In a complex and increasing interconnected world, the part-time Global MBA offered by Alliance Manchester Business School (MBS), at the University of Manchester, provides students with a differentiating advantage and the skill sets that allow them to manage and lead businesses in a constantly evolving global economic environment.
Professor Elaine Ferneley, global and MBA director at MBS, says the Global MBA is designed to replicate real-world business challenges, which are increasingly international. “To succeed in today’s global business environment, mangers need to think and act effectively at a more strategic level,” says Ferneley, who believes the MBA provides students with an important “edge” to their career trajectory.
She says that whether an individual is looking to accelerate their current career, branch out in another direction or set up their own company, the global part-time MBA provides them with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in the constantly changing world of business. “An MBA is the international qualification employers look for in people to manage and lead their businesses,” says Ferneley. “The MBS programme provides students with the skill sets and insights that enable them to make decisions in a logical and procedure way,” she adds, pointing out that students learn how to use problem-solving frameworks, useful for bringing structure and rigour to brainstorming issues such as marketing, corporate finance and long-term strategic vision.
At the same time, she says that project-based case studies and lessons require students to work as a team, which encourages them to analyse a wide range of business situations in a strategic way, while sharpening their communication skills and leadership abilities. “Working in small groups of four to six people, students manage and solve challenging business simulation projects based on real issues faced by today's organisations,” Ferneley says.
She explains that these learning experiences equip students with the skill sets and knowledge that allow them to make decisions at a managerial level.
The MBA has been offered in Hong Kong for more than 20 years, and is continually ranked among the world’s top programmes. The MBS’ blended learning delivery approach is ideally suited for ambitious professionals who have busy schedules, but still wish to advance their career opportunities, Ferneley says.
Flexibility is a key feature of the programme, which combines online and face-to-face teaching. MBS professors fly into Hong Kong to deliver intensive three-day face-to-face teaching. To broaden their experience and deepen their understanding of international business, students are also given the option to study at MBS centres located in Manchester, Dubai, Shanghai, Singapore, and Brazil. Graduates of the part-time programme are awarded the same degree as full-time students at the school. Graduates join more than 50,000 alumni in 169 countries. “The diversity of cultures, experience and industry backgrounds is another strong feature of our MBA programme and a key source of networking opportunities,” Ferneley says.
To assist students with their personal and career goals, the MBA programme can be tailored to suit personal needs and ambitions by combining the fixed core general business management modules with industry and career-specific electives. Electives cover a range of concentrations and topics including sustainability, project management, risk management, venture capital and private equity, entrepreneurship and innovation, strategic decision-making and negotiating techniques. “We are constantly looking to improve our programme delivery and content to meet the needs of professionals looking to advance their careers,” Ferneley says.
Pointing out that global business is not the sole preserve of large companies, Ferneley says the part-time global MBA programme is equally suited to professionals working for SME companies and multinational organisations. “Similar to multinational companies, increasingly, SMEs have to take into account currency exchange rates and fluctuations, supply chain functions and exporting finished products,” says Ferneley. She says that during the final six months of the MBA programme, students undertake a real-world project as a chance to apply the skills they have learned in their own organisation or an external company. “This is an ideal opportunity for students to test an entrepreneurial brainchild they may have or try something new that can be applied to their own organisation.”
