MBA Master of Business Administration (top-up)

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) top-up qualification could be your chance to move your career forward. Lasting only two trimesters, which is less than a year, the course explores how to tackle large-scale, strategic business challenges, giving you the opportunity to grow as a leader in almost any field.

Master of Business Administration (top-up)

Key information

Award:

MBA

Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

32 weeks

Location:

University of Bolton

Start date:

To be confirmed

Course Details

Whatever sector you currently work in, this MBA is designed to help you understand the problems and challenges facing all enterprises and organisations – and identify potential solutions. Offered as a full-time course over two trimesters, which is less than a full calendar year, you’ll have the opportunity to develop vital skills that can be applied in almost any business.

Areas covered include building a thorough knowledge of an organisation and its leadership; developing creative and systematic approaches to underlying business issues; and understanding how business and management practices can be improved. Throughout the course, you’ll have the opportunity to cultivate your intellectual capabilities of research, critique, synthesis and innovation, culminating in a Master’s level dissertation.

We aim to maximise your learning by employing a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, workshops, group tutorials, individual tuition and guest speakers. By tutoring you in strategic thinking skills, the course will give you the opportunity to develop the sought-after analytical and critical competencies that prestigious employers in today’s global economy value so highly.

Highlights
  • This MBA course offers you the chance to join a well-established postgraduate community engaged in preparing themselves for a career in executive management.
  • Teaching and supervision is delivered by a dedicated team of experienced and well-qualified staff drawn from business and academia.
  • The University’s excellent libraries, 24/7 IT facilities, WiFi and learning areas are freely available for your use.
  • You will be given access to a research and study skills module which will assist in your studies.
Key Features
  • This course aims to develop your critical knowledge of organisations, their management and the complex business issues they face.
  • You’ll have the chance to apply research and analysis skills, culminating in a Master’s level dissertation.
  • An intensive Research Methods and Study Skills module is designed to prepare you for writing your dissertation.
  • Teaching is conducted by a highly-dedicated team, with specialist knowledge in a wide range of subject areas and close links to business and industry.
  • Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work at home and ensuring in-class learning is highly interactive.
  • By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Professional recognition

After successfully completing your MBA programme you may apply for membership of the Chartered Management Institute. Please note that terms and conditions apply. More details are available from http://www.managers.org.uk/


  • You must have both of the following: significant work experience in a business or management capacity; and a HE Level 7 qualification with at least 100 credits (minimum) in a relevant subject (for instance, Postgraduate Diploma in Management, Edexcel DMS, ABE Level 7 Extended Diploma).
  • We'll also consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
  • You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
  • When applying you must include a reference from your current employer. The reference should clearly state how long you have been employed by them and give a breakdown of your job content and roles and responsibilities.
  • Your application form must be accompanied by a reflective overview of the managerial responsibilities you have undertaken to date.
  • If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.


No matter what part of industry or commerce you work in, the MBA (Top-up) course will assist you to deepen your critical understanding of the problems and challenges facing enterprises and organisations and equip you with the analytical and critical faculties to identify potential solutions. You’ll gain an overview of key business practices, and develop further skills in areas such as operational management, marketing, strategic planning and accounting.

An MBA is often a route to promotion or a career change. Companies in every industry around the world seek out business and management professionals with an MBA. Every business, from tiny start-ups to large companies, need someone with experience and the necessary education to support common business processes like accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, public relations, sales, and management.

What can I do with this qualification?

A wide range of employers - financial institutions, technology companies, blue-chip companies and SMEs - recruit MBA graduates. Employers look favourably on MBAs because studying for this qualification promotes knowledge and skills that are applicable to any organisation (regardless of the sector). The universal appeal stems from the MBA's focus on collective business principles. Popular options for MBA graduates include human resource management, investment banking, management consultancy, marketing and supply chain management.

An MBA is also highly respected around the world, so if you're interested in a global business career then it could be beneficial - particularly as qualifications from UK business schools are so well regarded. It can also help you to specialise in your current sector, or a new industry that you want to move into. If you want to continue your study then you could opt for a research degree (MPhil, DBA or PhD).

Alternative career options

Graduates can also use the qualification to enter a range of other careers. For some of these roles, relevant experience or further postgraduate study may be required. Some of these careers include:

  • Hotel and leisure management
  • Public relations
  • Financial management
  • Information systems
  • Market research analysis
  • Product management
  • Health policy and information
  • Purchasing
  • Teaching and education
  • Media (TV, film, online, newspaper, magazine)
  • Advertising
  • Self-employment
  • Logistics
  • Banking
  • Auditing and quality assurance
  • Project management
  • Risk and insurance

Course fees

Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £4,000 for the academic year 2023/24.

Overseas students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Overseas fee of £8,172 for the academic year 2023/24.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2022-2023 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

Bursaries

Click here for more information on our Master's Bursaries.


For details of how to apply for this course, please choose your status from the options below:

Call Admissions

Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom

Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

The University welcomes applications from international students from all over the world. We try to make the application process as simple and as fast as possible for our international applicants.

This course is not currently accepting international online applications.

Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom

Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk


A variety of teaching and learning strategies are used to help you understand and develop a range of concepts, knowledge and skills. These include lectures, seminars, tutorials and seminars.

The assessment strategy for the programme is designed to make sure you achieve the overall aims of the programme, as well as the learning outcomes for individual modules. As well as being a way to assess your achievement, assessment also helps you to organise and develop your learning. Assessment feedback can help you develop your skills and an understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses.

The assessments you will be required to complete fall into two general categories, formative and summative. Formative assessments do not contribute to your overall module grade, but they are a part of the learning strategy for a module and you are required to complete them. Summative assessments do contribute to your overall module grade. You’ll also receive feedback on these assessments, so you will know what you have done well and where you can improve.

Many different forms of assessment are used. The major ones being: coursework (usually essays); reports/case studies; oral presentations; research proposal; and the dissertation.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

  • Strategic Management
  • Research Methods and Academic Skills
  • Dissertation II
Assessment methods
LevelAssesment method
Level oneCoursework 100%
Learning activities
LevelLearning activity
Level oneGuided independent study 80%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20%

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.

The academic staff detailed above teach across a range of courses in this subject area and may not teach on this course specifically.

Programme Contacts

Iain Stalker
Programme Leader

I.Stalker@bolton.ac.uk

+44 (0)1204 903697

Enquiry Team
University of Bolton

enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

+44 (0)1204 903903

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