MBA
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Taught Masters
- Code
- F02
- Level
- Postgraduate
- Made up of
- 180 credits
Description
Please note that this qualification is only available until 31 December 2015. In order to claim this qualification you must have completed the required 180 credits by this time. This qualification is not available to new students. If you are a new student please see instead the revised version of our MBA (F61). If you have any questions about your eligibility for this MBA (F02) please contact the Qualifications and Ceremonies Centre on +44 (0)1908 653003 or by email.
The internationally recognised MBA qualification is designed for practising managers aspiring to higher positions. The emphasis is on strategic analysis, interdisciplinary skills, intellectual stimulation and independent judgement. Within the broad framework of organisations, their external context and management, you will learn to use the knowledge to analyse, synthesise and evaluate a wide range of situations. Among these will be economic, environmental, social and technological change issues, corporate governance, markets and customers, managing resources and operations, financing organisations, management and development of people, developing information technologies for application in business and management within a global knowledge-based economy, and development of appropriate business policies and strategies within a changing context to meet stakeholder interests. The modules comprising the MBA are challenging. They assume that you already have some experiential knowledge acquired from managerial work.
The Open University Business School is accredited internationally by the European Foundation for Management Development, through its EQUIS programme; by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); and the MBA is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA). It is one of only 21 business schools worldwide to have achieved all three accreditations. Do not be concerned that this MBA does not appear in either the Financial Times or Wall Street Journal league tables. These tables are restricted to full-time study programmes, many students on which seek employment after they complete. This MBA course does not qualify for these tables because it is for people studying part-time and already in a managerial position.
Planning your studies
All entrants to the MBA are expected to have organisational experience, some of it at a middle level of management or above. You must have a minimum of three years’ experience in a managerial, professional or technical role. Usually this means that you are at least 25 years old.
The MBA qualification is in two stages. You must expect to successfully complete Stage 1 before you enrol on Stage 2.
Stage 1
There are three routes through Stage 1.
Route 1 – if you already have a bachelors level qualification
To follow this route, you must have at least a bachelors level qualification from a recognised university or the equivalent. If you are eligible for this route, you can complete Stage 1 either by taking the Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration module B713 (now discontinued) or, if your qualification is in the business studies area, you can study the Professional Diploma in Management module B700 (now discontinued). Both B713 and B700 involve, on average, 600 hours of study over 12 months.
Route 2 – if you already hold the Professional Diploma in Management
If you have our Professional Diploma in Management (D64) you can count this as Stage 1 of the MBA. There is a 10 year maximum period within which all study towards the MBA must be completed; if you graduated from the diploma some years ago, contact the Student Registration and Enquiry Service.
Route 3 – if you are experienced in managerial work
If you are experienced in managerial work but not eligible for Route 1 or 2, you can take our Professional Certificate in Management (C31), prior to entering Stage 1. When you complete that certificate, you are then eligible to study our Professional Diploma in Management (D64) as Stage 1 of the MBA. The certificate followed by the diploma will take two years.
If you need advice about entry to the programme, please ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Stage 2
Your first Stage 2 module must normally be the discontinued B820. Once you have completed B820 you are then able to continue with the rest of Stage 2.
Note: B830 should be taken after B820 and alongside or after the Stage 2 option modules below. It is possible to study an elective alongside both halves of B830, which takes one year, but this requires an average of 24-30 hours of study a week, which is not usually compatible with full-time work. A more typical pattern would be to take one elective on its own and the second alongside part of B830, thereby completing the MBA in three years of steady study.
We cannot guarantee that the same selection of modules will continue to be available throughout your study period but we are committed to providing a suitable selection at all times.
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.
Career relevance and employability
There is more information about how OU study can improve your employability in the OU’s Employability Statement from our Careers Advisory Service. You can also read or download our publication OU study and your career and look at our subject pages to find out about career opportunities.
Modules
For this 180-credit masters degree you require:
Stage 1 – 60 credits from the following compulsory modules:
Subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules B700, B713, B730, B736, B800, BZX700, BZX713
Stage 2 – 60 credits from the following compulsory modules:
| Postgraduate compulsory modules | Credits | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
30 | May 2012 |
and the discontinued B820 (or version BZX820).
And another 60 credits taken from Open University Business School modules or from masters level modules from other programmes listed below.
| Postgraduate optional modules | Credits | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
30 | May 2012 |
|
30 | May 2012 |
|
30 | May 2012 FINAL |
|
30 | May 2012 |
|
30 | May 2012 FINAL |
|
15 | May 2012 FINAL |
|
30 | May 2012 FINAL |
|
30 | May 2012 |
|
30 | May 2012 FINAL |
|
30 | May 2012 |
Or, subject to rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules B823, B824, B827, B826, B856, B890, BZX823, BZX824, BZX827, E838*, E849*, T834**, T836, T850, TUXX870
**T834 and T889 cannot both be counted towards this qualification
* 60-credit module but counts as only 30 credits towards the MBA
N.B. Alternatively, you could include the discontinued 60-credit module BS811, but your degree would be designated MBA (Life Sciences) (F38); or you could study the two 30-credit modules Technology management: an integrative approach (T840) and Technology strategy (T846) but your degree would be designated MBA (Technology Management) (F03).
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
If you have already completed some successful study at postgraduate level at another institution we may be able to give you credit that you can count towards this Open University qualification. Please see our Credit Transfer site for details. If you make a successful claim for transferred credit it may affect your choice of modules, so you are advised to investigate this option as soon as possible.
Credit transfer details for this qualification:
On completion
On successful completion of the required modules you can be awarded a Master of Business Administration and will be entitled to use the letters MBA (Open) after your name. You will have the opportunity of being presented at a degree ceremony.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Qualification Regulations and the Student Regulations.
Qualification Regulations
- Introduction to the Qualification Regulations
- General Qualification Regulations
- Master of Business Administration
Student Regulations
The Student Regulations (including the Code of Practice for Student Assessment and the Code of Practice for Student Discipline) are available on our Policy Documents for Students website.
How to register
To register for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
About this page
A postgraduate qualification.
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