Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Broadening horizons

The Master of Business Administration at GlasgowThe Glasgow MBA is designed to help experienced professionals develop the skills, critical analysis, and confidence to take their careers to the next level.

Managers are faced with a contemporary global environment characterised by complex situations that transcend local, national and international boundaries. In such a context the range of skills and knowledge that are required stretch beyond the range of core technical and management skills traditionally associated with managers to encompass a wider set of analytical and reflective abilities. Management education at MBA level must therefore be responsive to change, reflect changing business needs, encourage students to think critically at a range of scales and understand the role played by knowledge and technology in supporting a dynamic, creative work environment that is best placed to respond to an increasing pace of change.

Many MBAs comprise only a skills ‘toolkit’ for managers: for Glasgow this is only the beginning – a necessary context – as our MBA programme combines academic and technical excellence with a much broader perspective on the challenges facing future leaders and managers working in an uncertain world.

“I was fortunate to be immersed in a rich atmosphere of more than 30 people who were ambitious, confident, experienced and that prepared me for any future challenge I wish to take on.”Gita Ghaemmaghami, 2007

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Programme contentThe Glasgow MBA is offered as a one-year, full-time, or a two-year, part-time programme. The programme runs from September to September every year, with graduation held in late November/early December.

The Glasgow MBA is structured in a way that enhances the scope for personal and academic development, incorporat-ing orientation and induction sessions ahead of the core modules, offering a rich choice of electives, and finishing with the considerable practical benefits of a consultancy project, as well as the in-depth and applied analysis of a dissertation. Personal development sessions are provided throughout the programme to help students reflect upon their progress and enhance their potential.

Structure

• Element 1: Induction• Element 2: Critical Enquiry• Element 3: Strategy and Organisational Performance• Element 4: Strategic Foresight• Element 5: Specialist electives• Element 6: Personal development, reflective practice and leadership

Induction

Induction is designed to address your individual needs as you set out on the MBA programme; to provide an introduction to the course, it’s learning objectives and methods of delivery, and the other supporting services, such as the library, that together form a key part of the MBA experience. From the outset, it will also stress the importance of personal development and leadership as an integral theme using different elements of the degree.

Critical Enquiry

This course introduces you to the intellectual perspectives and methods of research and enquiry that underpin the Glasgow MBA programme as a whole. It explores the many different disciplinary and methodological traditions that should inform excellent managers’ critical, effective analyses of the business world.

A key focus is on how rigorous, discerning and informed

thinking and analysis assist the decision making process to deliver better business outcomes. The course introduces many of the key themes and approaches used in the subsequent core courses of the MBA programme.

Strategy and Organisational Performance

This core course integrates the key disciplines of strategy, managing people and resources, marketing, accounting & finance and economics, developing the skills expected of senior mangers working in a variety of contemporary or-ganisations. You will then be introduced to a range of tools, techniques and practices, which are commonly used in both public and private sector organisations.

Strategic Foresight

This course introduces a range of intellectual and disciplinary perspectives from across the social sciences and disciplines such as engineering, environmental science and medicine, identifying the key challenges that organisations face as they seek to develop sustainably in a fast changing world.

The course addresses five key themes, which integrate the wide range of issues covered in the MBA Programme, namely:

• Is globalisation playing out as had been expected?• What degree of control do managers really have over

their organisations and their people?• To what extent are innovation and diversity really present

in contemporary organisations?• How is technology and innovation changing the shape

and scope of organisations?• How should managers react to a more uncertain world?

Specialist electives

Following the core courses, you have the choice of five specialist electives from a range of over 20 options. The wide range of electives offered – from International Entrepreneurship, to Change Management, Risk Management and specialist marketing courses, allows you to tailor your MBA experience to your future career development plans. There is also the option to study at one of two international business Summer Schools in which Glas-gow is a partner, which are held in Europe and Asia each year (this option is at extra cost).

Personal development, reflective practice and leadership

This element runs in parallel with the rest of the programme, beginning immediately after Induction. It is made up of four components: personal development planning, which will fo-cus on developing key skills including effective dissemination of learning; a clearly defined opportunity for reflective prac-tice based on either a consultancy project to be undertaken in a local partner organisation or another business school on an exchange basis; research techniques training encom-passing a range of quantitative and qualitative methods; and the primary research project of the dissertation.

In addition to personal development sessions, this element includes a defined period of reflective practice, where you will undertake a group project to implement and test the skills and techniques you have accumulated through the programme. A choice will be offered between two options: you will either spend time in a partner organisation analysing a real business problem for the benefit of that organisation, or you will travel to one of our partner Schools abroad to

learn about business administration in an international con-text (this option is at extra cost).

Dissertation

The dissertation is a substantial business-related, investiga-tive, and analytical piece of original research. You will work on your dissertation from May to the end of September if you are a full time participant, or during the second year if you are a part time participant. The topic of the dissertation is agreed between you and your dissertation supervisor, and is expected to be relevant to your current organisation or your intended career plans. It may be organisation centred, but should encompass the application of relevant management theory, and an investigation of that theory in the context of its application.

The dissertation provides an opportunity to demonstrate syn-thesis across the range of learning undertaken in the MBA programme, and is therefore central to integration of the dif-ferent disciplinary, practical and theoretical approaches you will encounter in the preceding courses.

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Beyond the classroomA range of social, networking, and guest speaker events run throught the year to enhance your learning experience, and help you get the most out of your time at Glasgow.

Personal development, effective practice and leadershipWorkshops and events within this theme are held throughout the year, running in parallel to core and elective courses.

May to SeptemberDissertation and consultancy project, offering you the opportunity to bring together what you learned throughout the year and produce a significant piece of work.

SeptemberInduction

September to OctoberCritical Enquiry

October to JanuaryStrategy and Organisational Performance

October to JanuaryStrategic Foresight

December to AprilSpecialist Electives

“The programme has everything in it – from strategic management, to HRM and marketing – and

tackles a wide range of relevant, current topics. Those are its key strengths, in fact – its relevance to current

issues and its diversity of topics.”Marcelo Affonso, 2009

The Glasgow experience The structure of our MBA curriculum is designed to engage you with the key issues facing contemporary managers from the outset. Throughout the programme, we explore themes and develop skills by addressing important issues that define the contemporary business environment, and the sustainability challenge facing managers every day - globalisation, the role of managers, the role of innovation and diversity, the impact of technology, corporate social responsibility, and effective responses to uncertainty and change.

To make these themes real – to generate an atmosphere in which critical enquiry thrives – our approach to delivering our MBA is to focus not on ‘students’ or ‘learners’ but participants. Our people participate not only in the activities of the organisations they go on to work in, but in various communities and networks, each of which is a part of the global community. A key part of any MBA is to learn from experts skilled in the dissemination of knowledge, and for that knowledge to grow and develop within an environment in which experience, professional expertise and practical understanding are exchanged and respected. Glasgow MBA participants share their existing and newly acquired understanding and remain active participants in the learning experience long after they have moved on.

Our MBA Programme’s aims directly and explicitly reflect the goals of the degree’s principal accrediting body, the Association of MBAs (AMBA), to provide high quality post-graduate business education focused on developing future business leaders – and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) which accredits the School as a whole. But our implementation of these objectives is unique, informed both by the wide variety of economic, social and cultural contexts from which our students are drawn, and our own deep-rooted history and cultural values.

Only by broadening horizons will we really understand the problems we face and how they can be solved. This is the mission of the Glasgow MBA.

Our University With 560 years’ experience in producing academicexcellence, the University of Glasgow has an impressive past. However, we’re always looking ahead and our role is to pass on our knowledge and expertise so that you can make the world a better place for yourself and for others.

Since our inception in 1451, we’ve dedicated our time to inspiring great minds, from the father of economics, Adam Smith, to Scotland’s architect of devolution, Donald Dewar. Over the years we’ve created a learning environment that fosters wisdom and respect. So we understand that when you’re thinking about where to study you’ll want to take your time and choose wisely.

The university you choose should offer a broad choice of subjects, excellent teaching standards, superb facilities, an international reputation, high graduate employment rates and a top-quality student lifestyle in a special location. These factors are important and, because we respect the needs of our postgraduate students, you’ll find they all form part of the Glasgow experience.

The International student experienceInternational students have given the University of Glasgow one of the best scores in the UK as part of a survey of stu-dent satisfaction.

The University hit a 91.6 per cent satisfaction rating – higher than the UK average of 86.9 per cent. And unusually, over-seas students at Glasgow are happier the longer they are here.

Ranked first in many categories, Glasgow performed very strongly against other international, UK and Scottish insti-tutions as well as the leading UK group of Russell Group universities.

“There is a real sea change in everyone’s self-confidence and self-esteem. The MBA certainly stretched me, and now I know I can push further and broaden my horizons.”Lizanne Conway, 2005

University of Glasgow Business School

Postgraduate programmes in Economics:

The Centre for Economic and Financial Studies

05Business related subjects have been taught at the University of Glasgow since 1925, when the Johnstone Smith Chair of Accountancy was established.

This tradition stretches back further, to 1752 when Glasgow alumnus Adam Smith, the father of modern economic thought, was appointed Professor of Moral Philosophy.

The UK’s leading business minds contribute to the Glasgow MBA, including Jim McColl OBE, owner of Clyde Blowers, which consists of 83 companies in 27 countries.

CareersAt the University of Glasgow Business School, we focus on knowledge creation and communication. Our MBA creates leaders who can think critically, and who have the ability to lead companies and organisations and their people at the highest level..The Business School works closely with its Strategic Advisory Board to ensure the relevance of our business education offering. The Strategic Advisory Board is drawn from a range of international and national public and private sector organisations, and consists of highly influential and successful individuals, including executives from Amazon, BT, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Citigroup, BAA, and local and national government.

Our graduates are in constant demand and find jobs in senior management or consultancy roles very quickly. Companies and organisations that have recently hired our graduates include American Express, Amazon, Morgan Stanley, Pepsi, Lloyds TSB, JP Morgan, British Gas, Nationwide Building Society, General Motors, IBM, among many others. Our graduates use their experience on the MBA to move ahead in their organisations, move into consultancy, or to make a major career change. Within 6 months of graduation, 93% of graduates find their career path or go on to further education.

The University Careers Service and the School’s own Convener of Postgraduate Affairs aim to enhance the employability of our students and graduates, and help them to develop and make appropriate use of career management skills, thereby enhancing their ability to identify options most appropriate to them.

In addition to personal development and CV workshops, the School offers networking opportunities throughout the year, which attract students, alumni, staff, entrepreneurs and business leaders from the public and private sectors engaged in debates on important current issues, such as the economic downturn, innovation and technology, and managing high performance teams.

As a Glasgow MBA participant, you will have free membership of AMBA. Membership of the Association of MBAs will give you access to a suite of careers, networking and knowledge services that go beyond what any one individual business school can provide. AMBA has

extensive links with MBA employers and executive recruit-ment agencies and the career and networking resources they offer will allow you to develop highly-effective job search strategies – even in an economic downturn.

AlumniSince the graduation of the first Glasgow MBA class in 1976, thousands of participants have been proud to call themselves alumni of the University of Glasgow Business School. Currently, the School has over 1800 active MBA alumni in 60 countries around the world.

As an alumnus of the University of Glasgow, you will have access to GU world, the online community for Glasgow graduates. You will also be invited to networking events in the UK and around the world to keep in touch with your fellow alumni and the University.

As a graduate of the University of Glasgow Business School, you will join the ranks of successful, influential professionals making a mark on organisations around the world – like Brian McBride, Head of Amazon UK, Douglas Flint, Chairman of HSBC, and Laurie Foulds, executive director of European sales and marketing for General Motors.

The University of Glasgow has active alumni associations in:

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AustraliaBelgiumCanada

ChinaCyprus

EnglandFrance

IndiaIndonesia

IranItaly

JapanLibya

MalaysiaPakistanRomaniaScotland

SingaporeSwitzerland

ThailandUAEUSA

The City of Glasgow The only UK destination to feature in the Lonely Planet’s top 10 world cities list for 2008, Glaswegians’ reputation for friendliness means that wherever you come from, it’s easy to treat the city as your second home.

The University is located in the West End of Glasgow, within easy reach of the city centre by public transport or on foot. Whether you’re looking for a grassy spot to read and relax or a bustling café to catch up with your friends, our campus in this unique nook of Glasgow makes the perfect environment for work and play.

The University combines the benefits and security of a campus-style environment with close proximity to vibrant city life offering:

• fantastic shopping in a city named the best place to shop outside London’s West End for the last four years running

• a legendary live music scene and a UNESCO city of music

• 13 museums displaying some of Europe’s richest collections, many for free

• a network of 27 sports centres, as well as three international football stadia

• thriving collection of artists and galleries, including

major collections by the city’s most famous architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh

• around 700 pubs, bars and nightclubs• churches, mosques, temples and synagogues within

easy reach• 15 theatres and concert venues spanning innovative new

work as well as traditional favourites• countless local, national and international festivals

celebrating everything from folk music and live art to food and film.

Glasgow’s festivals are increasingly making a name for themselves around the world. Not a month goes by without something happening. Some of the best include the Glas-gow International Comedy Festival; the International Festival of Contemporary Visual Art; the International Jazz Festival; Glasgow Film Festival; Aye Write! Bank of Scotland Book Festival; and the Hinterland music festival.

With three airports within 45 miles of the city, Glasgow offers easy access to the world, as well as life within one of Europe’s most exciting centres for culture. Very few cities can combine an exciting urban agenda with such easy ac-cess to the great outdoors. Glasgow’s exceptional location, 25 minutes from the Clyde coast and 40 minutes from Loch Lomond, the Trossachs and routes to the Highlands and the Cairngorms, gives its residents access to some of the best hill-walking, climbing, sailing and golf in the world.

“The time has come for Lonely Planet to let one of its worst-kept secrets out: Glasgow’s got everything.”Tom Hall, travel editor, Lonely Planet

Organisations that have hired our graduates

include:

AmazonMorgan Stanley

American ExpressLloyds TSB GroupDaewoo Securities

General MotorsPepsi Co

Nationwide Building SocietyRoyal Dutch Shell

Rolls RoyceHewlet Packard

IBMBoots Healthcare

Oracle

A sound investmentMeet Vishal Dhruve, MBA 2009

I had looked at other universities in India, Europe and the US and they were all two-year courses. As I was funding the studies myself, I had to consider the cost of taking two years out of employment, but it was really important to have a qualification at the end of it that has world-class credentials.

It’s an extremely demanding and intensive course and I liked the fact that there is also an authentic and realistic work placement involved. I was offered a placement with Amazon, which was looking for a solution to a real business problem. My team had to figure out a viable operational solution. To have a successful project like that really boosts your CV.

I initially wanted to put my mathematics degree to work in a computer systems or software environment but there weren’t too many jobs available at that time. In 2002 the industry was experiencing the big dot.com implosion. So, as a stop-gap, I took work in a call centre and soon became a team leader.

It was frustrating that my youth seemed to be a barrier to any point that I wished to make. Being in the younger stages of management, I felt I was not taken seriously. I realised that I

would benefit from the weight and authenticity of holding a degree in business management, and the Glasgow University course had a module in economics, which I thought would be of benefit.

It also has the resonance of being the alma mater of such people as Adam Smith, possibly the world’s most renowned economist.

Having been out in the marketplace and gained some experience, I think there was an advantage in doing the courses as there is a lot to it and it is highly intensive. Most of the other students were already very experienced in their field and I think you need that.

Most of the students I spoke to agreed that doing an MBA not only makes you more employable but adds to your credibility in the company you work for already and gives you an advantage when competing for promoted posts. It also widens your scope in terms of career choice and opportunity. For its reputation, course fees, diverse city population and cost of living, the University of Glasgow seemed an ideal choice. My acquired knowledge and enhanced ability to reflect helped to secure a job as Area Manager, Operations with Amazon UK, where I was responsible for managing a team of 80–150 people.

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Vishal Dhruve, 2009

The University of Glasgow library has 2.5 million books and journals and over 30,000 electronic journals, as well as subject specialist librarians to help you find all the material you need for your studies.

Entry requirements For entry onto the MBA programme, you will need a 2.1 honours degree or equivalent. You must also have a minimum of three years managerial work experience.

If your native language is not English, you must produce proof of proficiency in the English language achieved within two years prior to application; a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 (with no sub-test less than 6.0).

How to applyThe web pages of the University’s Recruitment and Interna-tional Office, which processes all applications for postgraduate taught programmes, contain guidance on how to make your application. Applicants can:

• apply online: you should first register on the Postgradu-ate Admissions Office web site;

• apply by post: the application and referees forms can be downloaded from the web site, or

• apply through one of our international representatives. (This is the only method of application suitable for applicants from Ghana and Nigeria.)

To apply visit: www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/howtoapplyforataughtdegree

Regardless of which method of application you choose, you should submit a completed application form and supporting documentation as follows:

• a copy of your curriculum vitae/resume• copies of your academic transcripts (translated into

English if appropriate);• two references which should be signed and on headed

note paper (ideally one academic reference, one work reference);

• and, if applicable, copies of your English language proficiency certificates.

If you apply online, these documents must be sent after an online application has been started.

You may also find it helpful to refer to the Frequently Asked Questions published on the Recruitment and International Office web site: www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/frequentlyaskedquestions

The Recruitment and International Office will be able to advise you on any aspect of your application. They can be reached by email to pgadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk. If you already have an applicant number, please include this in your email.

Our programmes begin in September and applicants are ad-vised to apply early to secure a place. Application deadlines can be found on the Recruitment and International Office’s website:www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/howtoapplyforataughtdegree/

Applicants interested in scholarships are advised to apply for admission several weeks before the closing date of the relevant scholarship.

Tuition feesUp-to-date information on fees and funding can be found on the University of Glasgow website: www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/feesandfunding/

Contact us or visitThough interviews are not normally required for entry, the MBA Programme Convenor is happy to discuss issues with prospective students during your application process. This can be arranged through the Recruitment and International Office (RIO) or by contacting the Programme Administrator (contact details below).

You are also welcome to visit the campus. If you would like to do this, please contact RIO. Recruitment and International OfficeTel: +44 (0)141 330 4515Email: pgadmissions@glasgow.ac.ukWebsite: www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate

MBA Programme TeamTel: +44 (0)141 330 6300Email: business-management@glasgow.ac.uk

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The University of GlasgowAs a student at Glasgow, you will be studying at a university ranked in the top 1% of the world and where the research of the academics who teach you is internationally recognised.

As a world-renown institution with a long and prestigious history, the University of Glasgow aims to provide higher education of the highest quality, and to recruit the brightest and most talented candidates for advanced degrees.

As the 4th oldest university in the English speaking world, Glasgow has a long-standing international reputation for research, education and innovation. Glasgow is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of the top 20 researchuniversities in the UK.

Glasgow is also a founder member of Universitas 21, an international group of universities setting worldwide standards for higher education, and a member of IRUN (International Research Universi-ties Network), a global group of broad-based research universities.

Known for its outstanding academic reputation, growing international standing and popularity with students, the University of Glasgow is ranked 3rd in the UK for international student satisfaction.

The city of Glasgow has been named as one of the world’s top 10 cities by the travel guide, Lonely Planet. The city was chosen for its exciting, contemporary image.

If this brochure stimulates your interest and you feel that one of our programmes can enhance your existing achievements, visit our website or contact us directly for an application form.

Contact us:

+44 (0)141 330 3993business-management@glasgow.ac.ukwww.glasgow.ac.uk/business

Note: The information contained in this brochure was correct at the time of going to press. The University of Glasgow reserves the right to cancel or alter degree programmes or to adjust the fees without notice.

The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401

© University of Glasgow, 2011