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Master of Business Administration  

BMBA680

Campus Availability

Study Mode

Study Level

Duration

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Hawthorn

Full-time, Part-time (day & evening)

Postgraduate

Two years full-time or four years part-time.

Feb, Sep

Discontinued: This course has no new intake. This information is provided for continuing students

This program will be replaced by the Master of Business Administration (CMBA640) from Semester 1, 2012.
 
The Swinburne MBA offers not only the opportunity to acquire contemporary management knowledge and skills but, more importantly, it provides students with the ability to apply that knowledge in innovative, creative and entrepreneurial ways. We develop skilled managers and competent leaders who are entrepreneurially oriented, globally focused and socially conscious in a diverse and complex world. Specifically our MBA prepares you to engage and deal with uncertainty, change and opportunity in the environments in which your organisations operate.
 
Broadly, our MBA program is designed to:
  • develop skilled and competent managers and leaders who are entrepreneurially oriented, globally aware and socially conscious in a world of uncertainty, change and complexity
  • meet the demands of business and industry to achieve and sustain international competitive advantage
  • enable students to have more rewarding and satisfying career outcomes
Our MBA is focused on developing students’ capabilities to operate in organisationally critical domains of practice that we have identified as fundamental to their own and their organisations’ success in today’s turbulent environment. These domains of practice are not the same as subjects or streams. They can play out across many subjects and are:
  • strategy
  • leadership
  • global focus
  • entrepreneurship and innovation
  • life-long learning
  • ethical and social responsibility - both individual and organisational


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We work with our MBA students to build their capabilities so that they are better able to engage with the following key practice challenges:
  • create and lead effective teams and build robust  collaborative relationships across organisational boundaries
  • guide deep individual and organisational learning under conditions of change and complexity
  • foster a culture of entrepreneurship
  • keep self and others focused and energetic when issues are complex and challenging
  • evaluate a business opportunity and make the business case for change
  • construct an effective marketing plan
  • contribute to the development of a strategy for a single or multi-business unit
  • evaluate and advise on the financial implications of strategic and operational plans
  • help an organisation maintain a useful global awareness
  • diagnose the appropriateness of an organisation's human, financial and information resources and systems
  • effectively explain the financial state of an organisation to a lay audience
  • help an organisation recruit, reward and retain good people
  • create workplaces where people can be fully present and able to engage constructively with intellectually and emotionally challenging tasks
  • develop organisational cultures that truly value diversity of all kinds in a global world
  • lead significant change for a business unit and its people
  • devise and implement forms of accountability and governance that ensure ethical and sustainable corporate governance


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The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a nested program that incorporates the Graduate Certificate of Business Administration (BMBA480) and the Graduate Diploma of Business Administration (BMBA580). The program is styled on a '4+4+8' basis.
 
The graduate certificate consists of four core units of study and provides the basic entry level for people seeking careers and qualifications in business management (Stage 1 of the MBA suite). It may serve as a foundation for managers qualified in other tertiary disciplines. The four units cover the areas of financial planning and decision-making, strategic marketing, business information systems and leadership, each within the context of entrepreneurial activity in organisations. These are normally completed over two semesters of part-time* study, or may be completed in one semester full-time. 
 
The graduate diploma consists of the four core units of study from the graduate certificate plus a further four core units of study and is focused on the leveraging of diversity and culture in organisational frameworks, strategic thinking and management techniques for turbulent times, business finance and analysis and strategic human resource management practices. These additional four core units of study (Stage 2 of the MBA suite) are normally completed over two semesters of part-time* study, or may be completed in one semester full-time. To complete the graduate diploma, students must successfully complete eight units of study; the four core units of Stage 1 and the four core units of Stage 2.
 
Stages 1 and 2 of the Master of Business Administration program, in particular, are focused on developing basic skills that students will benefit from not only in their workplace but also in proceeding with the Master of Business Administration program.
 
The master consists of the eight units of study from the graduate diploma, plus at Stage 3, three core units of study and one elective, plus at Stage 4, one core unit of study and three electives. These additional eight units of study are normally completed over four semesters of part-time* study or may be completed in two semesters full-time. The master stage of the program focuses on governance and leadership, corporate strategies and leading enterprises in the contemporary global economy.

To complete the Master of Business Administration, students must successfully complete 16 units of study; the four core units in Stage 1, the four core units in Stage 2, and at Stages 3 and 4, four core units of study and four electives.
The graduate certificate equals 50 credit points, the graduate diploma equals a further 50 credit points and the master equals a further 100 credit points, giving a total of 200 credit points for the complete Master of Business Administration degree.
 
* Students holding an international student visa are required to study full-time.
 
** Please note that fast-track options are available.


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Stage 1 – graduate certificate
Exit with the graduate certificate or progress to the Graduate Diploma of Business Administration

Stage 2 – graduate diploma
HBS580 Business Strategy 
Exit with the graduate diploma or progress to the Master of Business Administration
 
Stage 3 - master
 
Option 1:
Two electives and
HBR681 Enterprise Project 2
 
Option 2:
Three electives

Indicative Course Electives: 
 
Note: Students choosing to take the HBR680/HBR681 Enterprise Project elective pair must take them in sequence (one after the other) as the project is completed over two consecutive semesters. No element of the Enterprise Project is offered over Summer or Winter terms.  
  
Electives offered will comprise both deepening and broadening units of study from the following areas:  
  • marketing strategy
  • technology
  • leadership
  • finance
  • specialised master degrees offered by the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship
All electives will be offered subject to demand.
 
Electives are subject to approval by the MBA Program Director and the relevant Program Director.
  
Providing program prerequisites are met, other electives may be approved from:
  • other postgraduate programs at Swinburne, or
  • other postgraduate programs at other institutions


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Swinburne offers International Exchange Programs as well as other Education Abroad Programs to help internationalise your degree. International Exchange is an academic program allowing you to study at a Swinburne Partner Institution for one or two semesters during your degree. Swinburne's Partner Institutions offer many relevant subjects as well as a secure base to explore a different culture. Your studies whilst on exchange can be credited towards your Swinburne degree, provided they are relevant and approved by Swinburne. For further information visit the Swinburne Abroad website.


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The Swinburne MBA program prepares students to successfully improve and manage their careers while leading and managing enterprises in a complex, global and competitive environment.


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Graduates of the Swinburne MBA have significantly increased capability: 
  • to effectively take up leadership roles in a wide range of organisational settings
  • to bring a global focus to bear on business/organisational issues and environments
  • to understand managerial and organisational practices as well as conditions that foster successful innovation and entrepreneurial activity
  • for strategic thinking across a range of organisational challenges
  • to effectively access the accounting and financial disciplines in decision-making, to assist in making informed judgements and effective, ethical and timely actions relating to current and future allocation of resources in a complex global environment
  • for ethical and socially responsible behaviour on individual and organisational levels
  • for effective life-long learning and growth


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The formal entry requirement for the MBA program is an appropriate undergraduate qualification at a credit level from a recognised institution as well as a minimum of three (3) years work experience.

Candidates who have an undergraduate degree with less than a credit average should submit a 500 word statement demonstrating their suitability for the program.

Candidates who do not hold an appropriate qualification but who have significant relevant work experience (usually at least 5 years) and evidence of academic capability may be admitted initially to the graduate certificate. Progression to enrolment in the masters program requires completion of the requirements for gaining the graduate certificate.

Students whose first language is not English must provide evidence of advanced proficiency in written and spoken English by:
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Score 6.5 with no single score less than 6.0; or
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 580 with TWE score not less than 4.5.


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AGSE is committed to the principles of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Our philosophy of 'Learning Through Experience' recognises that learning takes place through a variety of means including formal studies at universities, other accredited institutions and private providers, employer-based training and development, and relevant experience gained within the workforce.
 
Undergraduate units are ineligible as a basis for subject exemptions, however, students with a major sequence of study in a relevant discipline will have the option of completing an additional elective as a substitution. Applications for RPL should accompany the enrolment application.
 
International students should bring certified copies of documentation supporting any claim for exemption.


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The indicative course tuition fee is $19,200 for 2011, based on one year full time load (or 1 EFTSL). The total tuition fee is dependent upon the combination of units of study selected by the student. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.

The Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) is a suite of income-contingent loans for Australian citizens and holders of Australian permanent humanitarian visas. FEE-HELP is available to eligible fee-paying undergraduate and postgraduate students. It provides students with a loan to cover their tuition fees (lifetime maximum $85,062 from 1 January 2010). The FEE-HELP limit is indexed on 1 January each year.

Note: New Zealand citizens and holders of other Australian permanent resident visas do not have access to HELP loans. These students must pay their student contributions or tuition fees up front without a discount.

For further information on your support and study options visit the 'Going to Uni' website at: http://www.goingtouni.gov.au

For information about Swinburne's fees visit: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/fees  


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Application forms can be downloaded from the website at: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/postgrad/apply/


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Tel: 1300 ASK SWIN (1300 275 794)


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