1. ulster.ac.uk
MBA Information
Breakfast
23rd June 2015

2. Format
 Welcome/Introduction
 Overview of the MBA
 Guest speakers
 Taster Session
 Meet the course team and alumni

3. Introduction
 What is an MBA?
 Why an MBA?
 What are the benefits?
 How is the MBA structured?
 What will be covered?
 Is there funding available?

4. What is an MBA?
 General management qualification
 Taught full or part time
 Tailored to experienced managers
 Practical application
 Internationally recognised brand
 Personal development
 Self awareness
 Confidence building

5. Why an MBA?
 In 2012, the Charted Management Institute
commissioned Penna to investigate management and
leadership development
 Surveyed:
 4496 people from all levels
 302 Chief Executives
 550 HR Managers

6. Why an MBA?

7. MBA by Numbers
Impact:
 Ulster University Business School MBA is 40 years old,
and has over 3,000 graduates occupying senior positions
locally and globally;
 Six of the eleven new councils are led by MBA graduates
(55%);
 Globally: circa 200,000 MBA graduates in 2014;
 The top ten Fortune 500 companies are led by MBA
graduates; and over 35% of Fortune 500 companies are
led by an MBA graduate;
 Forty five per cent (45%) of female CEO’s of Fortune 500
companies have an MBA.

8. Benefits of an Ulster MBA for the individual?
 Professional Development:
Acquire and develop a broad range of timeless
business skills;
 Personal Development:
Development of a broad range of interpersonal and
communication skills, leadership skills, self-
awareness and confidence building.
"I joined PwC a year ago and without the MBA, I don't think I would
have been able to make this career change. I found the course
invaluable. It gave me a broad base of knowledge that I hadn't
been exposed to before and allowed me to make my health skills
more transferable as well.“
Michael Hulland, MBA
(career change from Prosthetics and Orthotics,
to Management Consultant, PWC)

9. Benefits of an Ulster MBA for the individual?
 Network Building:
The breadth of networks built, from a diverse
industrial range of business leaders to fellow
students will be of immense value throughout
your career and your life.
 International Brand:
There are other Masters/Level 7
qualifications but the MBA is the only
recognised international business
qualification.

10. Benefits of an Ulster MBA for the employer?
 Developed managers and leaders:
Students develop their core management and leadership
skills helping them to see the big picture and inform
strategic decision making in every aspect of your
business.
understanding of organisational development and business
acumen, which has enabled Bryson to develop a business model
that effectively integrates its social purpose with a sensitive and
ethical commerciality.“
John McMullan, MBE, OBE (Chief Executive, Bryson)
“Attaining an MBA at the University of Ulster has made a
considerable contribution to my personal career development
and the successful growth of my employer, Bryson Charitable
Group into Northern Ireland's leading Social Enterprise. As a
participant in the programme I developed a better

11. Benefits of a Ulster MBA for the employer?
 Address real work issues:
Opportunity to apply learned knowledge, fresh thinking,
and skills through practically based assessment, such as
‘in company case studies’, or assessment based on own
company.
Example feedback on live Strategy case study with NI Water:
“We were struck by the enthusiasm of the students and quickly formed the
impression that this was a project the students genuinely wanted to engage
with, rather than it simply being another piece of course work. This is perhaps
a reflection of it being engagement with a real company dealing
with real issues…the students provided some fresh perspectives via
practical application of academic theories regarding
business strategy, and improved awareness and focus on
the customer relationships…”
Keith Scott (NI Water, Senior Manager)

12. Benefits of an Ulster MBA for the employer?
 Retention and talent management:
Retain and motivate your best staff,
nurturing future leaders
 Minimal disruption:
During semesters 1 and 2, students attend
one afternoon and evening per week – 24
afternoons in a year for part-time students

13. Why an Ulster MBA?
 Quality and Value:
Professional body linkages (Chartered
Manager status exclusive to Ulster),
research quality, teaching excellence,
stakeholder engagement, and value for
money.
“For me , the Ulster MBA represented the two
criteria I valued most, Quality and Value. And I am
very pleased to note that I have been entirely
vindicated in my assessment”
Pritham Madhavan, MBA (Director, NUMA)

14. Why an Ulster MBA?
 Service:
Dedicated careers development; networking
opportunities: postgraduate development loan;
and approachable and accessible course team
“Having been out of education for over 20
years and without a primary degree, the
thought of an MBA was quite daunting.
However, the support structures offered by
the lecturers and staff are superb”
Tom Houston, MBA (Sales Director, Marketstall)

15. Why an Ulster MBA?
 Flexibility:
Study full time over 1 year (2 afternoons per
week); or part time over 2 years (1 afternoon
per week), ability to tailor your MBA and gain
professional body exemptions.
“The MBA has a broad base and is flexible - you
can make it more specific to the areas you are
interested in. This flexibility allowed me to pursue
a career in financial services”
Matt McCullough, MBA (Corporate Finance, HNH Partners Ltd)

16. Current Structure (2 year part-time)
Similar Structure in Year 2
Applied Project
Programme
Residential
Semester 1 – Sept to Dec
1 afternoon and evening a week
(12 weeks)
Semester 2 – Jan to May
1 afternoon and evening a week
(12 weeks)
Semester 3 – May to Sept
Three-day block
(1 module)
Year 1
Content Across Business
Functions
Cost - £11,000
Emphasis – Practical
Application

17. ‘Mini MBA’ (9 months)
Programme
Residential
Semester 1 – Sept to Dec
1 afternoon and evening a week
(12 weeks)
Semester 2 – Jan to May
1 afternoon and evening a week
(12 weeks)
Only local MBA to offer this flexibility
Postgraduate Certificate in
Business Administration
Progress to MBA immediately
or in the future
Cost - £3,667
Emphasis – Practical
Application

18. Content

19. Teaching Staff Profile
 Established academics with on average
o 10+ years experience of executive education
o 10 years management experience.
 Continuous involvement in academic enterprise projects
 Involvement in funded international research projects.
 UK Research Assessment Exercise (2014) reported 98% of
our research impact judged to be internationally
excellent.
 Northern Ireland’s Leading Business School for Research
o Research Intensity Metric: 3/101 in the UK
o Impact Metric: 7/101 in the UK

20. Where do our MBA students come from?

21. Funding
Typical Options
• Employer sponsored;
• Self financed:
Danske Bank
First Trust Bank
Example scenario based on Danske Postgraduate Loan of £5,000:
3.00% APR Variable
No arrangement fee
Term 60 months
Monthly payments £12.91 x 30 followed by £173.20 x 30
Total amount payable £5583.30