Cardiff School of Management>Courses>Masters of Business Administration (Executive)

Executive Masters of Business Administration

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Designed to provide the highest-level business qualification to senior businesspeople through flexible part-time delivery.

The Cardiff School of Management (CSM) Executive Masters of Business Administration (MBA) has been developed in conjunction with the Chartered Management Institution (CMI) and offers students associate membership of the Chartered Management Institute.

The Executive MBA provides a solid grounding in professional business practice and theory for business professionals, consolidating learning whilst providing a foundation for future leaders.

Teaching is delivered at a flexible pace to suit you and your work commitments, combining weekend teaching, online learning, and real business projects. The Executive MBA is a highly practical and action-oriented approach and can be completed in as little as 2 years but more usually 3 years.

There will be a strong emphasis on interactive teaching and learning often using case studies based on your own organisation.

For course specific enquiries, please contact Programme Director, Stephen Bibby:
Email: sbibby@cardiffmet.ac.uk

Course Content

The programme consists of 7 compulsory taught modules (20 credits each) and a compulsory Management Report (40 credits).

Compulsory taught modules (20 credits each)*

  • Effective Strategic Management
  • Strategic Operations Management
  • Strategic Marketing
  • Strategic HRM
  • Finance for Decision Makers
  • Executive Skills
  • Executive Leadership​

Compulsory Management Report (40 credits)

  • Management Report & Research Methods (40 credits)

Completion of an 8,000 – 10,000-word management report based on a real-world management problem, utilising both current theory and practice. Each student on the course will be allocated to a subject expert and have access to an online research methods module. Students will have six months to complete this work. Prizes for best student and best management report are awarded at the end of the course.

*Our Executive MBA is designed for maximum flexibility, seamlessly integrating with existing executive courses at CSM. Credits achieved on these other courses can be transferred to the Executive MBA. Students who have completed the highly respected 20Twenty Leadership Programme at Cardiff Met can have their 60 credits registered as prior learning in place of three modules.

Along the way to full MBA, you will also achieve:

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Executive Business Administration in Year 1
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Executive Business Administration in Year 2
  • Executive MBA completed in Year 3

Learning & Teaching

The Executive MBA is designed to:

Be action-oriented - the programme design, with its work-based assignments and leadership challenges, helps you apply your learning and ensure that as your abilities grow, your organisation reaps the benefits.

Build a foundation of knowledge - on the Executive MBA we help you grow your knowledge from the ground up via modules that refresh your existing skills and secure your understanding of key management topics.

Provide a hands-on approach - to management topics, inviting business leaders and thinkers into the programme to work with you on live case studies that allow you to explore new industries and test new approaches.

Offer complete flexibility - modules are completed in self-contained blocks delivered at weekends to fit in with your busy working week schedules. The programme can be completed within two to five years with the option to vary the number of modules taken each year to suit your lifestyle, work and personal commitments.

Focus on leadership development - which is geared to developing your knowledge of business functions and their interactions, and to building your ability to manage and lead in complex organisational situations. As part of the Executive Leadership module, you will receive 3 business mentoring sessions where you can develop your own individual skills and focus. It dovetails seamlessly with our existing, highly successful portfolio of leadership courses.

The programme is completed in weekend study (normally one weekend a month) and is comprised of core subjects, and a management report.

Assessment

Each module includes two assessments and usually assessed through written assignments, presentations, and work portfolios, with no exams. This approach emphasises building critical business skills and competencies at the highest level. Much of the coursework in this Executive MBA can be focused on your company, adding significant value to your studies.

Employability & Careers

An Executive MBA from Cardiff Met is designed to elevate your management career to the highest levels. Our Executive MBA equips you with advanced business and strategic leadership skills essential for senior management positions across a range of different sectors.

With a curriculum tailored to real-world applications and opportunities for networking with industry leaders, you'll gain the expertise needed to excel in competitive global markets. The flexibility of our Executive MBA also allows you to integrate and apply learning directly to your professional context, ensuring immediate and impactful career advancement.

An Executive MBA can open doors to high-level careers, including C-level roles, senior management, strategic consulting, entrepreneurship and business ownership or director-level roles.

Entry Requirements & How to Apply

Applicants should normally have one of the following:

  • A Honours degree at least 2:2 and at least four years management work experience
  • Other professional qualifications such as CIM or CIMA will also be considered plus four years management work experience.

International Applicants
Students whose first language is not English will need to provide evidence of fluency to at least an IELTS 6.0 standard or equivalent. For full details about how to apply and English Language qualifications please visit the International pages on the website.

How to Apply:
Applications for this course should be made direct to the university via our self-service facility. For further information about how to apply and compulsory documents, please visit www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/howtoapply.

If you are interested in using credit from another institution, or have obtained qualifications and/or experience to study for a course at Cardiff Met, you can find further information on this as well as information on how to apply on the RPL page.

Contact Us

For general enquiries please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6044 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

For course specific enquiries, please contact the Programme Director, Stephen Bibby:
Email: sbibby@cardiffmet.ac.uk

We endeavour to deliver courses as described and will not normally make changes to courses, such as course title, content, delivery, and teaching provision. However, it may be necessary for the university to make changes in the course provision before or after enrolment. It reserves the right to make variations to content or delivery methods, including discontinuation or merging courses if such action is considered necessary. Please read our Terms and Conditions for the full information.

Key Course Information

Place of Study:

Llandaff Campus

School:
Cardiff School of Management

Course Length:
Two - Three years part-time

20% Alumni Discount:
The Cardiff Metropolitan University Alumni Discount​ is a 20 per cent reduction in tuition fees for Cardiff Met Alumni enrolling on taught postgraduate courses.
See if you are eligible.

Course Disclaimer
We endeavour to deliver courses as described and will not normally make changes to courses, such as course title, content, delivery, and teaching provision. However, it may be necessary for the university to make changes in the course provision before or after enrolment. It reserves the right to make variations to content or delivery methods, including discontinuation or merging courses if such action is considered necessary.

Please read our Terms and Conditions for the full information.

COURSE OVERVIEW | DEGREE HIGHLIGHTS
Degree Highlights

In this short introduction video, Stephen Bibby tells us more about the Executive Masters of Administration at Cardiff Met.

MEET THE TEAM
Meet the Team: Stephen Bibby

Meet Stephen Bibby, Programme Director the Executive MBA at Cardiff School of Management, Cardiff Metropolitan University.

STUDENT & GRADUATE EXPERIENCE
Blog
My Highlights of Studying the Executive MBA at Cardiff Met

Learn more about Lerisha's experience of studying the Executive MBA at Cardiff School of Management.
Read more.

Blog
How the Executive MBA at Cardiff Met Changed my Career and Professional Interest Beyond Recognition

Read more about how graduate Naomi was able to find her career passion thanks to her time at Cardiff Met.
Read more

Graduate Profile
Graduate Profile

"I was looking for an MBA that had a solid reputation in terms of quality and outcomes and one that fitted in with my lifestyle – working full time and studying part time would be challenge enough without having to undertake a wholesale lifestyle change to accommodate it.

From a career point of view, it gave me more confidence – the underpinning theory and practical application of that theory was hugely useful to be able to take back into a work environment and identify the potential uses. From a personal point of view, it played into my ridiculously competitive streak. Not having studied since I left school, my aim was to finish the course but after receiving my first assignment back, my aim was to finish top… at everything! I pushed myself harder and further than I ever thought possible."



Lisa Newberry, Deputy Director and Head of External Engagement & Development at Cardiff Met