Master of Business Administration MBA

Overview

Our full-time master in business administration programme offers you a carefully structured and immersive experience.

You'll develop the capabilities needed to be competitive and successful in any industry or entrepreneurial venture.

You'll focus your skills in:

• leadership
• critical thinking
• communication

Using these skills you'll work to improve your practice and performance. Your Newcastle University MBA journey is designed to provide you with the opportunity to:

• enhance your self-awareness
• integrate and apply your learning
• develop your consulting skills
• contribute to, and lead, diverse teams

You'll emerge:

• more confident and capable
• better equipped to drive sustainable change within your organisation
• ready to excel in your career

Our MBA careers package offers you a range of information and resources. These work hand-in-hand with:

• the classroom
• networking
• one-to-one support

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2023-24.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

 

What you'll learn

Through experiential and applied learning, you'll integrate your knowledge gained from across your MBA.

Compulsory modules

Business in Action offers you an innovative approach to management education. You'll take part in a range of real-time challenges. Using your skills, you'll apply them to operational and strategic issues within a constrained timeframe. You'll gain valuable knowledge from:

• business leaders
• worldwide alumni
• academic mentors

The personal and professional transformation module develops your understanding of your own career values and drivers. It is delivered through a structured series of:

• skills enhancement workshops
• personality testing
• leadership development activities
• career development planning sessions

You'll work with the module team and our MBA careers advisers. You'll develop and understand how to implement your personal and professional development plan.

You'll have the option to take part in international experiences where you'll:

• attend lectures at one of our partner business schools
• work with global businesses

This will give you the opportunity to apply your MBA learning in an international environment. These experiences are optional and costs are not included in your tuition fees.

Modules

You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.

Course content changes

Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

Optional modules availability

Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions.

Developing your core skills

Core modules

• NBS8122 - Accounting and Finance
• NBS8124 - Marketing
• NBS8126 - Strategic Management
• NBS8128 - Transitions in the Global Economy
• NBS8159 - Organisations and People Management
• NBS8496 - Digital Transformation

Practical experience

At the end of Phase 1 you take part in our Business Awareness Experience. You'll work in project teams to practise and consolidate your understanding of core business skills in a time-bound series of intensive lectures, industry visits and interactive workshops. Delivered in both Newcastle and London, you will benefit from our well-established connections with business and industry.

Preparing you for global business

Core modules

• NBS8497 - Entrepreneurship
• NBS8493 - Corporate Social Responsibility and the challenge of Ethical Business

Elective modules

In Phase 2 select one module from each group to suit your interests.

Group 1

• NBS8634 - Digital Marketing
• NBS8096 - Finance and Investment
• NBS8123 - Strategic Human Resource Management

Group 2

• NBS8495 - Emerging Economies: Challenges and Opportunities
• NBS8498 - Managing for Innovation

Personal development experience

Hone your skills as a leader and team player in a risk-free environment. Through a series of exercises, you will embrace new challenges that will lead to real personal growth, as you learn from one-to-one feedback provided by practitioners.

Making an impact

Core modules

• NBS8130 - Management Consultancy Project
• NBS8489 - Business Analysis for Decision Making
• NBS8523 - MBA Individual Project

Transforming your business thinking

Core modules

• NBS8490 - Business in Action
• NBS8491 - Personal and Professional Transformation (FT MBA)
• NBS8992 - MBA Integration and Consolidation

How you'll learn

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Case study
• Essay
• Professional skills assessments
• Oral examination
• Oral presentation
• Portfolio
• Problem-solving exercises
• Report
• Research proposal
• Written examination
• Written exercise

Additional assessment information

Corporate projects

Your corporate projects give you the opportunity to explore in practice the challenges and opportunities experienced by organisations. Projects are sourced across a variety of organisations and industries to give you exposure at a regional, national, or international scale.

Management consultancy project

Build on the consultancy and business skills you have learnt through the programme. On this project you'll:

• work with your fellow students as a consulting team to respond to an organisation's project brief
• present a series of recommendations in response to the organisation’s objectives and deliverables

Previous projects have included a:

• marketing and internationalisation strategy for an environmental products manufacturer
• social media led sales and marketing strategy for a healthcare organisation
• business growth model for a social enterprise

Individual project

Your MBA culminates in a final project drawing together the entirety of your MBA learning. This includes an executive summary and a set of credible recommendations derived from your research and written for a management audience.

You can choose from a range of project options:

Research project

Similar to a traditional dissertation, you'll:

• report on an in-depth research topic
• analyse a business issue of interest and relevance to you

Corporate consultancy project

You'll:

• analyse and evaluate a current business issue with an external organisation
• apply for a project with one of our corporate partners, or source your own project from an organisation of your choice

Entrepreneurial business plan

If you are planning to start your own business, you can choose to write a comprehensive business plan as your final project.

Student support

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

• module handbooks
• course materials
• groups
• course announcements and notifications
• written feedback

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

• peers
• academics
• personal tutors
• our University Student Services Team
• student representatives

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

 

Our staff

• Dr Lucy Hatt (Degree Programme Director)
• Dr Wee Chan Au
• Dr Simon Parry
• Professor Klaus Schoefer
• Professor Tom McGovern
• Dr Xin Li
• Professor Iain Munro
• Dr Rebecca Casey
• Jo Clark
• Dr Peter Edward
• Dr Chiara Marzocchi
• Dr Varqa Shamsi Bahara
• Professor Stephen Procter
• Professor Stephen Chen
• Dr Hanna Bahemia
• Professor Gabriele Vosseberg

Note: This list is provisional and subject to change.

Your development

Global opportunities

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, employers are looking for leaders with:

• knowledge
• ability
• ambition

You'll help to shape the future of global organisations. With our MBA, you'll develop these competencies and more from your academic and practiced-based experiences.

International case competitions

You'll be given opportunities to work virtually across time zones and continents in collaboration with students from other universities. You will undertake a range of case competitions throughout the year. Case competitions require you to:

• compete in teams with peers from other universities to solve a business problem
• receive coaching from our professional mentors

International summer school

Newcastle University works in partnership with the University of Glasgow to offer an international summer school opportunity. This is optional and is based on competitive application.

The European Summer School for Advanced Management (ESSAM) attracts MBA students from around the world.

You will have the opportunity to engage in an intensive two-week experience consisting of lectures, workshops, a diverse range of guest speakers from leading organisations and companies, team-based consulting projects and company visits. You will gain a competitive advantage in your MBA journey, become immersed in a new culture and grow your professional network.

Networking opportunities

You will have opportunities throughout your study to gain insight and knowledge from business leaders around the world on an array of topical business issues.

Your future

Careers

Graduates from this course have undertaken various roles including:

• operations and commercial manager
• product marketing manager
• innovation consultant
• chief financial officer
• consultant
• business development manager
• business intelligence lead
• senior agile lead

63% of our MBA graduates changed sector post-MBA. Our top five pre-MBA employment sectors are:

• Retail and manufacturing – 17%
• Education – 14%
• Energy -14%
• IT and technology – 14%
• Financial services – 11%

Our top five post-MBA employment sectors are:

• Consultancy – 26%
• Financial Services – 21%
• Technology – 16%
• Education – 11%
• Construction – 11%

Careers support

We will support you during your programme and beyond graduation, with extended careers support. This includes:

• ongoing support with applications, CV, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles
• practice interviews and assessment centres
• Newcastle-based work experience
• peer review
• leadership and industry expert guest speaker series
• annual School-based Careers Conference and University-wide recruitment fairs

Additional support can be found in online resources, including:

• membership of AMBA (Association of MBAs)
• MBA-Exchange
• GoinGlobal International careers platform
• QS Global Workplace
• subscription to the Financial Times

We work with you to help you understand your:

• skills
• motivations
• career drivers
• target career goals

We'll use this intelligence to formulate your career development strategy. This includes:

• 12-month personal and professional transformation module
• career leader assessment (online self-assessment programme)
• personality testing
• building a personal brand to aid employability
• application, CV and cover letter feedback and development support

We’ll support you to develop your career action plan. If you need to research sectors and employers, develop a business plan or build your connections, we do this through:

• personal development experience
• business start-up support
• online resources, including GoinGlobal and MBA Exchange
• business networking
• sector insights with employer events and presentations

Our Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information.

Facilities

Newcastle University Business School is one of the largest Schools in the University. We have over 3,500 students representing over 80 nationalities. This valuable network extends beyond our current students to include:

• regional, national and international leaders
• over 34,000 alumni in our network, spanning over 150 countries
• leading professionals and practitioners from industry

The Business School is the gateway to Newcastle Helix - an innovation hub and community that brings together industry leaders, businesses and top researchers.

Our facilities include:

• flexible conference room with panoramic views across the city
• Wi-Fi enabled connectivity throughout the building, including three computer clusters housing over 120 PCs
• four large lecture theatres and over 25 seminar and teaching spaces, providing comfortable teaching and group study space
• dedicated Student Hub and Quiet Space, providing a balanced mix of study space for group work or quiet, individual study
• contemporary café
• employability hub to support your career aspirations
• Bloomberg Room to give you a real feel for the trading room floor
• Experimental and Behavioural Economics Lab, a state-of-the-art research facility for conducting studies in experimental economics and economic psychology

The Frederick Douglass Centre at Newcastle Helix also offers further study and learning spaces. This includes a 750 seat auditorium – the largest in the University.

Find out more about Newcastle University Business School

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year)

PGR Home fee note

Home fees for research degree students

For 2023-24 entry, we will be aligning our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The standard fee will be confirmed in Spring 2023 by UKRI. The Home tuition fees for this course will be updated after this confirmation. 

Tuition fee increases

If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination
• graduation

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Select your country

How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.

Apply Online  

Open days and events

You'll have a number of opportunities to meet us throughout the year including:

• campus tours
• on-campus open days
• virtual open days
• webinars

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events