Master of Business Administration | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

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Master of Business Administration

Program summary

Program title: Master of Business Administration
Award abbreviation:
MBA
Degree type: coursework
Modes of study: on campus, online
Duration: 1 year minimum full-time; 6 years maximum part-time.
Commence: Session 2, Session 5 or Session 9
Fee type 2010: postgraduate coursework places, online postgraduate coursework places, international fee-paying places
Total courses: 24
USC program code: BU710
CRICOS code: 066777E

Program overview

The MBA has become the international standard for graduate business qualifications. It is a generalist degree intended for those who wish to widen their managerial knowledge and skills in preparation for senior management roles. The program aims to develop managerial skills in critical thinking, research and analysis through individual and team based work.

This program offers the following features:

  • innovative and flexible approaches to learning, eg online learning
  • the opportunity to integrate knowledge and skills across functions and disciplines
  • focus on the application of theory and execution of practice
  • teaching by highly qualified and experienced academic staff
  • links theory and application to current business issues
  • network-building opportunities

Admission requirements

To be considered for admission candidates must:

  1. possess an undergraduate degree with a GPA of at least 4.5 (on a 7-point scale)
  2. have at least two years relevant full-time equivalent work experience; and
  3. must achieve at least 5 points from the points tables below, with those points gained in at least two of the three categories:
    1. prior work experience 
    2. academic achievement 
    3. graduate management admissions test
  • candidates wishing to apply for a scholarship must complete a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
  • Exceptional applicants who do not possess a Bachelor degree will be required to complete a GMAT or Business Select Entrance Test plus an interview. Successful completion of either entrance qualification and interview may allow the candidate to be admitted to the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (GCBusAdmin). Successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration with a GPA of 4 or greater (on a 7-point scale) will qualify the candidate for entry into the MBA.

    Points table – Applicable for entry requirements and scholarship eligibility

    Prior work experience

    Candidates must have at least two years relevant full-time equivalent work experience. An additional point may be awarded for substantial managerial work experience with a multinational firm. Applicants will need to provide certified documentary evidence of prior employment experience.

    Work experience (years, full-time equivalent) 2 3 4+
    Points 1 2 3

    Prior academic achievement (ie undergraduate GPA)

    Prior academic study at the bachelor level can be in any field at any recognised tertiary institution. Points awarded are based on the candidate’s grade point average (GPA) from their undergraduate degree based on USC's 7-point scale or equivalent.

    GPA (7-point scale) 4.5 4.7 4.9 5.1 5.3 5.5 5.7 5.9 6.1 6.3 6.5 6.7+
    Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

    Applicants who have not completed a recognised bachelor degree may be considered for admission based on their prior work experience and GMAT test score but entrance without a prior degree is limited to 10 percent of the entire enrolment.

    Graduate Management Admissions Test

    USC needs to see a certified copy of GMAT results.

    GMAT 500-549 550 560 570 580 590 600 610 620 630 640 650 660 670
    Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
    GMAT 680 690 700 710 720 730 740 750 760 770 780 790 800
    Points 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

    Note: At the discretion of the Dean, Faculty of Business, one additional point may be awarded for each of the following:

    1. Masters degree
    2. PhD/DBA
    3. Substantial managerial experience with a multi-national firm
    English language proficiency

    International applicants must meet one of the following English language proficiency levels for entry to the MBA program:

    Test Postgraduate program
    Direct Entry English Pathway (DEEP) Successful completion with a minimum grade of 70 percent
    IELTS (Academic) (www.ielts.org) 6.5 (minimum of 6.0 in all subtests)
    TOEFL (Paper-based) (www.toefl.org) 575 with essay score of 4
    TOEFL (Computer-based) (www.toefl.org) 230 with essay score of 4
    TOEFL (Internet-based) (www.toefl.org) Overall score of 88 (minimum writing score 21 and minimum score of 20 in all sections)
    DAAD (Germany) Grade of A in writing, grade of B in other areas
    Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English Level A Pass
    Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English Pass
    Swedish Upper Secondary School completed within the last 5 years A grade of 4 (MVG) in final year English
    Norwegian Upper Secondary School completed within the last 5 years A grade of 4 or better in English
    Danish Upper Secondary School completed within the last 5 years A grade of 9 or better in English
    GCE Ordinary Level Studies completed within the last 5 years A grade of B or better in GCE O-level English
    Two years full-time secondary study - medium of instruction was English Successful completion within the last five years
    One year full-time University level study - medium of instruction was English Successful completion within the last five years
    Two years full-time of other post-secondary study - medium of instruction was English Successful completion within the last five years

    Applicants who do not meet the language requirement outlines above may be offered a USC English Language pathway program to the MBA.

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    Credit transfer or recognition of prior learning

    Students with an undergraduate degree

    No credit transfer or recognition of prior learning will be granted to students with an undergraduate qualification.

    Students with postgraduate qualifications

    Students who have completed postgraduate courses elsewhere may apply for advanced standing up to a maximum of 50 percent for the Master of Business Administration, Graduate Certificate in Business Administration and the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration. The content of the courses would need to overlap the University of the Sunshine Coast course content by at least 75 percent.

    Program structure **

    At the heart of the new MBA are 16 core subjects that cover the fundamental areas of business administration. The subjects include the key functional areas of an organisation, with the aim to provide candidates with knowledge and skills in the key discipline areas. The core courses allow for contemporary management areas to be incorporated whilst allowing updates to meet changing required skill sets. A further eight courses are chosen from a set of elective courses allowing a candidate to focus on specific interest areas.

    The Master of Business Administration is a 6 credit point, 24 course model. Delivery is offered across 6 half sessions. A half session is comprised of a 6 week teaching block with an additional week (week 7) to complete final examinations and assessment items.

    Required courses 

    MBA701 Innovation and Creative Decision Making
    MBA702 Marketing Foundations
    MBA703 Research for Decision Making
    MBA704 Entrepreneurship
    MBA705 Financial Statement Analysis
    MBA706 Informatics for Managers
    MBA707 Organisational Behaviour
    MBA708 Economics for Managers
    MBA709 Business Law
    MBA710 Understanding Leadership
    MBA711 Corporate Governance
    MBA712 Strategic Management
    MBA713 Financial Management
    MBA714 Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
    MBA715 Human Resource Management
    MBA716 New Business Planning

    Electives

    MBA717 Strategic Performance Measurement Systems
    MBA718 Event Management
    MBA719 Quantitative Data Analysis
    MBA720
    MBA721 Leading and Managing Organisational Change
    MBA722 Project Management
    MBA723 Cultural Intelligence for International Business Managers*
    MBA724 Managing Knowledge Assets*
    MBA725 Leadership Development
    MBA726 Marketing Strategy
    MBA727 Property Management
    MBA728 Management Project A *
    MBA729 Management Project B *
    MBA730 Management Project C *

    Course Schedule

    MBA Course Schedule

    Intakes - when to apply

    There will be three intakes a year: January (Session 2), May (Session 5) and August (Session 9). Prospective candidates should apply by no later than 30 November for Session 2, 30 March for Session 5, or 30 July for Session 9.

    Scholarships 

    Candidates wishing to apply for a scholarship must complete a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Scholarships are available at several levels, including a half waiver of full fees, and a quarter waiver of full fees. The level of scholarship awarded will depend on the achievements evidenced by prospective students as part of their admissions process. Further information will be provided on request for prospective students interested in applying for a scholarship.

    For more information visit scholarships for business masters programs.

    Program requirements

    1. Students are required to successfully complete 24 courses as specified in the Master of Business Administration program structure.
    2. Refer to the Academic Rules for further information.
    3. International students need to refer to the University's English language proficiency requirements.
    4. Only a full-time study option is available to international students on a Student Visa.
    5. Online study mode not available to international students on a Student Visa. 

    Enquiries 

    For more details about this program, please contact:
    Graduate Studies, Faculty of Business
    Tel: + 61 7 5430 1221
    Fax: + 61 7 5430 1231
    Email: businessfaculty@usc.edu.au

    * Subject to approval. Management Project A, B and C are not open for student enrolment. These courses are for students who are given substitutes upon entry and require the Faculty’s approval.
    ** Please note that the program structure of the MBA, names of courses and fees are subject to change.

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