Description
The global marketplace is more challenging than ever before.
The Open
University
MBA
2014/2015
Foreword
by Professor Rebecca Taylor,
Dean, OU Business School
(OUBS)
The global marketplace is more challenging than ever before.
Organisations need executives who are agile, resilient and can
work across boundaries; who can understand the theory of
management and business and apply this in the real world;
and who can spot and react to new threats and opportunities.
These are the executives who will drive growth and success
in the future.
02 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
At the OU Business School, we offer a cutting-edge, practice-based MBA
programme developed by leading business academics. We work alongside
businesses and our students to deliver an MBA that builds executive business
skills while you continue to operate in the workplace. This ensures that you
critically assess and apply new skills as they are learned and it means that
we can support you in taking the next step in your career.
Sponsoring employers will see an immediate return on investment while also
helping to retain valued and skilled individuals.
The OU’s vast experience of developing study programmes, allied with our
individual approach to business education, enables the OU Business School
to offer a tailored and effective MBA that is uniquely placed to assist you in
your journey to becoming a highly effective executive.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 03
Our values
Inclusive
Our ability to offer a wide range of
support services to students and a
championing of ethical standards
means that we are able to:
• play a unique role in society, making
higher education open to all
• promote social justice through
the development of knowledge
and skills. We offer a wide range
of support services to students
with disabilities and additional
requirements.
Innovative
With over 30 years’ experience in
delivering learning, we:
• lead the learning revolution, placing
innovation at the heart of our
teaching and research
• continuously seek new and better
ways to inspire and enable learning
• create world-class research
and teaching.
Responsive
By listening to students and
organisations we have been able to:
• respond to the needs of individuals,
employers and the communities in
which they live and work
• dedicate resources to support our
students’ learning success.
Our vision
The OU Business School continues to be
a leader in open, accessible and ?exible
business and management education.
We will be recognised for:
• our pioneering and engaged research
and teaching that challenges
conventional thinking and practice
• our collaborations with international
business, civil societies and
governments, that advance
knowledge in business and law
• our ability to continuously
innovate new learning approaches
that transform business and
legal education.
Our mission
• To deliver transformational business
and management education to
a diverse audience, that is relevant
to the workplace, is founded on
rigorous research and practice,
and has bene?cial social and
economic impact.
• To be at the forefront of distinctive
teaching that enables individuals
and organisations to achieve their
potential and contribute responsibly
to society.
• To deliver high quality relevant
learning anywhere in the world.
Michael Young Building, OU Business School, Walton Hall Campus,
Milton Keynes
Values, vision and mission
The OU Business School has over 30 years’ experience in helping businesses and ambitious executives
across the globe achieve their true potential through innovative practice-based study programmes.
Making a
difference…
…to your life
The Open University MBA will help you become
someone who inspires achievement, encourages
dedication and instils admiration and trust in others.
Studying it will take you on a personal journey.
One that will encourage you to challenge limits, cross
boundaries and change the way you think. It’s the
only MBA that’s truly designed to ?t around your life
and career.
By drawing on our vast experience, we enable you to
study at the highest level in a way that enriches your
working life, without putting it on hold – giving you
maximum ?exibility, coupled with convenience.
With our MBA, the quality of your experience is
matched by the versatility of our learning methods:
• Proven: our triple-accredited
1
status puts us in the
top one per cent of business schools in the world.
• Highly regarded: our MBA is ranked in the top 15
online MBA programmes in the world and ?fth for
value for money by the Financial Times 2014.
• Unique: we are the only triple-accredited
1
business
school which specialises in ?exible learning.
• Practical: integrates with, and adds value to,
your day job, allowing you to apply your
learning instantly.
• Convenient: it lets you ?t learning around your
day job and lifestyle. Our cutting-edge technology
enables you to study in your own time – at home,
at work or on the move.
• Affordable: with the option to ‘pay as you go’ in
monthly instalments.
• Rewarding: 82 per cent of our students
2
say that
they have experienced a salary increase while
taking the MBA.
04 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
2
Postgraduate Alumni Survey, 2012.
1
Our MBA is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business (AACSB), EFMD Quality Improvement System
(EQUIS) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA).
…to your career
It’s our balance of quality teaching, convenient
delivery and practical application that makes The Open
University MBA so special.
You and your organisation will bene?t from your MBA
study straightaway, through our unique study method
of practice-based, action learning. What you learn today,
you can implement tomorrow – creating an immediate
impact in the workplace.
Our MBA will give you the skills and experience you need
to take your career to the next level. It will increase
organisational and leadership effectiveness; not only
in you, but in your colleagues and peers, too.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 05
My study with the OU Business
School gave me a greater
appreciation of my own organisation and
the opportunity to help bring about change.
Ian Davies, MBA graduate
I chose to undertake my MBA
through the OU Business School
because of the ?exibility of delivery, the
international scope of its student-base and
my previous experience of working with
The Open University.
Moses Warburton, OU MBA Alumnus
Without a doubt it has opened doors
to positions I would otherwise have
been excluded from applying for. Not only
that, the OU MBA gives you the con?dence
to speak up on a day to day basis, to
in?uence decisions and to contribute
at the highest levels of the organisation.
Mark Sim, OU MBA Alumnus
The programme will ‘force’ you to
review the learned theories’ practicality
for your own work context. You have to deal
intensively with models and re?ect upon
those critically. I found it especially useful
that all the models make my work easier by
providing a structured approach to problems
that go beyond ‘common sense’ . You also
develop a more critical view towards gurus
and their opinions, and question them.
The OU MBA also helps you to collaborate
and work better with people.
Ansgar Cordier, OU MBA Alumnus
96% of our MBA graduates say that
they would highly recommend us. FACT
Recognised as one of the world’s
leading business schools
The Open University is home to more than 24,000 successful MBA graduates, from more
than 100 countries. Our journey helps make a difference, not only to your career, but to your
organisation – and life itself.
Designed for professionals keen to
take the next step in their career, our
MBA programme is highly practice-
based, blending academic rigour with
the realities of business.
The OU Business School is triple-
accredited; by the Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB), EFMD Quality
Improvement System (EQUIS) and the
Association of MBAs (AMBA). Such
accreditation ensures you will have a
globally reputed quali?cation of proven
quality that is accepted worldwide.
Relevant and far reaching
Our MBA is successful because of its
relevance to your work. It works for
so many professionals because it is
designed with the highest amount of
practical focus – and its international
programme design lets you apply your
MBA knowledge anywhere in the world.
Our MBA comes to life in
your workplace
The best way to learn is to practise,
which is why ours is very much a
practice-based programme – which
we call ‘action learning’ .
Our rigorous approach to constantly
applying management theories to
the workplace will help you develop
independent learning, and a critical
view on the knowledge you gain.
Employers like our approach
Our unique practice-based learning
methodology is endorsed by
organisations across the globe.
It’s why more than 40 per cent of
our MBA students are sponsored
by their employers.
For more information on how we work
with organisations, please see page 22.
OU Business School provides modules
and quali?cations that thriving
business people can study whilst they earn,
allowing them to brush up on their skills
and explore new areas of knowledge, whilst
implementing learning outcomes into their
organisation from day one of study to
maximise business opportunities.
Theo Paphitis, Business Expert
2013 MBA class pro?le
Tutor/Student ratio 1:16
Average age 37
Average years of work experience 14
Gender 36% female 64% male
FACT
Only one per cent of all business
schools are triple-accredited, and with
more than 24,000 successful MBAs we
are by far the most popular in this elite
and exclusive group in the UK.
06 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 07
Margaret Miller
The International Advisory Board is
chaired by Maggie Miller. Based in
New York, Maggie is an IT strategy
and business change consultant
with expertise in customer-facing,
multichannel sectors, including retail
and digital media.
Janice Bell
Janice is an expert in business
management and transformational
change and has strong links with a
number of major UK and international
organisations. Janice was a senior
executive within IBM before starting
her own consultancy.
Sanjeeb Chaudhuri
Sanjeeb is the Regional Head for South
Asia and Global Head of Marketing
at Standard Chartered Bank. Based
in Mumbai, Sanjeeb is also a Board
Member of Standard Chartered
Securities India Ltd.
Peter Cheese
Peter sits on the Council of City &
Guilds, and he is a European Board
Director with Junior Achievement Young
Enterprise Europe, an organisation
focused on the development of
entrepreneurial, ?nancial and
employability skills in young people
through business engagement in
schools and universities.
Andrew Craissati
Andrew is a highly experienced
entrepreneurial business leader,
encompassing strategic thinking and
value creation. He currently advises the
Singapore Government on media issues,
as well as running his highly successful
corporate ?nance and investment
advice business which has of?ces in
London, Asia and the USA.
James Crotty
James has held a broad range of
international general management and
commercial roles at European Executive
Board level at American Express.
James Cullens
James has a variety of board-level HR
experience including with Linde AG,
The BOC Group plc, and with African
Oxygen Ltd, where he was a non-
executive director. He is a Board
member of the Chartered Institute
of Personnel and Development.
Sir Stuart Etherington
Stuart is a Council Member of the
Institute of Employment Studies, an
Advisory Group member for the Policy
Centre at the British Academy and for
the Lord Mayor’s Trust Initiative and
a member of the Economic and Social
Committee of the European Union.
He has been a trustee of Business
in the Community, the Chair of the
BBC Appeals Advisory Committee, a
member of the Community and Social
Affairs Committee of Barclays Bank,
former Chair of Guidestar UK, Chair
of CIVICUS Europe, and Treasurer
of CIVICUS, a global civil society
organisation.
Ann Francke
As Chief Executive Of?cer, Ann brings
her extensive global general
management experience to the CMI and
has a track record of developing people
and delivering innovative strategies
that result in sustainable growth.
Ron Jones
Ron is the founder and Executive
Chairman of Tinopolis, one of the
largest independent television
producers in Europe producing over
2000 hours of television annually.
Headquartered in Llanelli in Wales,
Tinopolis also has of?ces in London,
Los Angeles, Glasgow, Washington and
Cardiff serving over 180 broadcasters
throughout the world.
Dr Arthur Langer
Arthur is the Academic Director of
the Executive Masters in Technology
Management at Columbia University.
He has authored various papers on
information systems design and
management. His current research
focuses on the design of technology-
based curricula for corporations
and universities.
Jay O’Connor
Jay is an active mentor and advocate
of organisational best practice,
contributing to initiatives that help
advance standards. With an extensive
background in communications and PR,
she has held elected positions in the
Chartered Institute of Public
Relations (CIPR).
Neil Passmore
Neil is CEO and owner of Strand
Partners plc. He has a broad range
of corporate and entrepreneurial
experience, including as an of?cer
with the Army Air Corps, and working
in corporate ?nance with a focus on
natural resources, emerging markets
and real estate. He has an MBA from
The Open University.
Renzo Scacco
Based in Melbourne, Australia,
Renzo has an extensive background
in professional services gained from
working with some of the leading global
consulting ?rms including Andersen
Consulting (Accenture),
PricewaterhouseCoopers and
Interbrand.
Peter Wright
Peter is a member of American Express’
Global Management Team. In addition,
Peter is Chairman of Swisscard,
a card-issuing joint venture with
American Express and Credit Suisse.
He is the Head of Card Services for
Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)
and oversees the company’s consumer
card-issuing businesses and merchant
acquiring partnerships within
this region.
The International Advisory Board (IAB)
The IAB is advisory to the Dean of the OU Business School, to the School’s executive team and to the
wider University. Our board members are from a range of public and private enterprises worldwide,
re?ecting the diversity of both the School and The Open University. The board enables the School to be
in touch with the latest international practice and provides valuable input from outside the University.
Global credibility, local relevance
Our MBA programme is designed for practising senior and middle-level managers.
It has a strong international focus with emphasis on strategic analysis, interdisciplinary skills,
creativity and innovation. We believe that being a global business school is not about
bringing students in; it is about extending learning outwards.
International reach
With more than 55 per cent of our
students studying outside the UK, and
with alumni in more than 100 countries,
the OU Business School offers a truly
global experience.
Open University Business School
students are many and diverse and
from different sectors, industries
and backgrounds. We believe
that this diversity enriches your
MBA experience, allowing you to
broaden your mind and gain a deeper
understanding of other cultures.
08 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
I wanted a more
worldly perspective
to enrich my education
with people from
different backgrounds
and countries.
Matt Krise, USA
The Open University
MBA programme
has given me a deeper
understanding of the issues
and challenges within my
particular work environment,
particularly areas such as HR
and ?nance, which I have been
less familiar with in the past.
Christian Duncumb, Indonesia
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Studying with The Open
University has changed
my perception on life. I now
believe that anything
is possible.
Kevin Sampson, UK
The people I studied my
MBA with were from
the United States, Kosovo
and Austria, each working
in different industries. This
allowed us to share any
similarities in our business
practices.
Gillian Attard, MBA graduate
My motto is ‘continuous learning for life’ , which is what
The Open University and the OU Business School are so
brilliant at offering.
Wilson Yeh, Hong Kong
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 09
After completing my MBA I feel great. I know that with my
MBA I can change my working environment by thinking
differently, thinking outside the box, getting new tools and ?nding
new ways of doing things.
Susanne Frederiksen, Denmark
My motivation for
studying the MBA
was to be better equipped
for the complexity and
ambiguity of business
reality through the means
of broader knowledge.
Nils-Carsten Huber, Germany
Angola
Australia
Austria
Bangladesh
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Finland
France
Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Republic of Ireland
Romania
Russian Federation
Senegal
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Somalia
Spain
Sri Lanka
St Helena
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
of America
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe
MBA student locations
Our 2013 intake had students in 128 countries including:
The Open
University
Business School gave
me the opportunity to
study while working
in a busy full-time job,
which was the only option
for me.
Iztok Toplak, Czech Republic
appraisal
perspectives
g
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l
s
loss p
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a
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coach
mentor
global
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n
t
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l
interpersonal
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a
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techniques
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s
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thinking
connected
leadership
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profit trends
frameworks
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s
emotional intelligence
e
n
t
e
r
p
r
i
s
e
b
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s
i
n
e
s
s
i
n
q
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i
r
y
employees
reflection
l
e
a
n
resistance
theory
motivation
negotiations
g
o
a
l
s
goals
p
l
a
n
m
b
a
concepts
s
e
c
t
o
r
t
e
a
m
third sector
excellence
reward
d
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
c
e
c
o
s
t
mba
budget
models
a
n
a
l
y
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i
o
sme
improvement
tools
profit
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n
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Our model
Centred on your student experience, The Open University MBA teaching model is a highly
effective professional development method that allows you to acquire new skills – without
taking you away from your workplace.
Study with us and your learning is not
limited to what goes on in tutorials,
or at the residential schools. Your
environment and your workplace
become a very important part of
your study.
We focus on using practical examples
and assignments that refer back to
your working life, and encourage you to
include and engage your workplace in
your studies.
Learning materials
All our modules employ a blend of
learning styles – innovative and
inspiring materials that bring your
learning to life, and everything you
need is included in our fees.
As well as study books, you’ll learn
through podcasts, downloads and our
interactive virtual learning
environment – all of which are designed
to support and inspire you in
your learning.
Practice-oriented
The OU Business School is at the
forefront of using technology to
enhance teaching and learning. You can
rest assured all our study materials are
underpinned by rigorous research from
faculty academics.
Visit www.openuniversity.co.uk/
mba-sample to view an extract from
our module MBA stage 1: management:
perspectives and practice (B716).
10 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
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Integrating management knowledge through our blended approach
I was on an assignment in India, when I decided to use
my downtime in hotel rooms to further my career and
start my MBA studies. The Open University is very well set
up for distance learning and is extremely supportive. I made
some lifelong friends at the residential schools and have
really enjoyed the journey.
Nick Hopkins, MBA graduate
Learn from some of today’s leading
business thinkers
Our world-class, research-led academics create pioneering learning materials which are
delivered by our tutors – practising senior business professionals – to give you a dynamic
mix of theory and practice.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 11
Professor Ball
Kirstie is Professor of Organisation. She joined
The Open University Business School in 2004
following posts at Birmingham, Warwick and
Aston Business Schools, and is director of the
Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance
and Privacy (CRISP).
Professor Cornforth,
Organisational Governance
and Management
Professor Cornforth’s recent research has
focused on the governance and management
of non-pro?t organisations, such as charities,
schools and colleges.
Professor Daniel,
Information Management
Professor Daniel’s research focuses on
the effective use of information systems
by organisations and the individuals within
those organisations.
Professor Dibb,
Marketing
Professor Dibb has undertaken a diverse
range of consultancy assignments within the
?eld of marketing strategy. Her research has
been at the forefront of theoretical and relevant
issues in marketing strategy, segmentation,
marketing planning and consumer behaviour.
Professor Fenton-O’Creevy,
Associate Dean International,
Organisational Behaviour
Professor Fenton-O’Creevy’s research
(on the role of traders in investment banks
and management practices in multinational
?rms) contributes to ?elds such as international
business, behavioural ?nance, the sociology
of markets, industrial relations and
cognitive psychology.
Professor Hartley
Professor Hartley has contributed to the ?eld
of public leadership and management through
research, teaching and development work.
This has shaped some of the thinking and ideas
in this ?eld.
Professor Lawton
Professor Lawton’s research expertise focuses
on integrated strategy and non-market
capabilities, political risk management and
internationalisation strategy, corporate
turnaround and business model innovation
and strategy process and practice.
Professor Paton,
Social Enterprise
Professor Paton has pursued an interest
in management learning, publishing articles,
leading research projects, and working with
the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre
for Business Management Accountancy and
Finance to encourage new approaches to
teaching and learning.
Professor Rutterford,
Financial Management
Professor Rutterford’s research has centred
around corporate ?nance, investment
management, and the history of ?nance.
Her academic papers are in the ?eld of
performance measurement, equity valuation,
pension funds, women and investment, and the
history of ?nance.
Professor Storey,
Human Resource Management
Professor Storey is an Associate of the
Center for Global Strategic Human Resource
Management, Rutgers University, USA and of
the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Skills and Knowledge Centre (SKOPE) at Oxford
and Warwick universities.
Professor Wilson
David Wilson is Professor of Organisation
Studies based in the Centre for People and
Organisations and is Associate Dean for Research
and Scholarship in the Faculty of Business and
Law. David is a Fellow and ex Chair of the British
Academy of Management and is an Academician
of the Social Sciences.
The Open University MBA programme structure
The Open University MBA has an internationally-recognised, practice-based and integrated approach
to management development specially designed for aspirational professionals.
Programme overview
The emphasis for your learning is
directly rooted in management practice.
The ‘master’ in the degree title signi?es
your ‘mastery’ of the art and science
of management.
To achieve this level of capability the
general MBA programme concentrates
on strategic analysis, interdisciplinary
skills, intellectual stimulation and
independent judgement.
It builds these upon a solid foundation
of core disciplines, including human
resource management, organisational
behaviour, accounting and ?nance,
marketing and operations.
Designed as an integrated programme,
our MBA balances your learning time
between 75 per cent of compulsory
elements – including the ?nal,
organisation-based project – with
25 per cent from elective modules.
This enables you to adjust the
curriculum to suit your needs. MBA
modules are challenging, but will
always direct you towards improving
your management capabilities.
Earn quali?cations en-route
It takes a minimum of three years to
complete our programme – but as you
progress towards your MBA, you can
pick up other quali?cations which will
have a positive impact on your career.
• Upon successful completion of
Stage 1 of the MBA, you will be
eligible to claim the Postgraduate
Certi?cate in Business
Administration.
• On completion of 120 credits towards
the MBA you will be eligible to claim
the Postgraduate Diploma in Business
Administration.
• Finally, on successful completion of
Stage 2, you will be awarded the MBA.
The Open University MBA programme structure (3 year model)
Stage 1 Stage 2
PG Certi?cate PG Diploma MBA
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
MBA stage 1:
management: perspectives
and practice (B716)
(60 credits)
R
The dynamics
of strategy
(BB835)
(30 credits)
R
Corporate
?nance (BB831)
(15 credits)
Elective 1
(15 credits)
Elective 2
(15 credits)
Elective 3
(15 credits)
Making a
difference: the
management
initiative
(B839)
(30 credits)
R
MBA
(F61)
R Includes residential school
The core themes are:
• critical engagement
• embedding theory in practice
• global impact awareness.
Elective modules
Our elective modules offer the
opportunity to personalise your
MBA to match your career, interests,
aspirations and expectations. On Stage
2 of the MBA you will study up to three
of the following modules:
15-credit modules
• Entrepreneurship: experience and
perspective (BB846)
• Leadership and management in
intercultural contexts (BB848)
• Management beyond the
mainstream (BB847)
• Managing ?nancial risk (BB841)*
• Marketing in the 21st century
(BB844)
• Strategic human resource
management (BB845)
• Sustainable creative management
(BB842).
30-credit module
• Business, human rights law and
corporate responsibility (W822).
* If you wish to study Managing ?nancial risk
(BB841) you must have completed Corporate
?nance (BB831) ?rst.
12 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
Our specialist MBA in Technology Management
programme structure
This leading edge MBA focuses on the
technology sector. If you are
interested in the management
of technology and technological
innovation in a wide variety of contexts
and sectors then this quali?cation can
provide you with unique management
training that will help you to make
a difference.
Stage 1: you will start with MBA
stage 1: management: perspectives
and practice (B716) which takes
12 months to complete (see page 14
for more information).
Stage 2: consists of four compulsory
modules: Managing technological
innovation (T848), Strategy for
technological innovation (T849),
Corporate ?nance (BB831) and your
?nal project module Making a
difference: the management initiative
(B839). You will also need to complete
an elective module. You can choose
from the following 15-credit electives
or study 30 credits from a range of
technology-orientated modules:
• Entrepreneurship: experience and
perspective (BB846)
• Leadership and management in
intercultural contexts (BB848)
• Management beyond the
mainstream (BB847)
• Managing ?nancial risk (BB841)*
• Marketing in the 21st century
(BB844)
• Strategic human resource
management (BB845)
• Sustainable creative management
(BB842).
For more information on our MBA
(Technology Management) click
www.open.ac.uk/courses.
* If you wish to study Managing ?nancial risk
(BB841) you must have completed Corporate
?nance (BB831) ?rst.
MBA (Technology Management) F69
Stage 1 Stage 2
PG Certi?cate PG Diploma MBA
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
MBA stage 1:
management: perspectives
and practice (B716)
(60 credits)
R
Managing
technological
innovation
(T848)
(30 credits)
Strategy for
technological
innovation
(T849)
(30 credits)
Corporate
?nance (BB831)
(15 credits)
Elective 1
(15/30
credits)*
Making a
difference: the
management
initiative (B839)
(30 credits)
R
MBA in
Technology
Management
(F69)
R Includes residential school
Visit our website at www.openuniversity.co.uk/mba-study to ?nd out how – by choosing the right elective modules – you can
tailor your MBA to suit your career objectives and ambitions.
It is brilliant because what you ?nd is
that you get much better each year.
I am much more considered, I am a
much better manager. I have learned the
art of letting people get on with things.
I have learned delegating and leadership.
Lisa Vernon, MBA Graduate
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 13
Your ?rst step towards the MBA
MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice (B716)
Module length: 1 year
This is the ?rst module in the
programme. Successful completion
of this module also entitles you to the
Postgraduate Certi?cate in Business
Administration (C66).
This module is framed within the
complex and challenging nature of
twenty-?rst century management.
Its dual aims are to help you build
on your current understanding of
management and to enable you to
develop and improve your practice
of managing. In this module you will
be guided through a wide variety of
materials, activities and resources
designed to help you make sense of
the complex nature of management
in light of your own experience of
managing. This module is a year-
long programme of professional
development which requires your
active engagement to enlarge
your knowledge of the functions
of management and make a real
difference to your management style.
What you will study
Through learning about different
management functions within
organisations you will develop a
better understanding of the context
in which your own practice takes place.
You will gain con?dence in
understanding how different parts
of organisations operate and in having
successful conversations across
these areas, including:
• organisational structure, power and
politics, and change management
• managing people and organisations
• accounting
• marketing management
• operations management.
I think the module is fantastic, and it’s great on three levels.
First of all, it allows you to develop knowledge in speci?c
areas. Secondly, it helps you relate that knowledge to other
functional areas. And ?nally, which is probably for me the most
rewarding, is the international aspect of the course – that you get
to meet people from different cultures.
Ross Alan, MBA student
Over the course of a year’s study you
will learn, develop and consolidate
your understanding of the principal
management functions and how
each area is interrelated with each
other. This will provide you with a
foundation that will enable you to move
successfully to strategic and specialist
areas in your MBA studies.
The module aims to:
• develop your understanding of
the core and current frameworks,
theories and tools and to assess their
relevance to the issues of twenty-
?rst century leading and managing
• increase your awareness of different
perspectives on, and approaches to,
managing and leading in different
organisational and cultural contexts
• develop your ability to engage
critically with management
frameworks, theories and tools,
helping you to select and adapt
techniques and approaches
appropriate to your own work
environment, in order to shape your
own management practice
• develop your awareness of the wider
global context in which business
and management takes place,
and increase your ability to work
con?dently across sectorial and
national boundaries
• develop interpersonal and conceptual
skills that will help you to use ideas
and frameworks to make sense of,
and to work with, organisational
complexity
• challenge your own thinking and
practice by re?ecting upon it
critically in light of the ideas you
encounter, and through debates
with others
• enhance your ability to plan and
implement change which will have
real impact on your own organisation.
Support
Throughout the module we offer the
following forms of support:
• two one-day workshops
• one residential school where you join
students from all around the world
and engage in dedicated workshops
and tutorials for four days
• tutor support and face-to-face and
online tutorials
• online forums and resources.
14 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 15
The overall content includes a range of topics. You will develop your professional practice and discover important skills
such as re?ecting on real managerial issues, developing an approach to practice-based learning and engaging with the
diverse range of management literature.
The colour panels below show the areas that you will cover under each unit. The ?ve units contain a range of topics,
examples of which are shown in the below panels.
Through the use of online resources and activities, your study will include a process that helps you to make connections
between management and organisational theory and your own management practice. Through this process, you will not
only learn about how organisations should operate but also why management practice may differ from management
theory. Our unique methodology of practice-based learning helps to bring management theories and principles to life.
What and how you learn
MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice (B716) provides the opportunity to advance
your professional managerial competence.
Exploring
management Unit 1
Organisational structure
Stakeholder analysis and management
Management activities and your role
as manager
Power and politics in organisations
Change management
Managing people
and organisations Unit 2
Understanding organisational culture
and context
Analysing management control
approaches
Employee motivation and identity
Human resources management
Diversity and ethical management
Managing ?nancial
resources and
performance
Unit 3
Understanding ?nancial statements
Budgets and management
accounting tools
Financial accountability
Ratio analysis
Evaluating ?nancial performance
Managing
marketing Unit 4
Managing relationships and
communicating value
Marketing strategies, planning and roles
Understanding customers and markets
Customer satisfaction and loyalty
Marketing practices in context
Managing
operations
Unit 5
The role of the operations function
in organisations
Planning and managing operations
Analysing organisational performance
Improving organisational effectiveness
The operations function in context
MBA Stage 2 modules
16 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
Compulsory modules
The dynamics of
strategy (BB835)
If you’re currently engaged in strategic
decision-making, or will be in the
future, this module will stimulate
your imagination and inform your
judgement. An understanding of the
frameworks of strategy and an ability
to use them imaginatively will help your
organisation survive in the longer-term
and perform its role more effectively.
You will not be expected merely to
‘learn’ the frameworks, but to critically
analyse and comment on them,
sometimes in collaboration with fellow
students. The module will also help you
contribute to and better understand
the dialogue of strategy at a variety
of levels in your organisation.
Corporate ?nance (BB831)
Middle and senior managers meet a
multiplicity of ?nancial problems
in their organisations. This module
will help you develop your knowledge
of this area. It introduces ?nance
problems that organisations face at
board level, and equips you with the
fundamentals of corporate ?nancial
theory enabling you to challenge
?nance experts. You will learn how to
tackle the main ?nancial problems you
are likely to encounter, in particular,
how best to ?nance a company, what
dividend policy to choose, how to
appraise both public and private sector
projects, and how to value a company
for takeover or ?otation.
Elective modules
Managing ?nancial
risk (BB841)
Managing ?nancial risk explores the
various ?nancial risks that confront
all institutions – credit risk, liquidity
and re?nancing risk, interest-rate risk,
foreign exchange risk and operational
risk. The module then examines how
these risks can be both measured and
managed. It uses many recent actual
examples of risk management
practices adopted in the public and
private sectors – some good, some bad
and some very ugly. By the end of
the module you should have a full
appreciation of how vulnerability to
?nancial risks arises and how you,
as a manager, can contribute to their
effective management within
your institution.
Sustainable creative
management (BB842)
This module deals with creative,
innovative and sustainable ways of
developing and managing people and
organisations. You will look at the way
cognition, values and style affect
how we manage and relate to others.
You will explore how to work more
creatively and effectively with
colleagues as well as understanding
innovative and sustainable ways
to develop organisations. You will
also consider the culture, environment
and context in which management
operates. The module offers practical
approaches for developing individuals,
teams and organisations and includes
a library of techniques that you
can continue to use after you have
completed the module.
Marketing in the 21st
century (BB844)
The economic turmoil of the last few
years has required organisations
to undertake more creative marketing
as well as be more responsive to the
needs of the market. This module
explores a variety of marketing
issues that emerge from marketing
planning, such as marketing research,
marketing segmentation, targeting and
positioning. You will draw upon current
theories and examples that illustrate
how organisations of all sizes deal with
environmental challenges and through
this gain a strong appreciation of
how marketing principles will not only
bene?t your organisation, but also how
you can use these to improve your
own performance.
Strategic human resource
management (BB845)
This module is designed to meet the
needs of managers who wish to
understand and be able to
in?uence decisions regarding the
management of human resources
within organisations. It considers the
different aspects of human resource
management at a strategic level in
the organisation and how this differs
from the more operationally-focused
personnel management. You will work
collaboratively with others on strategic
human resource management (SHRM)
issues and problems and ?nd, review
and evaluate information relevant
to key aspects of SHRM in your own
professional context.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 17
Entrepreneurship: experience
and perspective (BB846)
Social and commercial enterprises
play an important role in today’s
society, often in partnership with
larger corporations and public sector
organisations. This module provides
rich, experience-based insights into the
distinctive challenges of creating and
developing entrepreneurial ventures.
It helps you to gain relevant skills and
underpinning knowledge. You will also
develop a deeper, and more critical,
understanding of entrepreneurial
practices by connecting your
experiences to relevant concepts and
research evidence. As a result, you will
be better placed to develop your
own venture, engage with other
entrepreneurial organisations, and
take part in wider debates about
entrepreneurship in the
twenty-?rst century.
Management beyond the
mainstream (BB847)
Many managers work in situations, or
face tasks, for which the established
toolkit of mainstream, Anglo-American
management and leadership – with its
‘command and control’ assumptions,
instrumentalism and strong ?nancial
focus – is inadequate. This module
poses the question ‘What do you do
when management is inappropriate, not
enough, doesn’t work – or is simply not
an option?’ . You will explore a number of
undercurrents in management thinking,
and various alternatives to it – some
longstanding, some recently developed.
In particular, it will surface issues
and questions that tend to be
neglected or underplayed by the main
management disciplines.
Leadership and management
in intercultural
contexts (BB848)
Given the increasingly intercultural and
globally connected nature of business,
management and organisations, this
module provides opportunities for you
to question and re?ect on your own
practice and to develop ways of
managing and leading which are
appropriate in different national and
regional settings. By offering new
(cross-national) perspectives on
leadership and management you are
also challenged to rethink your own
practices in your current setting.
This module addresses issues facing
managers and leaders working in
intercultural contexts and supports
you to develop skills, competencies
and knowledge to thrive and to get
the best from colleagues, partners
and associates.
Business, human rights
law and corporate social
responsibility (W822)
This interdisciplinary module considers
how business increasingly conducts
its operations with responsibility to
its stakeholders and the wider society.
It takes a socio-legal approach when
examining how this expectation is being
framed in terms of corporate social
responsibility and human rights and
the challenges of a globalised world.
The module is diverse and wide-
ranging, considering the development
and application of these concepts
in very different business contexts
such as the development of
international labour standards, criminal
liability (corruption and corporate
manslaughter), branding and marketing,
charitable foundations and a range of
specialist industries through the use of
case studies.
Final module
Making a difference: the
management initiative (B839)
This module enables you to utilise
and apply the learning gained on your
MBA journey, to ‘make a difference’
in your workplace. You will work on a
project-like initiative which will require
you to engage with the theory you have
learned and to collect evidence to
support your thinking. Through this you
will explore the extent to which theory
can be applied in practice by applying
academic ideas to your work-based
issue. You will also have an opportunity
to re?ect how your MBA study has
changed you as a manager/practitioner.
Module assessment
There are a number of assessment
vehicles which will test your learning
throughout the MBA programme such
as examinations, assignments and
re?ective course work .
Flexibility that ?ts your life
The underlying approach of The Open University MBA is that you are able to ?t our programme around
your life – not the other way around. It’s hard work, but with a ?exible approach to study, you can plan
your own way through our programme.
18 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
Flexible structure
If needed, our MBA can be completed
in a minimum of three years
(see page 12), although it can also be
?exed up to seven years.
Its ?exible structure means you can
take study breaks between modules.
This will allow you to ?t our MBA around
your requirements, and for life to throw
in its little surprises.
Flexible location
If your job requires travel, you can carry
our programme with you wherever you
go – accessing your MBA virtual learning
platform, from anywhere in the world.
Flexible learning
All of our learning material is
compatible with mobile devices – such
as tablets, ereaders – and even your
mobile phone. You can also access
materials via iTunes. Such ?exibility
allows our students to study wherever
and whenever they wish.
OU Anywhere
Offering the option to download digital
versions of any OU-produced text
books, DVDs and audio CDs, the OU
Anywhere app facilitates a true mobile
learning experience – enabling you to
study while at home, in the of?ce, or on
the move.
Flexible payment
The modular structure of our MBA
programme gives you a great deal of
?exibility in managing your ?nances,
for what can be a signi?cant investment.
You will not be required to pay the full
programme cost at the outset; only for
the module you are studying. So, you pay
the cost of your ?rst module and, after
you pass it, you pay for the next.
This ?exibility enables you to plan
your studies in accordance with the
availability of funds, and spread the
cost of your MBA over a number
of years.
Flexible support
Many people worry that distance or
online learning means doing it on your
own, but nothing could be further from
the truth. As well as quality face-to-
face, telephone, and online support
from tutors and study advisers, there’s
always someone to talk to in one of our
community forums.
In fact, you can contact your tutors –
and get support from fellow students –
from anywhere in the world.
The MBA is life
changing as it
enlightens you to take
a holistic view of both
professional and personal
events. I am amazed how
I am able to see all types of
situations with a fresh point
of view.
Joe Synnott, MBA graduate
The format, course make-up,
learning style, ?exibility and
cost all worked well for me.
Simon Leppich, OU MBA alumnus
Someone logs onto the OU servers
every 0.5 seconds – that’s 1.5 million
people every week.
FACT
Fitting in your study
Our ?exible programme has been designed to minimise disruption to your working life.
You can take your MBA study with you wherever you go in the world. Depending on how much time you can allocate to your
studies, it can be completed over anything from three to seven years.
The diagrams below illustrate how you could plan your studies to suit your requirements, and achieve your MBA within
your preferred timescale. They show only a few of the options; you can plan your programme in various different ways,
to accommodate your life and work schedule.
4 years
Stage 1 Stage 2
PG Certi?cate PG Diploma MBA
MBA stage 1:
management:
perspectives
and practice
(B716)
(60 credits)
The
dynamics
of strategy
(BB835)
(30 credits)
Corporate
?nance
(BB831)
(15 credits)
Elective 1
15 credits) (
Elective 2
(15 credits)
Elective 3
(15 credits)
Making a difference: the
management initiative
(B839) (30 credits)
0
years
1
year
2
years
3
years
4
years
5 years
Stage 1 Stage 2
PG Certi?cate PG Diploma MBA
MBA stage 1:
management:
perspectives and
practice
Study
break
The
dynamics
of strategy
Corporate
?nance
Elective 1
Study
break
Elective 2
+
Elective 3
Study
break
Making a
difference:
the management
initiative
0
years
1
year
2
years
3
years
3.5
years
4
years
4.5
years
5
years
7 years
Stage 1 Stage 2
PG Certi?cate PG Diploma MBA
MBA stage 1:
management:
perspectives and
practice
Study break
The
dynamics
of strategy
Corporate
?nance
Study
break
Elective 1
+
Elective 2
Study break Elective 3
Study
break
Making a
difference:
the management
initiative
0
years
1
year
2
years
3
years
3.5
years
4
years
4.5
years
5
years
5.5
years
6
years
6.5
years
7
years
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 19
Your learning, our support
Supportiveness is what makes The Open University stand out from other ?exible learning programmes.
All our students enjoy easy access to their tutors, so they never feel that they are on their own.
It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that the OU has been rated as one of the best for overall student
satisfaction every year since the National Student Survey (NSS) ?rst began in 2005.
20 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
MBA induction
Because we recognise that you may not
have studied for many years, or that
you might be new to ?exible learning,
four weeks before your study begins,
we guide you through a comprehensive
online induction.
During this, you will be given useful
start-up information and introduced
to a number of helpful tools.
Apart from offering a detailed
overview of our MBA programme,
your induction will offer guidance on:
• how to manage your time
• how to use the virtual
learning platform
• study and critical thinking skills.
Tutor groups
As soon as you join our MBA
programme you’ll be allocated to a
group of around 16 students, with
whom you will stay for the ?rst year
of study. Throughout the year, this
small group will be supported by
a tutor, to facilitate your learning.
As you move through the programme,
you will get the opportunity to work
with a range of different students and
tutors. Your tutor group and learning
within the module will be facilitated
by your tutor and will be your foremost
support asset in your learning journey.
Experienced tutors
Our support network of more than
100 experienced tutors is perhaps
the most distinct, effective and
powerful feature of our programme.
More than academics, our tutors are
also practising business professionals,
who will constantly ground your
learning in real life contexts.
Unlike traditional university
classrooms – where you have a tutor-
student ratio of approximately 1:80 or
more – at the OU Business School you
will get dedicated teaching support,
with a tutor-student ratio of 1:16.
This means you will bene?t from more
intensive and individualised support
and guidance.
Your tutor will mark all your
assignments for a particular module,
and provide comprehensive feedback
to help you improve as you progress
through the module.
I received lots of support from tutors, online forums
and residential schools, which was also great for building
a network of contacts. The practical experience helps me to do
things differently.
Andre Simonian, MBA graduate
Residential schools
and workshops
Bringing together students from
around the globe, three residential
schools form a compulsory part of
the MBA programme – taking place
in a range of locations across Europe,
including London, Dublin and Brussels.
On two to four day-long immersive
workshops, working with live
case studies, you will accrue a wealth
of real-world experience. These
concentrated sessions help you to
work, network and learn together, in
an international context.
Apart from your core MBA study-
related workshops, dedicated
development workshops will help
to improve your skills, in areas such
as negotiation, presentation
and consulting.
The residential schools are offered
both face to face and, for students who
prefer, via an online format.
Tutorial events
In addition to our residential schools,
you will get the opportunity to attend
further tutorials with your tutor group.
Facilitated by your module tutors,
these face-to-face and online sessions
provide an opportunity to work
through, and clarify, the study material.
Our tutorials work as facilitative
learning events, where you will also be
able to meet your tutorial group peers.
Student Support
Teams (SSTs)
Offering a highly personalised study
experience, our SSTs maximise your
chances of success in achieving your
study goals.
Throughout your studies, they provide
integrated learning and learner
support to students, supplementing
the support offered by your tutor in
all wider academic, administrative,
national and regional aspects relevant
to your studies.
They also offer academic pastoral
support, giving you both:
• proactive support: guidance on
examination and assessment,
selecting modules, tracking your
progress and offering individualised
support
• reactive support: such as responding
to your queries and facilitating
resolution and responding to tutor
referrals to provide support.
Interactive support
Within the OU MBA programme you will
be able to constantly interact with your
peers, via vibrant online platforms:
• Tutor forums: which enable
you to interact, with both your
tutor and your group peers, in
a tutor-moderated forum.
• Module forums: or Student Café,
which allows you to interact with
peers who are not in your tutor
group, but who are working on the
same module.
• MBA world forum: this lets you
connect with all students following
our MBA programme. For example,
you can take academic advice from
peers who are at a more advanced
stage of the programme
than yourself.
• Online rooms: this lets you book
virtual rooms in which to group study
with your peers.
OU library and
online resources
To help you research and complete
your assignments, you’ll enjoy free
access – 24 hours a day, seven days
a week – to the OU’s extensive library.
There, you can tap into thousands of
online journals, ebooks, databases
and multimedia resources – for true
?exibility of learning.
Worldwide alumni community
The OU Business School is home to
more than 24,000 successful MBA
alumni from over 100 countries.
You will have access to one of
the world’s largest networks of
MBA graduates via online groups,
professional bodies, events
and webinars.
With the OU Business School it didn’t
matter where in the world I was.
I could be in the outback, Timbuktu, or my
tiny New York apartment – as long as I had
internet access I was good to go.
Linda Goarke, MBA student
22 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
The OU Business School helps
thousands of organisations train
their managers and staff. Our modules
introduce employees to the latest
business thinking, and enable them
to apply these ideas to their work
environment. Organisations see an
immediate return on their investment.
Geographically dispersed organisations
are especially drawn to the OU’s ability
to deliver the same learning across
the country, or the world. Our learning
methods give managers a consistent
approach to management – wherever
they are located.
Why is our MBA so popular
with employers?
• It’s a mobile and fexible route for
developing managers, allowing you
to study at a time, place and pace
that suits you.
• It gives you access to one of
the world’s largest communities
of management learners
and practitioners.
• It draws on daily management
activity so that what you learn today,
you can put into practice tomorrow.
• It crosses geographical, cultural and
sector boundaries – offering equal
relevance to the private and
public sector.
• It develops not only your managerial
capability and motivation but also
valuable talents, such as effective
prioritisation, team-working,
commitment and personal motivation.
• Developing managers through our
MBA makes a difference to both the
employee and the organisation.
Our MBA as employee development
The Open University has more than 40 years’ success in ful?lling organisational needs, across
various industry sectors – from large corporates, to SMEs. By listening to, and understanding,
the requirements of the individual organisation, we provide ?exible solutions to business
critical issues.
The BT managers constantly talk to us
about the value they have got from the
MBA. Primarily the value is that they can take the
knowledge that they gained from the course and put
it into demonstration in very relevant work-based
projects. So, not only are they getting bene?t from
those work based projects being able to support
their MBA activities, but we as an organisation are
getting great bene?t from their new ways of thinking.
Andy Palmer, Head of Skills, BT
The Open University MBA
programme allows employees
to study while on the go.
Derek Harnby, Cummins Corporate Recruitment
Manager for Europe and the Middle East
Business networks
We are focused at widening our contribution to and involvement with the business community through
development of effective business networks. Our strong links with the industry enable us to understand
the business challenges faced by today’s organisations and re?ect that in our learning materials by
constantly updating them. Our collaborations, not only with businesses but also government, allow us to
take management education in to the work place and break the link between exclusivity and excellence.
Global Business School
Network
OUBS has recently been accepted into
the Global Business School Network
(GBSN), a network of 67 business
schools from 29 countries on six
continents working to strengthen
management education in the
developing world. We are one of only
two UK schools to be members
(the other is London Business School).
The goal of GBSN is to implement
capacity building programmes that
advance management education,
creating long-term impact on
development. Membership is fully in
line with the OU’s strong commitment
to social justice worldwide.
GBSN also provides a resource for
innovation, collaboration, partnership
and research, which ?ts in with the
OUBS’ international and
research strategies.
CMI Partnership
The OUBS Alumni and Careers
Network has partnered with the
Chartered Management Institute (CMI),
the only chartered professional body
in the UK dedicated to promoting the
highest standards in management and
leadership excellence. Together we are
offering two different membership
packages, Chartered Manager and
Af?liate Membership, both designed
to support your career and personal
development, and offering discount
to you, in recognition of your
OUBS quali?cation.
OUBS and CMI share a philosophy
of practical, applied management
development and our partnership
allows you to bene?t from CMI’s wealth
of management resources and support,
which research shows, has a positive
impact on employability, earning
potential and competence. To ?nd out
more click:
www.open.ac.uk/business-school/cmi.
The Open University is trusted by
employers worldwide. That is why 80%
of FTSE 100 companies, at any given
time, have sponsored students on
our modules.
Some of our sponsoring
partners include:
Airbus
EADS NV
Foreign & Commonwealth
Of?ce (FCO)
Ministry of Defence (MOD)
National Health Service (NHS)
Rolls-Royce Group plc
Deutsche Telekom AG
BT Group
WS Atkins plc
FirstGroup plc
FACT
Corporate partners and employers value this approach, which is
why four out of ?ve FTSE 100 companies have sponsored staff
to study with the OU.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 23
Your passport to a powerful
global alumni and careers network
The Open University MBA is your passport to a large, extremely active, business network.
Automatically, MBA graduates become members of our worldwide alumni community.
An Alumni and Careers Network
facilitates valuable connections
between our Business School and its
community of practising leaders and
managers, throughout their careers.
This network is open to everyone who
holds a professional and postgraduate
business and management quali?cation
from the OU Business School.
You will belong to this powerful, global,
growing community, with over 90,000
members. Our aim is to provide a
service that you can continue to draw
on throughout your career; whether
you are looking to progress within your
organisation, change careers, start out
on your own, or return to study.
Careers and professional
development
We offer a variety of services to
support individuals at different stages
of their careers and across sectors,
industries and functions. Through our
website you can access:
• free monthly webinars and a webinar
library on career support and
progression topics
• free access to current international
recruiter guides and supporting
videos on how to work with head-
hunters and recruiters
• free access to a professional
development programme: The Career
Maximiser, developed by MBA
Career specialists, Career Farm.
• discounted access to professional
career coaches, CV specialists and
career assessment programme
• discounted membership to
professional bodies
• free online library resource access
for MBA alumni.
My MBA has proved an invaluable bene?t to both my
professional and personal life. My veterinary practice is
now in the process of developing a sophisticated strategy to build
and renew its existing success. I’ve developed an unprecedented
insight into who I am, how I think and how I relate to others. A life
changing experience!
Graham Finch, MBA graduate
Career mentoring
programme
Designed to support both alumni
and students to progress their
careers, this programme focuses on
the immediate need for development.
Whether you are interested in
becoming a volunteer mentor or
bene?ting from being mentored,
it offers a rewarding opportunity to
engage with others in our network.
We have amongst the largest, most
experienced and most diverse group
of MBA alumni in Europe, so we are
con?dent that we can match you with a
suitable, independent and like-minded
mentor to help you achieve your goals.
If you would like to become a mentor,
we offer a comprehensive training
process to ensure that you are
con?dent and able to use your
experience to support others on
their professional journey.
Alumni events
We offer a variety of face-to-face,
online, networking and learning and
development events, led by our own
academics, tutors, alumni – or other
professionals within our network. At a
local level, volunteer alumni organise
additional informal networking events.
Our programme Business Perspectives
brings the latest academic and
practitioner thinking and best practice
to you through online and face-to-face
events, an open access blog and insight
into practising managers’ views on a
quarterly themed basis.
It’s the place for our network to
share their perspectives on current
business matters with each other and
with our academic and research staff.
Industry leaders share their insights
at our events, and if the location is not
accessible to you, videos and a webcast
enable you to participate, learn, and
share your own perspective.
Conversations are focused around
a central theme; this year, we are
exploring innovation, strategy,
leadership and strategic change
management. For more information,
click www.open.ac.uk/oubs-alumni.
24 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
You will be eligible for our MBA by satisfying all three requirements:
Professional Certi?cate in
Management (S01)
If you are new to management, or need
to develop your managerial abilities
and understanding, this course provides
a broad-based, practical introduction
to the key ideas, techniques and
competencies needed to manage
effectively and productively in all
functional areas of modern
organisations.
The emphasis is on your own
professional development – everything
you study is related to the management
roles and responsibilities you exercise.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 25
• Respond to the management
development needs of your
organisation, wherever you are
in the world.
• Applicable to the commercial, public
or voluntary sector.
• Build on your existing experience
to develop your learning.
• Apply newly-learned skills, knowledge
and techniques immediately in your
own context.
Key features of the course
Duration: Part time – 1-4 years
MBA entry requirements
There are three main routes into The Open University MBA programme. Each has an academic
requirement, a work experience requirement, and – if you are an international student –
a language competency requirement.
ROUTE 1
Bachelor’s degree with Honours
Academic requirement
You will need to have a bachelor’s
degree, with honours, awarded by
a UK university or equivalent.
Work experience requirement
A minimum of three years’ experience
in a managerial, technical or
professional role.
Language requirement
Strongly recommend a capability
equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.5.
ROUTE 2
Bachelor’s degree without Honours
Academic requirement
You will need to take the GMAT
examination, and achieve a score
of 640 or above or complete the
six-month OU module Managing 1:
organisations and people (B628).
Work experience requirement
A minimum of three years’ experience
in a managerial, technical or
professional role.
Language requirement
Strongly recommend a capability
equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.5.
ROUTE 3
No Bachelor’s degree
Academic requirement
You will need to complete our one
year quali?cation – Professional
Certi?cate in Management (S01),
which, after successful completion,
will give you direct entry onto our
MBA. See below for more information.
Work experience requirement
A minimum of three years’ experience
in a managerial, technical or
professional role.
Language requirement
Strongly recommend a capability
equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.5.
Fees and funding
The Open University MBA breaks the link between exclusivity and top-tier, triple-accredited excellence.
When compared to the UK’s other triple-accredited business schools, the value for money of the OU
model is clear.
Fees
Unlike many business schools, the OU
fee includes the cost of books and
study materials, accommodation and
meals at residential schools, access
to a bespoke elearning environment
and project supervision, as well as
examination fees.
The approximate fee range for our
MBA is as follows:
£60,000
£50,000
£40,000
£30,000
£20,000
£10,000
£0
OU MBA School 1 School 2 School 3 School 4 School 5 School 6
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
Region Approximate
fee range
1
United Kingdom £14,895–£16,965
Republic of Ireland £17,440–£19,665
Other EU £18,160–£20,465
Rest of the world Please call
+44 (0)845 241 6555
for details
1
Based on 2014/2015 prices
Our fee range explained
• The module prices are reviewed
annually, and hence may vary as you
progress in your studies.
• The total cost of your MBA will
depend on which modules you study
and assume that you pass each
module at ?rst attempt.
Don’t let funding problems
stop you
Unlike many traditional MBA
programmes, the OU MBA does not
require a single upfront payment.
You only pay for the modules you are
studying at that time. This spreads the
cost over the duration of your study.
You can pay your fees upfront, by
debit or credit card, or with an
Open University Student Budget
Account (OUSBA).
How OUSBA works
At registration, OUSBA Ltd pays
your full module fee to the OU. You
then repay the loan to OUSBA Ltd,
Sample fee comparison across triple-accredited business schools in the UK
in monthly instalments – starting
one month after your module begins.
Currently charged at 5.0% per
annum, interest is only applied once
your module has commenced. This is
an exclusive rate, available only to
students of the OU.
Representative example:
Rate of interest 5.0% per annum (?xed)
MBA stage 1 fee
(total amount of
credit)
£4,255.00
APR APR 5.1%
representative
Total amount
payable
£4,361.61
Amount of
interest
£106.61
Monthly
repayment
£396.51
All credit is subject to status and proof
that you can afford the repayments.
For more information you can write
to OUSBA at PO Box 508, Walton
Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6HX. Please
note that the OU works exclusively
with OUSBA and is not able to offer
you credit facilities from any other
provider.
If you prefer to pay in full,
before each module
You can still use the OUSBA option
to register for your module and then
repay OUSBA interest-free, and in full,
just before your module starts (APR
0% representative). This option could
give you the extra time you may need
to secure the funding for your module.
The same funding arrangement can be
made for all subsequent modules that
count towards your MBA.
Find out more, click
www.open.ac.uk/ousba
or call +44 (0)300 303 7444.
Online fee calculator
Our fee calculator tool will help you to
plan your studies, according to your
availability, by:
• calculating the total cost of your
MBA, depending on the electives
you choose
• demonstrating how the total cost
of your MBA can be ?exibly spread
across your chosen length of study.
26 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
Pay as you go
The ?exible modular structure of the OU MBA allows you to plan your studies in accordance with
your available ?nances. The following example pathways show when and how much you would need
to pay. However, these are suggestive only and you can, as a student, take study breaks after any
given module.
3 Year Time Plan
0-12 months
MBA stage 1:
management:
perspectives
and practice
(60 credits) –
£4,255
£4,255
13-18 months
The dynamics
of strategy
(30 credits) –
£3,305
£3,305
19-24 months
Corporate ?nance
(15 credits) – £1,680
Managing ?nancial
risk (15 credits) –
£1,680
£3,360
25-30 months
Marketing in the 21st
century (15 credits) – £1,680
Leadership and management
in intercultural contexts
(15 credits) – £1,680
£3,360
25-36 months
Making a
difference: the
management
inititative
(30 credits) –
£2,685
£2,685
4 Year Time Plan
0-12 months
MBA stage 1:
management:
perspectives
and practice
(60 credits) –
£4,255
£4,255
13-18 months
Study
break
19-24 months
The dynamics
of strategy
(30 credits) –
£3,305
£3,305
25-30 months
Corporate
?nance
(15 credits) –
£1,680
£1,680
31-36 months
Sustainable creative
management
(15 credits) – £1,680
Leadership and
management in
intercultural contexts
(15 credits) – £1,680
£3,360
37-48 months
Making a difference: the
management initiative
(30 credits) – £2,685
Strategic human
resources management
(15 credits) – £1,680
£4,365
5 Year Time Plan
0-12 months
MBA stage 1:
management:
perspectives
and practice
(60 credits) –
£4,255
£4,255
13-18 months
Study
break
19-24 months
The dynamics
of strategy
(30 credits) –
£3,305
£3,305
25-30 months
Corporate ?nance
(15 credits) –
£1,680
Marketing in the
21st century
(15 credits) –
£1,680
£3,360
31-36 months
Study
break
37-42 months
Management beyond
the mainstream
(15 credits) – £1,680
Leadership and
management
in intercultural contexts
(15 credits) – £1,680
£3,360
43-48 months
Study
break
49-60 months
Making a
difference: the
management
initiative
(30 credits) –
£2,685
£2,685
Employer sponsorship
The Open University is highly respected by employers which is why more than 40 per cent of our
students are sponsored by their employers.
Our online Business Case Builder
tool can generate a fully written
tailored business case in 3 easy
steps. Explore the tool at
www.openuniversity.co.uk/
mba-sponsor to create a business
case to present to your employer.
Business men and women can make a real difference to
their organisation’s strategy through implementing learning
from the OU Business School quali?cations from day one of
studying. Having the support of highly accredited quali?cations
under their belt, gives employees the con?dence and knowledge
to voice solutions and strategies that re?ect today’s
business practices.
Sir Gerry Robinson, Business Expert
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 27
28 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
Student achievement awards
OU Business School celebrates the exceptional achievements of its high calibre students annually.
The awards, now in their tenth year, are held to commend some of the highest achieving students from
the past academic year. We continue to support and celebrate our alumni by recognising outstanding
achievements to both organisations and communities.
Here are what some of our award winners had to say about their study experience.
The MBA transformed every aspect of my working life.
I changed direction from hospitals into charity work, and
then I was promoted as well. Each promotion really was because
of developments that had come out from my MBA.
Although you’re working on a computer at home there are loads
of opportunities to meet with other people, lots of day schools,
and lots of opportunities to interact in open forums.
I would de?nitely recommend the MBA to others. It’s
transformed me, my career and my con?dence.
Caroline Stevens,
MBA Student of the Year Award 2012
I wanted to get knowledge of different functional areas,
to understand some of the theories behind management
as a principle but also to combine that with practical experience
– to be a good manager essentially.
I chose the OU MBA for a number of different reasons. Primary
among those was the ?exibility of the course and the support
that it offers for students who are doing study alongside work
but also the content and the focus of the course. The Open
University offered a combination of the traditional, the good,
solid grounding but also that dynamic forward looking way of
studying through things like innovation, creativity and change.
I think overwhelmingly it has been an incredibly
rewarding, positive experience.
Roberta Thomson,
MBA Student of the Year Award 2011
Studying with The
Open University gave
me the ?exibility to be
able to do some distance
learning and I could do it,
stagger it over a number
of years, and ?t it in with
my work.
Keith Grinstead,
Outstanding
Contribution
to Society 2012
I’ve had much more
?exibility, I’ve been
able to take a year out,
I’ve been able to bring my
daughter up, I’ve been able
to deal with a change in
career part way through that
wouldn’t have been afforded
in an orthodox route through
higher education.
Emma Rose,
Outstanding Contribution
to Society 2012 – Highly
Commended
MBA Explorer App
If you have an iPad we have created an innovative MBA Explorer app that you can ?nd
on the App Store.
Carrying a paper prospectus around
with you is not that practical, but
having instant access to an iPad app
which contains all the key information
required to help you make an informed
decision about studying an MBA is
much more convenient.
The MBA Explorer app brings to
life just how the MBA can make
a difference to your career, your
employer and to your life. The app
also contains details of all the study
support mechanisms available, speci?c
module details, the range of payment
options, entry requirements and
much more.
Search for ‘MBA Explorer’ in the App Store.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 29
Within the app you’ll ?nd a wide range of information
and interactive content such as:
• The study readiness test – our test can help you determine when and
how you could ?t MBA study time into your life.
• The fee calculator – custom build your study pathway, price it up and
plan your studies.
• Sample study content with two free taster course units (Stakeholder
Management and Problem Solving).
• The Business Case Builder – generate a proposal in minutes to take to
your employer and seek some or all of your fees being paid.
International partners
We have a large number
of international partner
organisations some of which
offer The Open University MBA.
For further information, click
www.oubs.open.ac.uk.
30 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
Practical information
Credit transfer
Of the 180 credits required for
the MBA, 30 credits of elective
modules at Stage 2 can be awarded
in recognition of relevant previous
study elsewhere. For more
information click
www.open.ac.uk/credit-transfer.
Funding
Sponsorship
More than 40 per cent of our
students are sponsored by their
employers. If your employer would
like more information about The
Open University and the bene?ts
of sponsoring employees, then
please go to
www.open.ac.uk/employers.
Alternatively, if you require
guidance or advice on how your
employer can sponsor you, then
please call
+44 (0)300 303 0065.
The Crowther Fund (Open
University graduates only)
Set up as a tribute to the late
Lord Crowther, our ?rst chancellor,
The Crowther Fund is intended
to help OU graduates build upon
their degrees – either by formal
study or research, or by generally
broadening their experience
through a period of voluntary work.
The fund does not take account
of ?nancial circumstances, and is
open to all OU graduates holding
honours degrees. The application
closing date is 28 February
each year.
For further information
please email
[email protected].
Talk to us
You can always contact one of our
study advisers, who can answer any
questions you might have and give
you further information about our
MBA programme.
Please call the OU Business
School Information Line on
+44 (0)300 303 0065
or, if you live outside the UK
or the Republic of Ireland,
click www.openuniversity.edu.
Ways to register
• Online at
www.open.ac.uk/study-mba
• Call OU Business School
Information Line on
+44 (0)300 303 0065
• If you live outside the UK or
the Republic of Ireland, click
www.openuniversity.edu.
Start dates
Our MBA programme starts in
May and November each year
and you will need to register for your
modules at least a month before you
begin your study. The closing dates
for registration are published on
our website
www.openuniversity.co.uk/start
Meet us
The Open University hosts a number
of events in the UK, Ireland and
Continental Europe giving you the
opportunity to meet with OU staff
and discuss what it’s like to study
with us, and what modules we have
that will suit your needs. At some
events you can view our learning
materials, or talk to subject
specialists.
For details of UK events near you,
click
www.openuniversity.co.uk/
mbaevents.
Or, if you can’t make it to one of
these events we run a number
of online information sessions,
click
www.openuniversity.co.uk/
mba-online.
An MBA is not the end but
it is the beginning of a new
journey, a new life.
Christoph Weimer, MBA graduate
A guide to affordable
funding options.
Drive your career
forward with an OU
MBA
Contact points for advice
and registration
Please visit our website:
www.open.ac.uk/business-school
or, for students resident in the UK and Ireland,
please call OU Business School
Information Line:
+44 (0)300 303 0065
Lines are open (UK time):
Monday to Friday 09:00 to 20:00
Calls are charged at the UK local rate when calling
from a UK landline. Calls may be recorded for
training and security purposes.
International students
For students outside of the UK and the
Republic of Ireland please visit our website:
www.openuniversity.edu
or call
+44 845 241 6555
The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391),
an exempt charity in England & Wales, and a charity registered in
Scotland (SC 038302). The Open University is authorised and regulated
by the Financial Conduct Authority.
While we have done everything possible to make sure the information in
this publication is accurate, it may change due to regulations or policy,
or because of ?nancial or other reasons.
Designed and produced by Matrix.
Printed by Belmont Press.
Copyright © 2014 The Open University.
SUP 042890
OU Business School Information Team
The Open University
PO Box 197
Milton Keynes
MK7 6BJ
United Kingdom
doc_813586795.pdf
The global marketplace is more challenging than ever before.
The Open
University
MBA
2014/2015
Foreword
by Professor Rebecca Taylor,
Dean, OU Business School
(OUBS)
The global marketplace is more challenging than ever before.
Organisations need executives who are agile, resilient and can
work across boundaries; who can understand the theory of
management and business and apply this in the real world;
and who can spot and react to new threats and opportunities.
These are the executives who will drive growth and success
in the future.
02 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
At the OU Business School, we offer a cutting-edge, practice-based MBA
programme developed by leading business academics. We work alongside
businesses and our students to deliver an MBA that builds executive business
skills while you continue to operate in the workplace. This ensures that you
critically assess and apply new skills as they are learned and it means that
we can support you in taking the next step in your career.
Sponsoring employers will see an immediate return on investment while also
helping to retain valued and skilled individuals.
The OU’s vast experience of developing study programmes, allied with our
individual approach to business education, enables the OU Business School
to offer a tailored and effective MBA that is uniquely placed to assist you in
your journey to becoming a highly effective executive.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 03
Our values
Inclusive
Our ability to offer a wide range of
support services to students and a
championing of ethical standards
means that we are able to:
• play a unique role in society, making
higher education open to all
• promote social justice through
the development of knowledge
and skills. We offer a wide range
of support services to students
with disabilities and additional
requirements.
Innovative
With over 30 years’ experience in
delivering learning, we:
• lead the learning revolution, placing
innovation at the heart of our
teaching and research
• continuously seek new and better
ways to inspire and enable learning
• create world-class research
and teaching.
Responsive
By listening to students and
organisations we have been able to:
• respond to the needs of individuals,
employers and the communities in
which they live and work
• dedicate resources to support our
students’ learning success.
Our vision
The OU Business School continues to be
a leader in open, accessible and ?exible
business and management education.
We will be recognised for:
• our pioneering and engaged research
and teaching that challenges
conventional thinking and practice
• our collaborations with international
business, civil societies and
governments, that advance
knowledge in business and law
• our ability to continuously
innovate new learning approaches
that transform business and
legal education.
Our mission
• To deliver transformational business
and management education to
a diverse audience, that is relevant
to the workplace, is founded on
rigorous research and practice,
and has bene?cial social and
economic impact.
• To be at the forefront of distinctive
teaching that enables individuals
and organisations to achieve their
potential and contribute responsibly
to society.
• To deliver high quality relevant
learning anywhere in the world.
Michael Young Building, OU Business School, Walton Hall Campus,
Milton Keynes
Values, vision and mission
The OU Business School has over 30 years’ experience in helping businesses and ambitious executives
across the globe achieve their true potential through innovative practice-based study programmes.
Making a
difference…
…to your life
The Open University MBA will help you become
someone who inspires achievement, encourages
dedication and instils admiration and trust in others.
Studying it will take you on a personal journey.
One that will encourage you to challenge limits, cross
boundaries and change the way you think. It’s the
only MBA that’s truly designed to ?t around your life
and career.
By drawing on our vast experience, we enable you to
study at the highest level in a way that enriches your
working life, without putting it on hold – giving you
maximum ?exibility, coupled with convenience.
With our MBA, the quality of your experience is
matched by the versatility of our learning methods:
• Proven: our triple-accredited
1
status puts us in the
top one per cent of business schools in the world.
• Highly regarded: our MBA is ranked in the top 15
online MBA programmes in the world and ?fth for
value for money by the Financial Times 2014.
• Unique: we are the only triple-accredited
1
business
school which specialises in ?exible learning.
• Practical: integrates with, and adds value to,
your day job, allowing you to apply your
learning instantly.
• Convenient: it lets you ?t learning around your
day job and lifestyle. Our cutting-edge technology
enables you to study in your own time – at home,
at work or on the move.
• Affordable: with the option to ‘pay as you go’ in
monthly instalments.
• Rewarding: 82 per cent of our students
2
say that
they have experienced a salary increase while
taking the MBA.
04 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
2
Postgraduate Alumni Survey, 2012.
1
Our MBA is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business (AACSB), EFMD Quality Improvement System
(EQUIS) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA).
…to your career
It’s our balance of quality teaching, convenient
delivery and practical application that makes The Open
University MBA so special.
You and your organisation will bene?t from your MBA
study straightaway, through our unique study method
of practice-based, action learning. What you learn today,
you can implement tomorrow – creating an immediate
impact in the workplace.
Our MBA will give you the skills and experience you need
to take your career to the next level. It will increase
organisational and leadership effectiveness; not only
in you, but in your colleagues and peers, too.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 05
My study with the OU Business
School gave me a greater
appreciation of my own organisation and
the opportunity to help bring about change.
Ian Davies, MBA graduate
I chose to undertake my MBA
through the OU Business School
because of the ?exibility of delivery, the
international scope of its student-base and
my previous experience of working with
The Open University.
Moses Warburton, OU MBA Alumnus
Without a doubt it has opened doors
to positions I would otherwise have
been excluded from applying for. Not only
that, the OU MBA gives you the con?dence
to speak up on a day to day basis, to
in?uence decisions and to contribute
at the highest levels of the organisation.
Mark Sim, OU MBA Alumnus
The programme will ‘force’ you to
review the learned theories’ practicality
for your own work context. You have to deal
intensively with models and re?ect upon
those critically. I found it especially useful
that all the models make my work easier by
providing a structured approach to problems
that go beyond ‘common sense’ . You also
develop a more critical view towards gurus
and their opinions, and question them.
The OU MBA also helps you to collaborate
and work better with people.
Ansgar Cordier, OU MBA Alumnus
96% of our MBA graduates say that
they would highly recommend us. FACT
Recognised as one of the world’s
leading business schools
The Open University is home to more than 24,000 successful MBA graduates, from more
than 100 countries. Our journey helps make a difference, not only to your career, but to your
organisation – and life itself.
Designed for professionals keen to
take the next step in their career, our
MBA programme is highly practice-
based, blending academic rigour with
the realities of business.
The OU Business School is triple-
accredited; by the Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB), EFMD Quality
Improvement System (EQUIS) and the
Association of MBAs (AMBA). Such
accreditation ensures you will have a
globally reputed quali?cation of proven
quality that is accepted worldwide.
Relevant and far reaching
Our MBA is successful because of its
relevance to your work. It works for
so many professionals because it is
designed with the highest amount of
practical focus – and its international
programme design lets you apply your
MBA knowledge anywhere in the world.
Our MBA comes to life in
your workplace
The best way to learn is to practise,
which is why ours is very much a
practice-based programme – which
we call ‘action learning’ .
Our rigorous approach to constantly
applying management theories to
the workplace will help you develop
independent learning, and a critical
view on the knowledge you gain.
Employers like our approach
Our unique practice-based learning
methodology is endorsed by
organisations across the globe.
It’s why more than 40 per cent of
our MBA students are sponsored
by their employers.
For more information on how we work
with organisations, please see page 22.
OU Business School provides modules
and quali?cations that thriving
business people can study whilst they earn,
allowing them to brush up on their skills
and explore new areas of knowledge, whilst
implementing learning outcomes into their
organisation from day one of study to
maximise business opportunities.
Theo Paphitis, Business Expert
2013 MBA class pro?le
Tutor/Student ratio 1:16
Average age 37
Average years of work experience 14
Gender 36% female 64% male
FACT
Only one per cent of all business
schools are triple-accredited, and with
more than 24,000 successful MBAs we
are by far the most popular in this elite
and exclusive group in the UK.
06 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 07
Margaret Miller
The International Advisory Board is
chaired by Maggie Miller. Based in
New York, Maggie is an IT strategy
and business change consultant
with expertise in customer-facing,
multichannel sectors, including retail
and digital media.
Janice Bell
Janice is an expert in business
management and transformational
change and has strong links with a
number of major UK and international
organisations. Janice was a senior
executive within IBM before starting
her own consultancy.
Sanjeeb Chaudhuri
Sanjeeb is the Regional Head for South
Asia and Global Head of Marketing
at Standard Chartered Bank. Based
in Mumbai, Sanjeeb is also a Board
Member of Standard Chartered
Securities India Ltd.
Peter Cheese
Peter sits on the Council of City &
Guilds, and he is a European Board
Director with Junior Achievement Young
Enterprise Europe, an organisation
focused on the development of
entrepreneurial, ?nancial and
employability skills in young people
through business engagement in
schools and universities.
Andrew Craissati
Andrew is a highly experienced
entrepreneurial business leader,
encompassing strategic thinking and
value creation. He currently advises the
Singapore Government on media issues,
as well as running his highly successful
corporate ?nance and investment
advice business which has of?ces in
London, Asia and the USA.
James Crotty
James has held a broad range of
international general management and
commercial roles at European Executive
Board level at American Express.
James Cullens
James has a variety of board-level HR
experience including with Linde AG,
The BOC Group plc, and with African
Oxygen Ltd, where he was a non-
executive director. He is a Board
member of the Chartered Institute
of Personnel and Development.
Sir Stuart Etherington
Stuart is a Council Member of the
Institute of Employment Studies, an
Advisory Group member for the Policy
Centre at the British Academy and for
the Lord Mayor’s Trust Initiative and
a member of the Economic and Social
Committee of the European Union.
He has been a trustee of Business
in the Community, the Chair of the
BBC Appeals Advisory Committee, a
member of the Community and Social
Affairs Committee of Barclays Bank,
former Chair of Guidestar UK, Chair
of CIVICUS Europe, and Treasurer
of CIVICUS, a global civil society
organisation.
Ann Francke
As Chief Executive Of?cer, Ann brings
her extensive global general
management experience to the CMI and
has a track record of developing people
and delivering innovative strategies
that result in sustainable growth.
Ron Jones
Ron is the founder and Executive
Chairman of Tinopolis, one of the
largest independent television
producers in Europe producing over
2000 hours of television annually.
Headquartered in Llanelli in Wales,
Tinopolis also has of?ces in London,
Los Angeles, Glasgow, Washington and
Cardiff serving over 180 broadcasters
throughout the world.
Dr Arthur Langer
Arthur is the Academic Director of
the Executive Masters in Technology
Management at Columbia University.
He has authored various papers on
information systems design and
management. His current research
focuses on the design of technology-
based curricula for corporations
and universities.
Jay O’Connor
Jay is an active mentor and advocate
of organisational best practice,
contributing to initiatives that help
advance standards. With an extensive
background in communications and PR,
she has held elected positions in the
Chartered Institute of Public
Relations (CIPR).
Neil Passmore
Neil is CEO and owner of Strand
Partners plc. He has a broad range
of corporate and entrepreneurial
experience, including as an of?cer
with the Army Air Corps, and working
in corporate ?nance with a focus on
natural resources, emerging markets
and real estate. He has an MBA from
The Open University.
Renzo Scacco
Based in Melbourne, Australia,
Renzo has an extensive background
in professional services gained from
working with some of the leading global
consulting ?rms including Andersen
Consulting (Accenture),
PricewaterhouseCoopers and
Interbrand.
Peter Wright
Peter is a member of American Express’
Global Management Team. In addition,
Peter is Chairman of Swisscard,
a card-issuing joint venture with
American Express and Credit Suisse.
He is the Head of Card Services for
Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)
and oversees the company’s consumer
card-issuing businesses and merchant
acquiring partnerships within
this region.
The International Advisory Board (IAB)
The IAB is advisory to the Dean of the OU Business School, to the School’s executive team and to the
wider University. Our board members are from a range of public and private enterprises worldwide,
re?ecting the diversity of both the School and The Open University. The board enables the School to be
in touch with the latest international practice and provides valuable input from outside the University.
Global credibility, local relevance
Our MBA programme is designed for practising senior and middle-level managers.
It has a strong international focus with emphasis on strategic analysis, interdisciplinary skills,
creativity and innovation. We believe that being a global business school is not about
bringing students in; it is about extending learning outwards.
International reach
With more than 55 per cent of our
students studying outside the UK, and
with alumni in more than 100 countries,
the OU Business School offers a truly
global experience.
Open University Business School
students are many and diverse and
from different sectors, industries
and backgrounds. We believe
that this diversity enriches your
MBA experience, allowing you to
broaden your mind and gain a deeper
understanding of other cultures.
08 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
I wanted a more
worldly perspective
to enrich my education
with people from
different backgrounds
and countries.
Matt Krise, USA
The Open University
MBA programme
has given me a deeper
understanding of the issues
and challenges within my
particular work environment,
particularly areas such as HR
and ?nance, which I have been
less familiar with in the past.
Christian Duncumb, Indonesia
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Studying with The Open
University has changed
my perception on life. I now
believe that anything
is possible.
Kevin Sampson, UK
The people I studied my
MBA with were from
the United States, Kosovo
and Austria, each working
in different industries. This
allowed us to share any
similarities in our business
practices.
Gillian Attard, MBA graduate
My motto is ‘continuous learning for life’ , which is what
The Open University and the OU Business School are so
brilliant at offering.
Wilson Yeh, Hong Kong
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 09
After completing my MBA I feel great. I know that with my
MBA I can change my working environment by thinking
differently, thinking outside the box, getting new tools and ?nding
new ways of doing things.
Susanne Frederiksen, Denmark
My motivation for
studying the MBA
was to be better equipped
for the complexity and
ambiguity of business
reality through the means
of broader knowledge.
Nils-Carsten Huber, Germany
Angola
Australia
Austria
Bangladesh
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Finland
France
Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Republic of Ireland
Romania
Russian Federation
Senegal
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Somalia
Spain
Sri Lanka
St Helena
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
of America
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe
MBA student locations
Our 2013 intake had students in 128 countries including:
The Open
University
Business School gave
me the opportunity to
study while working
in a busy full-time job,
which was the only option
for me.
Iztok Toplak, Czech Republic
appraisal
perspectives
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Our model
Centred on your student experience, The Open University MBA teaching model is a highly
effective professional development method that allows you to acquire new skills – without
taking you away from your workplace.
Study with us and your learning is not
limited to what goes on in tutorials,
or at the residential schools. Your
environment and your workplace
become a very important part of
your study.
We focus on using practical examples
and assignments that refer back to
your working life, and encourage you to
include and engage your workplace in
your studies.
Learning materials
All our modules employ a blend of
learning styles – innovative and
inspiring materials that bring your
learning to life, and everything you
need is included in our fees.
As well as study books, you’ll learn
through podcasts, downloads and our
interactive virtual learning
environment – all of which are designed
to support and inspire you in
your learning.
Practice-oriented
The OU Business School is at the
forefront of using technology to
enhance teaching and learning. You can
rest assured all our study materials are
underpinned by rigorous research from
faculty academics.
Visit www.openuniversity.co.uk/
mba-sample to view an extract from
our module MBA stage 1: management:
perspectives and practice (B716).
10 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
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Integrating management knowledge through our blended approach
I was on an assignment in India, when I decided to use
my downtime in hotel rooms to further my career and
start my MBA studies. The Open University is very well set
up for distance learning and is extremely supportive. I made
some lifelong friends at the residential schools and have
really enjoyed the journey.
Nick Hopkins, MBA graduate
Learn from some of today’s leading
business thinkers
Our world-class, research-led academics create pioneering learning materials which are
delivered by our tutors – practising senior business professionals – to give you a dynamic
mix of theory and practice.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 11
Professor Ball
Kirstie is Professor of Organisation. She joined
The Open University Business School in 2004
following posts at Birmingham, Warwick and
Aston Business Schools, and is director of the
Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance
and Privacy (CRISP).
Professor Cornforth,
Organisational Governance
and Management
Professor Cornforth’s recent research has
focused on the governance and management
of non-pro?t organisations, such as charities,
schools and colleges.
Professor Daniel,
Information Management
Professor Daniel’s research focuses on
the effective use of information systems
by organisations and the individuals within
those organisations.
Professor Dibb,
Marketing
Professor Dibb has undertaken a diverse
range of consultancy assignments within the
?eld of marketing strategy. Her research has
been at the forefront of theoretical and relevant
issues in marketing strategy, segmentation,
marketing planning and consumer behaviour.
Professor Fenton-O’Creevy,
Associate Dean International,
Organisational Behaviour
Professor Fenton-O’Creevy’s research
(on the role of traders in investment banks
and management practices in multinational
?rms) contributes to ?elds such as international
business, behavioural ?nance, the sociology
of markets, industrial relations and
cognitive psychology.
Professor Hartley
Professor Hartley has contributed to the ?eld
of public leadership and management through
research, teaching and development work.
This has shaped some of the thinking and ideas
in this ?eld.
Professor Lawton
Professor Lawton’s research expertise focuses
on integrated strategy and non-market
capabilities, political risk management and
internationalisation strategy, corporate
turnaround and business model innovation
and strategy process and practice.
Professor Paton,
Social Enterprise
Professor Paton has pursued an interest
in management learning, publishing articles,
leading research projects, and working with
the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre
for Business Management Accountancy and
Finance to encourage new approaches to
teaching and learning.
Professor Rutterford,
Financial Management
Professor Rutterford’s research has centred
around corporate ?nance, investment
management, and the history of ?nance.
Her academic papers are in the ?eld of
performance measurement, equity valuation,
pension funds, women and investment, and the
history of ?nance.
Professor Storey,
Human Resource Management
Professor Storey is an Associate of the
Center for Global Strategic Human Resource
Management, Rutgers University, USA and of
the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Skills and Knowledge Centre (SKOPE) at Oxford
and Warwick universities.
Professor Wilson
David Wilson is Professor of Organisation
Studies based in the Centre for People and
Organisations and is Associate Dean for Research
and Scholarship in the Faculty of Business and
Law. David is a Fellow and ex Chair of the British
Academy of Management and is an Academician
of the Social Sciences.
The Open University MBA programme structure
The Open University MBA has an internationally-recognised, practice-based and integrated approach
to management development specially designed for aspirational professionals.
Programme overview
The emphasis for your learning is
directly rooted in management practice.
The ‘master’ in the degree title signi?es
your ‘mastery’ of the art and science
of management.
To achieve this level of capability the
general MBA programme concentrates
on strategic analysis, interdisciplinary
skills, intellectual stimulation and
independent judgement.
It builds these upon a solid foundation
of core disciplines, including human
resource management, organisational
behaviour, accounting and ?nance,
marketing and operations.
Designed as an integrated programme,
our MBA balances your learning time
between 75 per cent of compulsory
elements – including the ?nal,
organisation-based project – with
25 per cent from elective modules.
This enables you to adjust the
curriculum to suit your needs. MBA
modules are challenging, but will
always direct you towards improving
your management capabilities.
Earn quali?cations en-route
It takes a minimum of three years to
complete our programme – but as you
progress towards your MBA, you can
pick up other quali?cations which will
have a positive impact on your career.
• Upon successful completion of
Stage 1 of the MBA, you will be
eligible to claim the Postgraduate
Certi?cate in Business
Administration.
• On completion of 120 credits towards
the MBA you will be eligible to claim
the Postgraduate Diploma in Business
Administration.
• Finally, on successful completion of
Stage 2, you will be awarded the MBA.
The Open University MBA programme structure (3 year model)
Stage 1 Stage 2
PG Certi?cate PG Diploma MBA
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
MBA stage 1:
management: perspectives
and practice (B716)
(60 credits)
R
The dynamics
of strategy
(BB835)
(30 credits)
R
Corporate
?nance (BB831)
(15 credits)
Elective 1
(15 credits)
Elective 2
(15 credits)
Elective 3
(15 credits)
Making a
difference: the
management
initiative
(B839)
(30 credits)
R
MBA
(F61)
R Includes residential school
The core themes are:
• critical engagement
• embedding theory in practice
• global impact awareness.
Elective modules
Our elective modules offer the
opportunity to personalise your
MBA to match your career, interests,
aspirations and expectations. On Stage
2 of the MBA you will study up to three
of the following modules:
15-credit modules
• Entrepreneurship: experience and
perspective (BB846)
• Leadership and management in
intercultural contexts (BB848)
• Management beyond the
mainstream (BB847)
• Managing ?nancial risk (BB841)*
• Marketing in the 21st century
(BB844)
• Strategic human resource
management (BB845)
• Sustainable creative management
(BB842).
30-credit module
• Business, human rights law and
corporate responsibility (W822).
* If you wish to study Managing ?nancial risk
(BB841) you must have completed Corporate
?nance (BB831) ?rst.
12 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
Our specialist MBA in Technology Management
programme structure
This leading edge MBA focuses on the
technology sector. If you are
interested in the management
of technology and technological
innovation in a wide variety of contexts
and sectors then this quali?cation can
provide you with unique management
training that will help you to make
a difference.
Stage 1: you will start with MBA
stage 1: management: perspectives
and practice (B716) which takes
12 months to complete (see page 14
for more information).
Stage 2: consists of four compulsory
modules: Managing technological
innovation (T848), Strategy for
technological innovation (T849),
Corporate ?nance (BB831) and your
?nal project module Making a
difference: the management initiative
(B839). You will also need to complete
an elective module. You can choose
from the following 15-credit electives
or study 30 credits from a range of
technology-orientated modules:
• Entrepreneurship: experience and
perspective (BB846)
• Leadership and management in
intercultural contexts (BB848)
• Management beyond the
mainstream (BB847)
• Managing ?nancial risk (BB841)*
• Marketing in the 21st century
(BB844)
• Strategic human resource
management (BB845)
• Sustainable creative management
(BB842).
For more information on our MBA
(Technology Management) click
www.open.ac.uk/courses.
* If you wish to study Managing ?nancial risk
(BB841) you must have completed Corporate
?nance (BB831) ?rst.
MBA (Technology Management) F69
Stage 1 Stage 2
PG Certi?cate PG Diploma MBA
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
MBA stage 1:
management: perspectives
and practice (B716)
(60 credits)
R
Managing
technological
innovation
(T848)
(30 credits)
Strategy for
technological
innovation
(T849)
(30 credits)
Corporate
?nance (BB831)
(15 credits)
Elective 1
(15/30
credits)*
Making a
difference: the
management
initiative (B839)
(30 credits)
R
MBA in
Technology
Management
(F69)
R Includes residential school
Visit our website at www.openuniversity.co.uk/mba-study to ?nd out how – by choosing the right elective modules – you can
tailor your MBA to suit your career objectives and ambitions.
It is brilliant because what you ?nd is
that you get much better each year.
I am much more considered, I am a
much better manager. I have learned the
art of letting people get on with things.
I have learned delegating and leadership.
Lisa Vernon, MBA Graduate
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 13
Your ?rst step towards the MBA
MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice (B716)
Module length: 1 year
This is the ?rst module in the
programme. Successful completion
of this module also entitles you to the
Postgraduate Certi?cate in Business
Administration (C66).
This module is framed within the
complex and challenging nature of
twenty-?rst century management.
Its dual aims are to help you build
on your current understanding of
management and to enable you to
develop and improve your practice
of managing. In this module you will
be guided through a wide variety of
materials, activities and resources
designed to help you make sense of
the complex nature of management
in light of your own experience of
managing. This module is a year-
long programme of professional
development which requires your
active engagement to enlarge
your knowledge of the functions
of management and make a real
difference to your management style.
What you will study
Through learning about different
management functions within
organisations you will develop a
better understanding of the context
in which your own practice takes place.
You will gain con?dence in
understanding how different parts
of organisations operate and in having
successful conversations across
these areas, including:
• organisational structure, power and
politics, and change management
• managing people and organisations
• accounting
• marketing management
• operations management.
I think the module is fantastic, and it’s great on three levels.
First of all, it allows you to develop knowledge in speci?c
areas. Secondly, it helps you relate that knowledge to other
functional areas. And ?nally, which is probably for me the most
rewarding, is the international aspect of the course – that you get
to meet people from different cultures.
Ross Alan, MBA student
Over the course of a year’s study you
will learn, develop and consolidate
your understanding of the principal
management functions and how
each area is interrelated with each
other. This will provide you with a
foundation that will enable you to move
successfully to strategic and specialist
areas in your MBA studies.
The module aims to:
• develop your understanding of
the core and current frameworks,
theories and tools and to assess their
relevance to the issues of twenty-
?rst century leading and managing
• increase your awareness of different
perspectives on, and approaches to,
managing and leading in different
organisational and cultural contexts
• develop your ability to engage
critically with management
frameworks, theories and tools,
helping you to select and adapt
techniques and approaches
appropriate to your own work
environment, in order to shape your
own management practice
• develop your awareness of the wider
global context in which business
and management takes place,
and increase your ability to work
con?dently across sectorial and
national boundaries
• develop interpersonal and conceptual
skills that will help you to use ideas
and frameworks to make sense of,
and to work with, organisational
complexity
• challenge your own thinking and
practice by re?ecting upon it
critically in light of the ideas you
encounter, and through debates
with others
• enhance your ability to plan and
implement change which will have
real impact on your own organisation.
Support
Throughout the module we offer the
following forms of support:
• two one-day workshops
• one residential school where you join
students from all around the world
and engage in dedicated workshops
and tutorials for four days
• tutor support and face-to-face and
online tutorials
• online forums and resources.
14 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 15
The overall content includes a range of topics. You will develop your professional practice and discover important skills
such as re?ecting on real managerial issues, developing an approach to practice-based learning and engaging with the
diverse range of management literature.
The colour panels below show the areas that you will cover under each unit. The ?ve units contain a range of topics,
examples of which are shown in the below panels.
Through the use of online resources and activities, your study will include a process that helps you to make connections
between management and organisational theory and your own management practice. Through this process, you will not
only learn about how organisations should operate but also why management practice may differ from management
theory. Our unique methodology of practice-based learning helps to bring management theories and principles to life.
What and how you learn
MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice (B716) provides the opportunity to advance
your professional managerial competence.
Exploring
management Unit 1
Organisational structure
Stakeholder analysis and management
Management activities and your role
as manager
Power and politics in organisations
Change management
Managing people
and organisations Unit 2
Understanding organisational culture
and context
Analysing management control
approaches
Employee motivation and identity
Human resources management
Diversity and ethical management
Managing ?nancial
resources and
performance
Unit 3
Understanding ?nancial statements
Budgets and management
accounting tools
Financial accountability
Ratio analysis
Evaluating ?nancial performance
Managing
marketing Unit 4
Managing relationships and
communicating value
Marketing strategies, planning and roles
Understanding customers and markets
Customer satisfaction and loyalty
Marketing practices in context
Managing
operations
Unit 5
The role of the operations function
in organisations
Planning and managing operations
Analysing organisational performance
Improving organisational effectiveness
The operations function in context
MBA Stage 2 modules
16 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
Compulsory modules
The dynamics of
strategy (BB835)
If you’re currently engaged in strategic
decision-making, or will be in the
future, this module will stimulate
your imagination and inform your
judgement. An understanding of the
frameworks of strategy and an ability
to use them imaginatively will help your
organisation survive in the longer-term
and perform its role more effectively.
You will not be expected merely to
‘learn’ the frameworks, but to critically
analyse and comment on them,
sometimes in collaboration with fellow
students. The module will also help you
contribute to and better understand
the dialogue of strategy at a variety
of levels in your organisation.
Corporate ?nance (BB831)
Middle and senior managers meet a
multiplicity of ?nancial problems
in their organisations. This module
will help you develop your knowledge
of this area. It introduces ?nance
problems that organisations face at
board level, and equips you with the
fundamentals of corporate ?nancial
theory enabling you to challenge
?nance experts. You will learn how to
tackle the main ?nancial problems you
are likely to encounter, in particular,
how best to ?nance a company, what
dividend policy to choose, how to
appraise both public and private sector
projects, and how to value a company
for takeover or ?otation.
Elective modules
Managing ?nancial
risk (BB841)
Managing ?nancial risk explores the
various ?nancial risks that confront
all institutions – credit risk, liquidity
and re?nancing risk, interest-rate risk,
foreign exchange risk and operational
risk. The module then examines how
these risks can be both measured and
managed. It uses many recent actual
examples of risk management
practices adopted in the public and
private sectors – some good, some bad
and some very ugly. By the end of
the module you should have a full
appreciation of how vulnerability to
?nancial risks arises and how you,
as a manager, can contribute to their
effective management within
your institution.
Sustainable creative
management (BB842)
This module deals with creative,
innovative and sustainable ways of
developing and managing people and
organisations. You will look at the way
cognition, values and style affect
how we manage and relate to others.
You will explore how to work more
creatively and effectively with
colleagues as well as understanding
innovative and sustainable ways
to develop organisations. You will
also consider the culture, environment
and context in which management
operates. The module offers practical
approaches for developing individuals,
teams and organisations and includes
a library of techniques that you
can continue to use after you have
completed the module.
Marketing in the 21st
century (BB844)
The economic turmoil of the last few
years has required organisations
to undertake more creative marketing
as well as be more responsive to the
needs of the market. This module
explores a variety of marketing
issues that emerge from marketing
planning, such as marketing research,
marketing segmentation, targeting and
positioning. You will draw upon current
theories and examples that illustrate
how organisations of all sizes deal with
environmental challenges and through
this gain a strong appreciation of
how marketing principles will not only
bene?t your organisation, but also how
you can use these to improve your
own performance.
Strategic human resource
management (BB845)
This module is designed to meet the
needs of managers who wish to
understand and be able to
in?uence decisions regarding the
management of human resources
within organisations. It considers the
different aspects of human resource
management at a strategic level in
the organisation and how this differs
from the more operationally-focused
personnel management. You will work
collaboratively with others on strategic
human resource management (SHRM)
issues and problems and ?nd, review
and evaluate information relevant
to key aspects of SHRM in your own
professional context.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 17
Entrepreneurship: experience
and perspective (BB846)
Social and commercial enterprises
play an important role in today’s
society, often in partnership with
larger corporations and public sector
organisations. This module provides
rich, experience-based insights into the
distinctive challenges of creating and
developing entrepreneurial ventures.
It helps you to gain relevant skills and
underpinning knowledge. You will also
develop a deeper, and more critical,
understanding of entrepreneurial
practices by connecting your
experiences to relevant concepts and
research evidence. As a result, you will
be better placed to develop your
own venture, engage with other
entrepreneurial organisations, and
take part in wider debates about
entrepreneurship in the
twenty-?rst century.
Management beyond the
mainstream (BB847)
Many managers work in situations, or
face tasks, for which the established
toolkit of mainstream, Anglo-American
management and leadership – with its
‘command and control’ assumptions,
instrumentalism and strong ?nancial
focus – is inadequate. This module
poses the question ‘What do you do
when management is inappropriate, not
enough, doesn’t work – or is simply not
an option?’ . You will explore a number of
undercurrents in management thinking,
and various alternatives to it – some
longstanding, some recently developed.
In particular, it will surface issues
and questions that tend to be
neglected or underplayed by the main
management disciplines.
Leadership and management
in intercultural
contexts (BB848)
Given the increasingly intercultural and
globally connected nature of business,
management and organisations, this
module provides opportunities for you
to question and re?ect on your own
practice and to develop ways of
managing and leading which are
appropriate in different national and
regional settings. By offering new
(cross-national) perspectives on
leadership and management you are
also challenged to rethink your own
practices in your current setting.
This module addresses issues facing
managers and leaders working in
intercultural contexts and supports
you to develop skills, competencies
and knowledge to thrive and to get
the best from colleagues, partners
and associates.
Business, human rights
law and corporate social
responsibility (W822)
This interdisciplinary module considers
how business increasingly conducts
its operations with responsibility to
its stakeholders and the wider society.
It takes a socio-legal approach when
examining how this expectation is being
framed in terms of corporate social
responsibility and human rights and
the challenges of a globalised world.
The module is diverse and wide-
ranging, considering the development
and application of these concepts
in very different business contexts
such as the development of
international labour standards, criminal
liability (corruption and corporate
manslaughter), branding and marketing,
charitable foundations and a range of
specialist industries through the use of
case studies.
Final module
Making a difference: the
management initiative (B839)
This module enables you to utilise
and apply the learning gained on your
MBA journey, to ‘make a difference’
in your workplace. You will work on a
project-like initiative which will require
you to engage with the theory you have
learned and to collect evidence to
support your thinking. Through this you
will explore the extent to which theory
can be applied in practice by applying
academic ideas to your work-based
issue. You will also have an opportunity
to re?ect how your MBA study has
changed you as a manager/practitioner.
Module assessment
There are a number of assessment
vehicles which will test your learning
throughout the MBA programme such
as examinations, assignments and
re?ective course work .
Flexibility that ?ts your life
The underlying approach of The Open University MBA is that you are able to ?t our programme around
your life – not the other way around. It’s hard work, but with a ?exible approach to study, you can plan
your own way through our programme.
18 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
Flexible structure
If needed, our MBA can be completed
in a minimum of three years
(see page 12), although it can also be
?exed up to seven years.
Its ?exible structure means you can
take study breaks between modules.
This will allow you to ?t our MBA around
your requirements, and for life to throw
in its little surprises.
Flexible location
If your job requires travel, you can carry
our programme with you wherever you
go – accessing your MBA virtual learning
platform, from anywhere in the world.
Flexible learning
All of our learning material is
compatible with mobile devices – such
as tablets, ereaders – and even your
mobile phone. You can also access
materials via iTunes. Such ?exibility
allows our students to study wherever
and whenever they wish.
OU Anywhere
Offering the option to download digital
versions of any OU-produced text
books, DVDs and audio CDs, the OU
Anywhere app facilitates a true mobile
learning experience – enabling you to
study while at home, in the of?ce, or on
the move.
Flexible payment
The modular structure of our MBA
programme gives you a great deal of
?exibility in managing your ?nances,
for what can be a signi?cant investment.
You will not be required to pay the full
programme cost at the outset; only for
the module you are studying. So, you pay
the cost of your ?rst module and, after
you pass it, you pay for the next.
This ?exibility enables you to plan
your studies in accordance with the
availability of funds, and spread the
cost of your MBA over a number
of years.
Flexible support
Many people worry that distance or
online learning means doing it on your
own, but nothing could be further from
the truth. As well as quality face-to-
face, telephone, and online support
from tutors and study advisers, there’s
always someone to talk to in one of our
community forums.
In fact, you can contact your tutors –
and get support from fellow students –
from anywhere in the world.
The MBA is life
changing as it
enlightens you to take
a holistic view of both
professional and personal
events. I am amazed how
I am able to see all types of
situations with a fresh point
of view.
Joe Synnott, MBA graduate
The format, course make-up,
learning style, ?exibility and
cost all worked well for me.
Simon Leppich, OU MBA alumnus
Someone logs onto the OU servers
every 0.5 seconds – that’s 1.5 million
people every week.
FACT
Fitting in your study
Our ?exible programme has been designed to minimise disruption to your working life.
You can take your MBA study with you wherever you go in the world. Depending on how much time you can allocate to your
studies, it can be completed over anything from three to seven years.
The diagrams below illustrate how you could plan your studies to suit your requirements, and achieve your MBA within
your preferred timescale. They show only a few of the options; you can plan your programme in various different ways,
to accommodate your life and work schedule.
4 years
Stage 1 Stage 2
PG Certi?cate PG Diploma MBA
MBA stage 1:
management:
perspectives
and practice
(B716)
(60 credits)
The
dynamics
of strategy
(BB835)
(30 credits)
Corporate
?nance
(BB831)
(15 credits)
Elective 1
15 credits) (
Elective 2
(15 credits)
Elective 3
(15 credits)
Making a difference: the
management initiative
(B839) (30 credits)
0
years
1
year
2
years
3
years
4
years
5 years
Stage 1 Stage 2
PG Certi?cate PG Diploma MBA
MBA stage 1:
management:
perspectives and
practice
Study
break
The
dynamics
of strategy
Corporate
?nance
Elective 1
Study
break
Elective 2
+
Elective 3
Study
break
Making a
difference:
the management
initiative
0
years
1
year
2
years
3
years
3.5
years
4
years
4.5
years
5
years
7 years
Stage 1 Stage 2
PG Certi?cate PG Diploma MBA
MBA stage 1:
management:
perspectives and
practice
Study break
The
dynamics
of strategy
Corporate
?nance
Study
break
Elective 1
+
Elective 2
Study break Elective 3
Study
break
Making a
difference:
the management
initiative
0
years
1
year
2
years
3
years
3.5
years
4
years
4.5
years
5
years
5.5
years
6
years
6.5
years
7
years
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 19
Your learning, our support
Supportiveness is what makes The Open University stand out from other ?exible learning programmes.
All our students enjoy easy access to their tutors, so they never feel that they are on their own.
It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that the OU has been rated as one of the best for overall student
satisfaction every year since the National Student Survey (NSS) ?rst began in 2005.
20 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
MBA induction
Because we recognise that you may not
have studied for many years, or that
you might be new to ?exible learning,
four weeks before your study begins,
we guide you through a comprehensive
online induction.
During this, you will be given useful
start-up information and introduced
to a number of helpful tools.
Apart from offering a detailed
overview of our MBA programme,
your induction will offer guidance on:
• how to manage your time
• how to use the virtual
learning platform
• study and critical thinking skills.
Tutor groups
As soon as you join our MBA
programme you’ll be allocated to a
group of around 16 students, with
whom you will stay for the ?rst year
of study. Throughout the year, this
small group will be supported by
a tutor, to facilitate your learning.
As you move through the programme,
you will get the opportunity to work
with a range of different students and
tutors. Your tutor group and learning
within the module will be facilitated
by your tutor and will be your foremost
support asset in your learning journey.
Experienced tutors
Our support network of more than
100 experienced tutors is perhaps
the most distinct, effective and
powerful feature of our programme.
More than academics, our tutors are
also practising business professionals,
who will constantly ground your
learning in real life contexts.
Unlike traditional university
classrooms – where you have a tutor-
student ratio of approximately 1:80 or
more – at the OU Business School you
will get dedicated teaching support,
with a tutor-student ratio of 1:16.
This means you will bene?t from more
intensive and individualised support
and guidance.
Your tutor will mark all your
assignments for a particular module,
and provide comprehensive feedback
to help you improve as you progress
through the module.
I received lots of support from tutors, online forums
and residential schools, which was also great for building
a network of contacts. The practical experience helps me to do
things differently.
Andre Simonian, MBA graduate
Residential schools
and workshops
Bringing together students from
around the globe, three residential
schools form a compulsory part of
the MBA programme – taking place
in a range of locations across Europe,
including London, Dublin and Brussels.
On two to four day-long immersive
workshops, working with live
case studies, you will accrue a wealth
of real-world experience. These
concentrated sessions help you to
work, network and learn together, in
an international context.
Apart from your core MBA study-
related workshops, dedicated
development workshops will help
to improve your skills, in areas such
as negotiation, presentation
and consulting.
The residential schools are offered
both face to face and, for students who
prefer, via an online format.
Tutorial events
In addition to our residential schools,
you will get the opportunity to attend
further tutorials with your tutor group.
Facilitated by your module tutors,
these face-to-face and online sessions
provide an opportunity to work
through, and clarify, the study material.
Our tutorials work as facilitative
learning events, where you will also be
able to meet your tutorial group peers.
Student Support
Teams (SSTs)
Offering a highly personalised study
experience, our SSTs maximise your
chances of success in achieving your
study goals.
Throughout your studies, they provide
integrated learning and learner
support to students, supplementing
the support offered by your tutor in
all wider academic, administrative,
national and regional aspects relevant
to your studies.
They also offer academic pastoral
support, giving you both:
• proactive support: guidance on
examination and assessment,
selecting modules, tracking your
progress and offering individualised
support
• reactive support: such as responding
to your queries and facilitating
resolution and responding to tutor
referrals to provide support.
Interactive support
Within the OU MBA programme you will
be able to constantly interact with your
peers, via vibrant online platforms:
• Tutor forums: which enable
you to interact, with both your
tutor and your group peers, in
a tutor-moderated forum.
• Module forums: or Student Café,
which allows you to interact with
peers who are not in your tutor
group, but who are working on the
same module.
• MBA world forum: this lets you
connect with all students following
our MBA programme. For example,
you can take academic advice from
peers who are at a more advanced
stage of the programme
than yourself.
• Online rooms: this lets you book
virtual rooms in which to group study
with your peers.
OU library and
online resources
To help you research and complete
your assignments, you’ll enjoy free
access – 24 hours a day, seven days
a week – to the OU’s extensive library.
There, you can tap into thousands of
online journals, ebooks, databases
and multimedia resources – for true
?exibility of learning.
Worldwide alumni community
The OU Business School is home to
more than 24,000 successful MBA
alumni from over 100 countries.
You will have access to one of
the world’s largest networks of
MBA graduates via online groups,
professional bodies, events
and webinars.
With the OU Business School it didn’t
matter where in the world I was.
I could be in the outback, Timbuktu, or my
tiny New York apartment – as long as I had
internet access I was good to go.
Linda Goarke, MBA student
22 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
The OU Business School helps
thousands of organisations train
their managers and staff. Our modules
introduce employees to the latest
business thinking, and enable them
to apply these ideas to their work
environment. Organisations see an
immediate return on their investment.
Geographically dispersed organisations
are especially drawn to the OU’s ability
to deliver the same learning across
the country, or the world. Our learning
methods give managers a consistent
approach to management – wherever
they are located.
Why is our MBA so popular
with employers?
• It’s a mobile and fexible route for
developing managers, allowing you
to study at a time, place and pace
that suits you.
• It gives you access to one of
the world’s largest communities
of management learners
and practitioners.
• It draws on daily management
activity so that what you learn today,
you can put into practice tomorrow.
• It crosses geographical, cultural and
sector boundaries – offering equal
relevance to the private and
public sector.
• It develops not only your managerial
capability and motivation but also
valuable talents, such as effective
prioritisation, team-working,
commitment and personal motivation.
• Developing managers through our
MBA makes a difference to both the
employee and the organisation.
Our MBA as employee development
The Open University has more than 40 years’ success in ful?lling organisational needs, across
various industry sectors – from large corporates, to SMEs. By listening to, and understanding,
the requirements of the individual organisation, we provide ?exible solutions to business
critical issues.
The BT managers constantly talk to us
about the value they have got from the
MBA. Primarily the value is that they can take the
knowledge that they gained from the course and put
it into demonstration in very relevant work-based
projects. So, not only are they getting bene?t from
those work based projects being able to support
their MBA activities, but we as an organisation are
getting great bene?t from their new ways of thinking.
Andy Palmer, Head of Skills, BT
The Open University MBA
programme allows employees
to study while on the go.
Derek Harnby, Cummins Corporate Recruitment
Manager for Europe and the Middle East
Business networks
We are focused at widening our contribution to and involvement with the business community through
development of effective business networks. Our strong links with the industry enable us to understand
the business challenges faced by today’s organisations and re?ect that in our learning materials by
constantly updating them. Our collaborations, not only with businesses but also government, allow us to
take management education in to the work place and break the link between exclusivity and excellence.
Global Business School
Network
OUBS has recently been accepted into
the Global Business School Network
(GBSN), a network of 67 business
schools from 29 countries on six
continents working to strengthen
management education in the
developing world. We are one of only
two UK schools to be members
(the other is London Business School).
The goal of GBSN is to implement
capacity building programmes that
advance management education,
creating long-term impact on
development. Membership is fully in
line with the OU’s strong commitment
to social justice worldwide.
GBSN also provides a resource for
innovation, collaboration, partnership
and research, which ?ts in with the
OUBS’ international and
research strategies.
CMI Partnership
The OUBS Alumni and Careers
Network has partnered with the
Chartered Management Institute (CMI),
the only chartered professional body
in the UK dedicated to promoting the
highest standards in management and
leadership excellence. Together we are
offering two different membership
packages, Chartered Manager and
Af?liate Membership, both designed
to support your career and personal
development, and offering discount
to you, in recognition of your
OUBS quali?cation.
OUBS and CMI share a philosophy
of practical, applied management
development and our partnership
allows you to bene?t from CMI’s wealth
of management resources and support,
which research shows, has a positive
impact on employability, earning
potential and competence. To ?nd out
more click:
www.open.ac.uk/business-school/cmi.
The Open University is trusted by
employers worldwide. That is why 80%
of FTSE 100 companies, at any given
time, have sponsored students on
our modules.
Some of our sponsoring
partners include:
Airbus
EADS NV
Foreign & Commonwealth
Of?ce (FCO)
Ministry of Defence (MOD)
National Health Service (NHS)
Rolls-Royce Group plc
Deutsche Telekom AG
BT Group
WS Atkins plc
FirstGroup plc
FACT
Corporate partners and employers value this approach, which is
why four out of ?ve FTSE 100 companies have sponsored staff
to study with the OU.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 23
Your passport to a powerful
global alumni and careers network
The Open University MBA is your passport to a large, extremely active, business network.
Automatically, MBA graduates become members of our worldwide alumni community.
An Alumni and Careers Network
facilitates valuable connections
between our Business School and its
community of practising leaders and
managers, throughout their careers.
This network is open to everyone who
holds a professional and postgraduate
business and management quali?cation
from the OU Business School.
You will belong to this powerful, global,
growing community, with over 90,000
members. Our aim is to provide a
service that you can continue to draw
on throughout your career; whether
you are looking to progress within your
organisation, change careers, start out
on your own, or return to study.
Careers and professional
development
We offer a variety of services to
support individuals at different stages
of their careers and across sectors,
industries and functions. Through our
website you can access:
• free monthly webinars and a webinar
library on career support and
progression topics
• free access to current international
recruiter guides and supporting
videos on how to work with head-
hunters and recruiters
• free access to a professional
development programme: The Career
Maximiser, developed by MBA
Career specialists, Career Farm.
• discounted access to professional
career coaches, CV specialists and
career assessment programme
• discounted membership to
professional bodies
• free online library resource access
for MBA alumni.
My MBA has proved an invaluable bene?t to both my
professional and personal life. My veterinary practice is
now in the process of developing a sophisticated strategy to build
and renew its existing success. I’ve developed an unprecedented
insight into who I am, how I think and how I relate to others. A life
changing experience!
Graham Finch, MBA graduate
Career mentoring
programme
Designed to support both alumni
and students to progress their
careers, this programme focuses on
the immediate need for development.
Whether you are interested in
becoming a volunteer mentor or
bene?ting from being mentored,
it offers a rewarding opportunity to
engage with others in our network.
We have amongst the largest, most
experienced and most diverse group
of MBA alumni in Europe, so we are
con?dent that we can match you with a
suitable, independent and like-minded
mentor to help you achieve your goals.
If you would like to become a mentor,
we offer a comprehensive training
process to ensure that you are
con?dent and able to use your
experience to support others on
their professional journey.
Alumni events
We offer a variety of face-to-face,
online, networking and learning and
development events, led by our own
academics, tutors, alumni – or other
professionals within our network. At a
local level, volunteer alumni organise
additional informal networking events.
Our programme Business Perspectives
brings the latest academic and
practitioner thinking and best practice
to you through online and face-to-face
events, an open access blog and insight
into practising managers’ views on a
quarterly themed basis.
It’s the place for our network to
share their perspectives on current
business matters with each other and
with our academic and research staff.
Industry leaders share their insights
at our events, and if the location is not
accessible to you, videos and a webcast
enable you to participate, learn, and
share your own perspective.
Conversations are focused around
a central theme; this year, we are
exploring innovation, strategy,
leadership and strategic change
management. For more information,
click www.open.ac.uk/oubs-alumni.
24 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
You will be eligible for our MBA by satisfying all three requirements:
Professional Certi?cate in
Management (S01)
If you are new to management, or need
to develop your managerial abilities
and understanding, this course provides
a broad-based, practical introduction
to the key ideas, techniques and
competencies needed to manage
effectively and productively in all
functional areas of modern
organisations.
The emphasis is on your own
professional development – everything
you study is related to the management
roles and responsibilities you exercise.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 25
• Respond to the management
development needs of your
organisation, wherever you are
in the world.
• Applicable to the commercial, public
or voluntary sector.
• Build on your existing experience
to develop your learning.
• Apply newly-learned skills, knowledge
and techniques immediately in your
own context.
Key features of the course
Duration: Part time – 1-4 years
MBA entry requirements
There are three main routes into The Open University MBA programme. Each has an academic
requirement, a work experience requirement, and – if you are an international student –
a language competency requirement.
ROUTE 1
Bachelor’s degree with Honours
Academic requirement
You will need to have a bachelor’s
degree, with honours, awarded by
a UK university or equivalent.
Work experience requirement
A minimum of three years’ experience
in a managerial, technical or
professional role.
Language requirement
Strongly recommend a capability
equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.5.
ROUTE 2
Bachelor’s degree without Honours
Academic requirement
You will need to take the GMAT
examination, and achieve a score
of 640 or above or complete the
six-month OU module Managing 1:
organisations and people (B628).
Work experience requirement
A minimum of three years’ experience
in a managerial, technical or
professional role.
Language requirement
Strongly recommend a capability
equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.5.
ROUTE 3
No Bachelor’s degree
Academic requirement
You will need to complete our one
year quali?cation – Professional
Certi?cate in Management (S01),
which, after successful completion,
will give you direct entry onto our
MBA. See below for more information.
Work experience requirement
A minimum of three years’ experience
in a managerial, technical or
professional role.
Language requirement
Strongly recommend a capability
equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.5.
Fees and funding
The Open University MBA breaks the link between exclusivity and top-tier, triple-accredited excellence.
When compared to the UK’s other triple-accredited business schools, the value for money of the OU
model is clear.
Fees
Unlike many business schools, the OU
fee includes the cost of books and
study materials, accommodation and
meals at residential schools, access
to a bespoke elearning environment
and project supervision, as well as
examination fees.
The approximate fee range for our
MBA is as follows:
£60,000
£50,000
£40,000
£30,000
£20,000
£10,000
£0
OU MBA School 1 School 2 School 3 School 4 School 5 School 6
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
Region Approximate
fee range
1
United Kingdom £14,895–£16,965
Republic of Ireland £17,440–£19,665
Other EU £18,160–£20,465
Rest of the world Please call
+44 (0)845 241 6555
for details
1
Based on 2014/2015 prices
Our fee range explained
• The module prices are reviewed
annually, and hence may vary as you
progress in your studies.
• The total cost of your MBA will
depend on which modules you study
and assume that you pass each
module at ?rst attempt.
Don’t let funding problems
stop you
Unlike many traditional MBA
programmes, the OU MBA does not
require a single upfront payment.
You only pay for the modules you are
studying at that time. This spreads the
cost over the duration of your study.
You can pay your fees upfront, by
debit or credit card, or with an
Open University Student Budget
Account (OUSBA).
How OUSBA works
At registration, OUSBA Ltd pays
your full module fee to the OU. You
then repay the loan to OUSBA Ltd,
Sample fee comparison across triple-accredited business schools in the UK
in monthly instalments – starting
one month after your module begins.
Currently charged at 5.0% per
annum, interest is only applied once
your module has commenced. This is
an exclusive rate, available only to
students of the OU.
Representative example:
Rate of interest 5.0% per annum (?xed)
MBA stage 1 fee
(total amount of
credit)
£4,255.00
APR APR 5.1%
representative
Total amount
payable
£4,361.61
Amount of
interest
£106.61
Monthly
repayment
£396.51
All credit is subject to status and proof
that you can afford the repayments.
For more information you can write
to OUSBA at PO Box 508, Walton
Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6HX. Please
note that the OU works exclusively
with OUSBA and is not able to offer
you credit facilities from any other
provider.
If you prefer to pay in full,
before each module
You can still use the OUSBA option
to register for your module and then
repay OUSBA interest-free, and in full,
just before your module starts (APR
0% representative). This option could
give you the extra time you may need
to secure the funding for your module.
The same funding arrangement can be
made for all subsequent modules that
count towards your MBA.
Find out more, click
www.open.ac.uk/ousba
or call +44 (0)300 303 7444.
Online fee calculator
Our fee calculator tool will help you to
plan your studies, according to your
availability, by:
• calculating the total cost of your
MBA, depending on the electives
you choose
• demonstrating how the total cost
of your MBA can be ?exibly spread
across your chosen length of study.
26 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
Pay as you go
The ?exible modular structure of the OU MBA allows you to plan your studies in accordance with
your available ?nances. The following example pathways show when and how much you would need
to pay. However, these are suggestive only and you can, as a student, take study breaks after any
given module.
3 Year Time Plan
0-12 months
MBA stage 1:
management:
perspectives
and practice
(60 credits) –
£4,255
£4,255
13-18 months
The dynamics
of strategy
(30 credits) –
£3,305
£3,305
19-24 months
Corporate ?nance
(15 credits) – £1,680
Managing ?nancial
risk (15 credits) –
£1,680
£3,360
25-30 months
Marketing in the 21st
century (15 credits) – £1,680
Leadership and management
in intercultural contexts
(15 credits) – £1,680
£3,360
25-36 months
Making a
difference: the
management
inititative
(30 credits) –
£2,685
£2,685
4 Year Time Plan
0-12 months
MBA stage 1:
management:
perspectives
and practice
(60 credits) –
£4,255
£4,255
13-18 months
Study
break
19-24 months
The dynamics
of strategy
(30 credits) –
£3,305
£3,305
25-30 months
Corporate
?nance
(15 credits) –
£1,680
£1,680
31-36 months
Sustainable creative
management
(15 credits) – £1,680
Leadership and
management in
intercultural contexts
(15 credits) – £1,680
£3,360
37-48 months
Making a difference: the
management initiative
(30 credits) – £2,685
Strategic human
resources management
(15 credits) – £1,680
£4,365
5 Year Time Plan
0-12 months
MBA stage 1:
management:
perspectives
and practice
(60 credits) –
£4,255
£4,255
13-18 months
Study
break
19-24 months
The dynamics
of strategy
(30 credits) –
£3,305
£3,305
25-30 months
Corporate ?nance
(15 credits) –
£1,680
Marketing in the
21st century
(15 credits) –
£1,680
£3,360
31-36 months
Study
break
37-42 months
Management beyond
the mainstream
(15 credits) – £1,680
Leadership and
management
in intercultural contexts
(15 credits) – £1,680
£3,360
43-48 months
Study
break
49-60 months
Making a
difference: the
management
initiative
(30 credits) –
£2,685
£2,685
Employer sponsorship
The Open University is highly respected by employers which is why more than 40 per cent of our
students are sponsored by their employers.
Our online Business Case Builder
tool can generate a fully written
tailored business case in 3 easy
steps. Explore the tool at
www.openuniversity.co.uk/
mba-sponsor to create a business
case to present to your employer.
Business men and women can make a real difference to
their organisation’s strategy through implementing learning
from the OU Business School quali?cations from day one of
studying. Having the support of highly accredited quali?cations
under their belt, gives employees the con?dence and knowledge
to voice solutions and strategies that re?ect today’s
business practices.
Sir Gerry Robinson, Business Expert
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 27
28 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
Student achievement awards
OU Business School celebrates the exceptional achievements of its high calibre students annually.
The awards, now in their tenth year, are held to commend some of the highest achieving students from
the past academic year. We continue to support and celebrate our alumni by recognising outstanding
achievements to both organisations and communities.
Here are what some of our award winners had to say about their study experience.
The MBA transformed every aspect of my working life.
I changed direction from hospitals into charity work, and
then I was promoted as well. Each promotion really was because
of developments that had come out from my MBA.
Although you’re working on a computer at home there are loads
of opportunities to meet with other people, lots of day schools,
and lots of opportunities to interact in open forums.
I would de?nitely recommend the MBA to others. It’s
transformed me, my career and my con?dence.
Caroline Stevens,
MBA Student of the Year Award 2012
I wanted to get knowledge of different functional areas,
to understand some of the theories behind management
as a principle but also to combine that with practical experience
– to be a good manager essentially.
I chose the OU MBA for a number of different reasons. Primary
among those was the ?exibility of the course and the support
that it offers for students who are doing study alongside work
but also the content and the focus of the course. The Open
University offered a combination of the traditional, the good,
solid grounding but also that dynamic forward looking way of
studying through things like innovation, creativity and change.
I think overwhelmingly it has been an incredibly
rewarding, positive experience.
Roberta Thomson,
MBA Student of the Year Award 2011
Studying with The
Open University gave
me the ?exibility to be
able to do some distance
learning and I could do it,
stagger it over a number
of years, and ?t it in with
my work.
Keith Grinstead,
Outstanding
Contribution
to Society 2012
I’ve had much more
?exibility, I’ve been
able to take a year out,
I’ve been able to bring my
daughter up, I’ve been able
to deal with a change in
career part way through that
wouldn’t have been afforded
in an orthodox route through
higher education.
Emma Rose,
Outstanding Contribution
to Society 2012 – Highly
Commended
MBA Explorer App
If you have an iPad we have created an innovative MBA Explorer app that you can ?nd
on the App Store.
Carrying a paper prospectus around
with you is not that practical, but
having instant access to an iPad app
which contains all the key information
required to help you make an informed
decision about studying an MBA is
much more convenient.
The MBA Explorer app brings to
life just how the MBA can make
a difference to your career, your
employer and to your life. The app
also contains details of all the study
support mechanisms available, speci?c
module details, the range of payment
options, entry requirements and
much more.
Search for ‘MBA Explorer’ in the App Store.
www.open.ac.uk/business-school | 29
Within the app you’ll ?nd a wide range of information
and interactive content such as:
• The study readiness test – our test can help you determine when and
how you could ?t MBA study time into your life.
• The fee calculator – custom build your study pathway, price it up and
plan your studies.
• Sample study content with two free taster course units (Stakeholder
Management and Problem Solving).
• The Business Case Builder – generate a proposal in minutes to take to
your employer and seek some or all of your fees being paid.
International partners
We have a large number
of international partner
organisations some of which
offer The Open University MBA.
For further information, click
www.oubs.open.ac.uk.
30 | www.open.ac.uk/business-school
Practical information
Credit transfer
Of the 180 credits required for
the MBA, 30 credits of elective
modules at Stage 2 can be awarded
in recognition of relevant previous
study elsewhere. For more
information click
www.open.ac.uk/credit-transfer.
Funding
Sponsorship
More than 40 per cent of our
students are sponsored by their
employers. If your employer would
like more information about The
Open University and the bene?ts
of sponsoring employees, then
please go to
www.open.ac.uk/employers.
Alternatively, if you require
guidance or advice on how your
employer can sponsor you, then
please call
+44 (0)300 303 0065.
The Crowther Fund (Open
University graduates only)
Set up as a tribute to the late
Lord Crowther, our ?rst chancellor,
The Crowther Fund is intended
to help OU graduates build upon
their degrees – either by formal
study or research, or by generally
broadening their experience
through a period of voluntary work.
The fund does not take account
of ?nancial circumstances, and is
open to all OU graduates holding
honours degrees. The application
closing date is 28 February
each year.
For further information
please email
[email protected].
Talk to us
You can always contact one of our
study advisers, who can answer any
questions you might have and give
you further information about our
MBA programme.
Please call the OU Business
School Information Line on
+44 (0)300 303 0065
or, if you live outside the UK
or the Republic of Ireland,
click www.openuniversity.edu.
Ways to register
• Online at
www.open.ac.uk/study-mba
• Call OU Business School
Information Line on
+44 (0)300 303 0065
• If you live outside the UK or
the Republic of Ireland, click
www.openuniversity.edu.
Start dates
Our MBA programme starts in
May and November each year
and you will need to register for your
modules at least a month before you
begin your study. The closing dates
for registration are published on
our website
www.openuniversity.co.uk/start
Meet us
The Open University hosts a number
of events in the UK, Ireland and
Continental Europe giving you the
opportunity to meet with OU staff
and discuss what it’s like to study
with us, and what modules we have
that will suit your needs. At some
events you can view our learning
materials, or talk to subject
specialists.
For details of UK events near you,
click
www.openuniversity.co.uk/
mbaevents.
Or, if you can’t make it to one of
these events we run a number
of online information sessions,
click
www.openuniversity.co.uk/
mba-online.
An MBA is not the end but
it is the beginning of a new
journey, a new life.
Christoph Weimer, MBA graduate
A guide to affordable
funding options.
Drive your career
forward with an OU
MBA
Contact points for advice
and registration
Please visit our website:
www.open.ac.uk/business-school
or, for students resident in the UK and Ireland,
please call OU Business School
Information Line:
+44 (0)300 303 0065
Lines are open (UK time):
Monday to Friday 09:00 to 20:00
Calls are charged at the UK local rate when calling
from a UK landline. Calls may be recorded for
training and security purposes.
International students
For students outside of the UK and the
Republic of Ireland please visit our website:
www.openuniversity.edu
or call
+44 845 241 6555
The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391),
an exempt charity in England & Wales, and a charity registered in
Scotland (SC 038302). The Open University is authorised and regulated
by the Financial Conduct Authority.
While we have done everything possible to make sure the information in
this publication is accurate, it may change due to regulations or policy,
or because of ?nancial or other reasons.
Designed and produced by Matrix.
Printed by Belmont Press.
Copyright © 2014 The Open University.
SUP 042890
OU Business School Information Team
The Open University
PO Box 197
Milton Keynes
MK7 6BJ
United Kingdom
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