Master of Business Administration

The Durham MBA will transform your career by enhancing your key business and leadership capabilities, enabling you to excel in a fast-moving global business environment.

Combining theory and practical business experience, the Durham MBA will advance your knowledge and capabilities within a personalised career pathway closely aligned to your own professional aspirations.

The Durham MBA is continually enhanced to ensure you perform at the cutting-edge of your profession. Both challenging and inspirational, the programme will take you on your journey to achieve your career goals.

World-class Business Education

• 1st (UK) 5th (Europe) 12th (Global) for Value for Money - Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2023
• 2nd (UK) 13th (Europe) 67th (Global) - Economist Which MBA 2022
• 9th (UK) 30th (Europe) 94th (Global) - QS World University Rankings 2023
• 8th (UK) 13th (Europe) 25th (Global) - Corporate Knights Better World MBA 2022

Personalise your pathway

Our MBA programme includes a combination of core modules and specialist pathways, giving you the opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and capabilities and specialise in specific areas most suited to your own professional needs.

Entrepreneurship Pathway

The Entrepreneurship pathway is designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills and capability of management and corporate entrepreneurship, including the ability to create your own new business venture. You will also have the opportunity to attend master classes run by industry experts, as well as receive one to one mentoring from experts in the industry.

Consultancy Pathway

This pathway will enable you to build your consultancy capability by critically examining the complexities of managing projects in a business context including planning, monitoring, quality control and closure. You will explore the intricacies of leadership, culture, change and motivation of project teams. You will also have the opportunity to work within a company where you can put your knowledge and theory into practice.

Technology Pathway

As the role of technology continues to increase in importance to the world of business, this pathway will enhance your in-depth knowledge of business-analytics techniques and give you a critical insight into technology innovation. On this pathway you will increase your range of skills to interpret results and the relevance of them for your company. You will also develop the ability to choose appropriate techniques to apply to challenges and fully understand the role of technology as a game changer in terms of creating new products or markets.

Programme Structure

You will study the following core modules:

• Accounting and Finance
• Economics for Global Business
• Leading and Managing People
• Marketing
• Operations and Technology
• Applied Strategic Management
• The Boardroom Exercise
• Sustainability and Ethics
• Strategic Consulting Project
• International Business in Context
• Careers Advancement Leadership Skills module.

Pathway-specific modules:

Consultancy: Management Consultancy and Project Management

OR

Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurial Management and Entrepreneurial Practice

OR

Technology: Business Analytics and Technology Forecasting and Innovation Analytics

International Business in Context

As part of your MBA programme you will visit an international business overseas. In addition to attending language classes throughout the year, you will visit leading international companies where you will test and examine academic business approaches in global companies and gain an appreciation of the complex nature of the different dimensions of business. This will help you to appreciate the challenges of global business and also give you the opportunity to apply your new language skills into practice.

Strategic Consulting Project

The Strategic Consulting Project will provide you with the opportunity and support to conduct an in-depth investigation at an advanced level of an issue or a business challenge which is applicable to an industrial, commercial, public sector or charitable organisation. Working with a real company, you will analyse and evaluate a strategic issue, challenge and explore concepts and apply the knowledge and skills you have acquired in the classroom. This is an excellent opportunity for you to gain experience relevant to your career aspirations, enhance your professional network and pitch yourself as a future manager.

The Boardroom Exercise

Each pathway also benefits from the Boardroom exercise, which is one of the most challenging but rewarding aspects of our MBA. The module is a real-life simulation of a boardroom and will give you the opportunity to apply the concepts and theories learnt during the core modules to a real board-level management team in an international organisation. This will allow you to enhance your analytical, critical thinking and strategic management skills and will also give you the opportunity to network with a number of different business professionals to develop key business relationships.

Career Advancement and Leadership Skills

The Career Advancement and Leadership Skills module is an integral part of your MBA journey. Designed by identifying what global MBA recruiters demand and in consultation with MBA alumni, you will build and explore the skills and capabilities needed to elevate your global career. Your key leadership capabilities will be honed and enhanced through your tailored MBA experience to provide you with the practical knowledge and training you need to succeed.You will also have the opportunity to personalise your development by assessing your own skill levels, setting challenging goals and creating an individual action plan.

The module will contribute to the overall aims of the MBA programme by offering you opportunities to develop your skills and capabilities in the areas of leadership, digital,global and sustainability and ethics. Our International, Engagement and Careers team provide a dedicated personal consultancy service to all MBA students and graduates. Whether you’re looking to advance your career within your current function or sector, or switching career path, they will support you throughout your programme and beyond.