CMI or Edexcel (at Level 7) you can be awarded up to 90 credits exemption and will typically need to complete the following modules to be awarded a full MBA:
- Sustainable Customer Value
- Strategy, Competition and Sustainability
- Change, Challenge and Strategic Leadership
- Independent Study - for CMI it must be the Business Impact Report.
Association of Business Executives (ABE) may be awarded up to 75 credits exemption dependent on the specific programme of learning studied with ABE. You will typically need to complete the following modules to be awarded a full MBA:
- Sustainable Customer Value
- Managing Organisational Information
- Strategy, Competitition and Sustainability
- Change, Challenge and Strategic Leadership
- Independent Study (Business Impact Report or Dissertation)
Members of Institute of Chartered Secretaries (ICS) who have completed CSQS may be awarded up to 60 credits exemption. Other higher level qualifications may be considered at the time of application to further exempt an additional 30 credits but should not be assumed during the application process. You will typically need to complete the following modules to be awarded a full MBA:
- Sustainable Customer Value or Research Methods
- Managing the Dynamic Organisation
- Leading, Managing and Developing People at Work
- Managing Organisational Information
- Change, Challenge and Strategic Leadership
- Indepdendent Study
Stage 1
You will need to take all of the CORE modules below.
Core Module
This module is a crucial step in the MBA programme. If you are to successfully manage, you need a structured understanding of how quantitative information must be used to support your actions.
We will focus on financial information systems operating within the business and economic information from outside. The aim is to emphasise system frameworks, and how they can be applied to help you be more effective at controlling, making decisions and planning.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 60% coursework and 40% exam.
Credits:
Core Module
In the current employment market, successful careers can no longer be built on educational qualifications alone. If you are looking to move into leadership and management positions, you must develop a portfolio of transferable skills at a professional level.
The overall aim of this module is to enable you to use reflective and personal development planning processes (PDP) to identify and provide evidence of, your learning and development. You will gain skills to help you identify your own weaknesses, opportunities and threats and find ways to address these. This will prepare you for the ongoing demands of your career and the need to take control of your own continuing professional development.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework.
Credits:
Core Module
Effective managers need to understand the complex, dynamic and systematic nature of the organisations in which they manage and lead staff. Organisational theory can help you do this, and this is what we’ll cover in this module.
As you begin to understand how different parts of the business are interconnected with one another, and with the external environment, you will learn to consider the ieder implications of management decisions and behaviour on organisations, teams and individuals.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework.
Credits:
Core Module
In this module we will consider how organisations must deliver superior and sustainable customer value to achieve long term competitive advantage.
You will learn to critically evaluate and justify, how customer value can be maximised, and recommend improvements to customer services, products and/or processes which will help achieve this.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework.
Credits:
Stage 2
You will need to take all of the following CORE modules and then select ONE of the OPTIONAL modules listed below.
Core Module
As you become more senior in an organisation, it’s likely that you will need to have the knowledge and skills to use financially based performance metrics at a more strategic level.
This module will help you confront any fears you may have about your understanding of accounting and finance! It follows on naturally from the Managing Organisational Information module, by providing you with a range of financial tools to help you gain the information you need and make a greater contribution to the overall performance of the organisation.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework.
Credits:
Core Module
All managers are required to develop core knowledge and skills in the field of people management. This module aims to develop your understanding of the principle areas of people management, which have been identified by research in this area.
We will cover contemporary changes, developments in linking practice to positive organisational outcomes, as well as the major debates about theory and practice in the specific fields of leadership, flexibility and change management. You will be asked to reflect critically on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint, and will come to see how you can add value to your own organisation.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework.
Credits:
Core Module
This module provides you with a holistic view of how different organisations manage the development of strategy and policy, in order to respond to changes and develop sustainable competitive advantage. We will also explore the differing theories about this topic among academics and business professionals.
We will cover the latest thinking and practices in this area, touching upon issues such as globalisation; innovation and creativity; performance management and financial control; markets, hierarchies and networks; transformational change; and knowledge management. You will learn different methods of analysing and brining together information, critically evaluating and selecting a number of strategic options, and then recommending how these should be implemented. You will also develop a wider international perspective; increase your awareness of organisational, industrial and cultural diversity and develop your analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework.
Credits:
Optional Module
The question of corporate responsibility – the way an organisation discharges their moral and ethical responsibilities – is vital to any contemporary discussion about the management of a business. As organisations have become increasingly powerful, the need for them to be more transparent about how they behave and how they use this power has grown.
This module asks you to firstly consider the management of the organisation in terms of its ethical responsibilities, its ethical decision-making and the strategic and practical ways in which the organisation may choose to manage its corporate responsibilities. We then ask you to consider the dynamic influences that may require the organisation to consider its ethical response. This learning will enable you to evaluate the values and ethics of the organisations and societies you are associated with.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework.
Credits:
Optional Module
Management theory, practice and business technologies are advancing at a bewildering rate. Organisations have a choice – to adopt or not. If these latest practices are adopted the results may be disappointing, but not to adopt the latest thinking could leave your enterprise at a disadvantage.
This module can help you make the right decisions for your organisation, by giving you the ability to understand, and then critically evaluate new management theories, technologies, and initiatives, and identify those which are most likely to benefit an organisation.
You will undertake a research-based assessment of a current trend, technology, or recent innovation in management thinking, and critically evaluate how it may contribute towards the sustainable competitive advantage of a particular enterprise, organisation or business sector. You will work with your tutor to choose a topic that is of most interest to you.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework.
Credits:
Optional Module
This module aims to improve your project management skills and awareness, and enables you to lik project management with the ideas and concepts of previous modules.
We will focus on the relationship between operational and project management, in line with the strategic objectives of an organisation. You will learn about the Project Life Cycle (PLC) and explore the first three phases of this in depth.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework.
Credits:
Stage 3
You will need to take the following CORE module and then choose ONE of the OPTIONAL modules listed below. To apply for Chartered Manager status with the CMI you must complete the Business Impact Report, not the Independent Study.
Core Module
This final module brings together your learning on all previous modules, to help you explore the global challenges involved in successful strategic leadership.
It will enable you to evaluate the major changes taking place in the business environment and how these impact on the different strategic and management approaches used by complex and/or international organisations. You will therefore be able to develop different types of management strategy, and design management policies, that are appropriate for an era of increasing complexity.
How will I be assessed?
It’s 100% coursework.
Credits:
Optional Module
If you want to go on to apply for Chartered Manager status with CMI, you must take the Business Impact Study, rather than the Independent Study.
The Business Impact Study is also ideal if you are studying whilst working, because it allows you to identify, investigate and resolve a real management problem or issued within your own organisation. So it is a great opportunity to demonstrate to your employer a return on their investment in you.
You will need to provide an efficient, in-depth analysis of the most critical business functions and processes in your chosen area, consider the financial impact, and what resources are needed to implement the theoretical proposal.
It has two parts.
Part 1: You will investigate a chosen business to produce a Business Impact Proposal. The proposal should provide an organisational, business unit or department-wide business-focused view of their operational vulnerabilities and opportunities.
Part 2: You will produce a Business Impact Report that demonstrates how you r research and intervention has made a difference to the organisation. For example:
- Creating something that did not exist previously
- Improving a current department or business activity
- Achieving significantly more than expected due to your research and impact report
- Implementing change to improve performance via new methods.
By undertaking a Business Impact Study you will learn:
Support
For your Business Impact Study, you will have the support of a tutor (your 'supervisor) who will guide you as you complete this large-scale piece of work. Your supervisor will have relevant experience and knowledge of your chosen topic.
How will I be assessed?
It's 100% coursework. You will submit an 8,000 – 10,000 work assignment
Credits: 45
Optional Module
Also known as a dissertation, this is a major piece of independently researched work, giving you an opportunity to carry out an in-depth investigation of a management problem or issue that has a strategic dimension. Within this study, you will need to address organisational issues and provide a process for solving management problems.
It’s your chance to show us the knowledge and intellectual skills you have gained during the course, and is a good choice if you intend to move onto research afterwards, such as an MPhil or PhD. By undertaking an Independent Study you will learn:
- how to design a research project that critically evaluates a management problem to a professional standard
- to develop and work within an appropriate research methodology to investigate the problem, including reviewing relevant literature
- to reflect on the process of undertaking a significant piece of independent research using the ideas and concepts from the course, and to plan your future development.
Support
We realise that the thought of conducting such a large-scale piece of work can be daunting, but don’t worry. For your Independent Study you will have the support and guidance of a tutor (your ‘supervisor’) who has suitable experience and knowledge of your chosen topic.
How will I be assessed?
You will need to submit a 12,000 – 15,000 word dissertation.
Credits: 45
- a bachelors degree with honours (at least 2.2) or equivalent professional experience
- 2-3 years' relevant work experience at a supervisory or managerial level
- EU/International students - a suitable standard of English (IELTS 6.5/TOEFL 580[PC 237])
- You will need to submit a full CV with your application
What is equivalent to a bachelors degree in my country?
Professional top-up routes and exemptions
- ACCA, or CIMA qualified, CMI (Level 7), Edexcel (Level 7) will be awarded 90 credit exemption and need to study 3 modules plus the Independent Study
- ABP/ABE will be awarded 75 credit exemption and need to study 4 modules plus the Independent Study.
- ICS who have completed CSQS may be awarded up to 60 credits exemption. Other higher level qualifications (equivalent to level 7) may be considered at the time of application.
Apply Now
Applications for Online courses are made through the main University of Derby website.
By clicking on "Apply now" below you will be redirected to the University of Derby website to continue your application process.
Fees
| UK/EU/Overseas | Per module | Modules | Total | Start |
| Stage 1 -Certificate | £885 | 4 | £3,540* | Sept/Jan/May |
| Stage 2 - Diploma | £885 | 4 | £3,540* | Sept/Jan/May |
| Stage 3 - Masters | £1035 | 4 | £4,140* | Sept/Jan/May |
| Total cost | £11,220* |
*Prices correct for 2012/2013. Subject to annual increase in September 2013 (NB: Fees for UK and Non UK students are the same).
New flexible payment plans available
Choose from three options:
- Pay only for the modules you are studying
- Pay your full course fees upfront and avoid annual increases
- Pay for all modules studied in the year and receive a 5% discount (September enrolment only)
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