Study with Ulster
Award:
Master of Business Administration
Faculty:
Ulster University Business School
School:
Department of Management, Leadership and Marketing
Campus:
Belfast campus
Start dates:
September 2025
January 2026
Times Higher Education Awards 2024
Are you looking to pivot your career or expand your expertise? This programme provides the perfect opportunity to transfer your skills to a different sector with no need to have a background in the subject area.
Creating the business leaders of tomorrow.
Create opportunity and realise your potential with an MBA. Our programme will take you on a journey to become a forward thinking, strategic business leader. Designed to introduce you to the essential areas of business and management you will study practical and relevant skills in leadership, operations, marketing, economics, strategy development and finance.
Applying business theory to the world of work, the course will deepen your understanding of organisations and the constantly changing environments in which they operate. An excellent opportunity to study alongside an international student body providing you with a diverse network to share ideas and experience.
The MBA programme is designed for those early in their careers wishing to study full-time in 1 year. We also have an Executive MBA programme for established managers and professionals wishing to study part-time over 2 years. More information on the Executive MBA can be found at www.ulster.ac.uk/emba or by entering Executive MBA in the search field above.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
In this section
Become a business leader of tomorrow.
The MBA course will educate and develop you as a manager and business specialist, improving your future career prospects through providing an integrated, applied and critical understanding of management and organisations. You will develop transferable and intellectual skills that are essential for successful general and strategic management in both private and public sector organisations. The course considers the current local, regional and international market trends so you can apply your skills to real life environments.
Aimed at developing management and leadership skills for graduates of any discipline, the objectives of the MBA are to:
Applied management skills:
Our MBA will help to develop you to become a successful manager and equip you with the knowledge and transferable skills that are required to succeed.
You will develop your skills in the areas of:
Modules
ACF768 Accounting and Finance
The overall aim of the module is to introduce students to the key areas of financial and management accounting. In order to achieve this, students will be exposed to some numerical calculations during the module. However, there will be significant emphasis passed on understanding the issues around the numbers and the context within which they are set. In particular, the assessment for the module will strike a balance between calculation, interpretation and discussion.
Whilst it is not intended to equip students with a detailed knowledge to enable them to pursue a career in accounting, the module aims to take students to a point where they are capable of engaging in intelligent discussion with financial experts and to be able to grasp the big picture rather than get lost in the detail.
BMG735 Managing People in the Organisation
This module aims to enable students to develop knowledge and understanding of individual
and group behaviour within organisations, and the core areas of Human Resource Management, and to be able to apply this knowledge and understanding in a range of organisational settings.
MKT703 Marketing and Strategy
Strategy consists of the analysis and decisions an organisation undertakes in order to create and sustain competitive advantage. Understanding these interrelated processes is crucial for creating and developing organisations. This module explores these decisions areas from a range of contemporary perspectives and contexts.
Closely aligned to the concept of strategy is that of marketing. This part of the module focuses on understanding and analysing the key determinants of marketing and introduces the concepts, theories and techniques of marketing, and examines their practical application to organisations to support sustainable competitive advantage
BMG855 Operations Management
This module aims to enable students to develop knowledge and understanding of operational processes and operations management and to be able to apply the tools of operations management to practical problems. The aim is to equip aspiring managers to plan, organize, lead, and control resources more effectively and efficiently so as to achieve the goals of their organisation.
BMG835 Project Management and Research
The aim of this module is to provide students with the skills to manage a project end to end. It focuses on the skills required by project managers to successfully manage a project through the application of project management tools and techniques to a specific project. Students will also acquire appropriate knowledge and understanding of the various research methodologies to investigate a business and management issue.
BMG738 Digital Transformation
This module will introduce and equip students with the key concepts, theories and approaches to digital transformation within the organisational context. Specifically, it will examine key organisational capabilities needed to examine digital transformation initiatives or programmes such as Digital Strategy, Business agility, People, Processes, Tools/Technologies, Culture and the focus on the Customer which are necessary for effective digitisation efforts.
BMG933 Entrepreneurship
Stimulating entrepreneurship is vitally important for a country's competitiveness. It has the power to contribute to political, economic and social change. The overall aim of this module is to enhance understanding of the theory and practice of entrepreneurship across different contexts. It will develop an understanding of the knowledge, skills and mindset needed to pursue entrepreneurial endeavours.
BMG744 Leadership and Change
Get the knowledge and skills to be an effective leader. During this module you will consider the key theories of leadership and their effective application in leading organisational change. You will analyse and critically discuss the leadership approach and change management style of the main leaders in a case study organisation allowing you to apply theory to a real-life working environment.
ECO702 Economics and the Business Environment
This module introduces managers to the principles of economics as they apply to the business environment and aims to enhance mangers' understanding of, and ability to adapt to, changes in the environments in which operate. The module is designed to first explain the problem of scarcity of resources and then analyses the demand - supply - equilibrium model of economic analysis. This is followed by an examination of the internal and external environments within which firms must operate, focusing on production, cost, profits, market conditions and the objectives of the firm. In so doing, it illustrates a strategic approach to their business activity. A critical examination of the economic role of the government and a review of the macroeconomic environment complete the syllabus.
BMG843 Business Simulation Project
The Business Simulation Project involves bringing together the learning from across the MBA programme and incorporating this theory into practice for a dynamic global organisation competing for market share and to create shareholder while balancing other concerns. The simulation provides an innovative learning aid from which students produce an applied analysis and personal reflection.
Why Study at Ulster University Business School?
A Well Established and Innovative Business School
As a member of the UK's Chartered Association of Business Schools, the Harvard Business School’s Microeconomics of Competitiveness Affiliate Network, and as a collaborator with Babson College, Boston, Ulster University Business School has established itself as a forward thinking and well-connected business school.
Teaching Excellence
With our lecturers actively engaged in research and industry collaborations you can be assured that you will experience up to date and expert knowledge from business insiders.
Supportive, Dynamic Learning
We are committed to offering excellent support, both in academic study and in helping you develop as managers and leaders. The course content is dynamic utilising real life case studies to ensure learning is forward thinking and relevant.
Networking Opportunities
Our industry connections mean you will be invited to exclusive business events (such as the Management and Leadership Network conference) expanding your knowledge and offering excellent networking opportunities.
Value for Money
Our MBA courses are offered at a competitive price so you can get the skills and knowledge to further your career at an affordable price.
Guest Speakers
Guest speakers provide a range of perspectives. Previously senior personnel and Managing Directors from Invest NI, Microsoft, ASG & Partners and First Trust Bank as well as inspirational SME’s, Suki Tea and start-up, The Power to Switch.
Students can commence the full time MBA in September or January.
Students who commence in September complete:
Students who commence in January complete:
Modules are normally taught through weekly sessions across 12 weeks although some modules are completed on a 'block' basis (9.30am to 5pm usually over 3 consecutive days).
The MBA is taught in a lecture format which is highly interactive, this allows students to discuss management theory and practice leading to an in-depth understanding of the subject area. This form of teaching also allows students to explore ideas and learn from each other as well as from the lecturing staff.
The course is mainly assessed via coursework (individual and group).
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
High quality apartment living in Belfast city centre adjacent to the university campus.
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At Student Wellbeing we provide many services to help students through their time at Ulster University.
Find out more - information about student wellbeing (Opens in a new window)
We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.
Designed for those who aspire to work in business and management positions, you do not need a business degree to apply.
Applicants should have a second-class honours degree or equivalent and two years' relevant work experience (we are open to considering multiple types of experience ie part-time, volunteering, placement etc.).
Applications are invited from graduates of any academic background.
English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
Transfer
Consideration will be given to applicants who transfer from other accredited MBA courses.
Exemptions
Students who have studied an equivalent qualification to level 7 covering the subject matter on the MBA may, by application to the Course Committee, be granted exemption from specific modules.
US students may apply for Federal and Private US loans. In addition to applying to study at Ulster, you must start you loans application with FAFSA or Private Loans. Once you have submitted you loans application, please email usloans@ulster.ac.uk
Learn more about Federal and Private US loans
All international students are eligible to a £2,000 tuition fee scholarship.
John J Sweeney Scholarship
The John J Sweeney Scholarship has a value of $20,000 and that is used towards the Scholar’s tuition fees for postgraduate study at Ulster University.
English Language
In this section
Given the generalist nature of the MBA course there are a wide variety of careers available to graduates. Research carried out by the Association of MBAs and by the Ulster University Business School demonstrates that MBA graduates reap the benefit of investing in their studies both financially and in terms of their career.
Students have used the MBA to change direction, building on their primary degree or to further enhance their skillset before embarking on their chosen profession.
No matter what industry you inspire to manage, the MBA can help you on your way to becoming:
There is no formal work placement available as part of this course, however your Business Project may involve working with an organisation on a live business issue.
We also offer a full-time MBA with Advanced Practice which allows you to gain real-world experience as part of the course by offering you the opportunity to complete either an Internship or Applied Consulting Project working on real-world issues faced by industry. Please note, this is a separate programme to the full-time MBA.
Are you a graduate of Ulster University? Did you know you could be eligible for a 10% fees discount.
Students domiciled in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and UK students can apply to Student Finance NI for a Tuition Fee loan of up to £6,500 (subject to eligibility).
Postgraduate fees are subject to annual review, 2025/26 fees will be announced in due course.
See our tuition fees page for the current fees for 2024/25 entry.
Fees illustrated are based on academic year 25/26 entry and are subject to an annual increase.
If your study continues into future academic years your fees are subject to an annual increase. Please take this into consideration when you estimate your total fees for a degree.
Additional mandatory costs are highlighted where they are known in advance. There are other costs associated with university study.
Visit our Fees pages for full details of fees.
Correct at the time of publishing. Terms and conditions apply.
There is a sponsored prize available on the MBA awarded to the student who has produced outstanding work during their studies.
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them. These may include field trips,security checks, computer equipment, uniforms, professional memberships etc.
We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free wifi is also available on each of the campuses.
There will be some additional costs to being a student which cannot be itemised and these will be different for each student. You may choose to purchase your own textbooks and course materials or prefer your own computer and software. Printing and binding may also be required. There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines. Additional costs vary from course to course.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs as well as tuition fees Please contact the course team for more information.
Students are encouraged to purchase a subscription to an online platform/testbank for the Accounting and Finance module. This is a one-off cost of approx. £50.
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
The full Student Terms and Conditions 24/25 is now available.
Li Xin
Li Xin came to study at the University of Ulster from Liaoning Province, China. He currently works for the Development and Reform Committee of Liaoning Province and is in charge of infrastructure, such as road and railway.
“In my opinion the Ulster MBA is essential for those who want to be excellent managers, in public sectors or private sectors. I decided to do my MBA abroad and selected the University Of Ulster as it is a well-equipped education facility and the warm-hearted service provided an environment beneficial to my study.
“The dynamic teaching ensured participant interaction and real examples of theory being applied significantly enhanced my study and understanding.
“As an overseas student, I found my study to be a wonderful experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and life at UU. I believe what I learned and the experience I had will benefit my future.”
Mohammed Abufara
Mohammed came to study at the Ulster Business School from Saudi Arabia.
“I found the MBA to be an excellent course. The modules gave me an excellent insight into fundamental areas of business such as accounting and finance, operations management, marketing and economics through to the challenges of leadership and strategic management.
I had to adjust to studying in the UK, there is more of an emphasis on groupwork and taking responsibility for your own study however I found this to be a rewarding experience and learned invaluable skills along the way.
The knowledge and skills I have gained from the MBA course I will be able to put straight into practice on my return home, I am confident that the knowledge and theory I have acquired will benefit both me in my career and my organisation”.
Ulster continues to develop and support sustainability initiatives with our staff, students, and external partners across various aspects of teaching, research, professional services operations, and governance.
At Ulster every person, course, research project, and professional service area on every campus either does or can contribute in some way towards the global sustainability and climate change agenda.
We are guided by both our University Strategy People, Place and Partnerships: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our work in this area is already being recognised globally. Most recently by the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact rating where we were recognised as Joint 5th Globally for Outreach Activities and Joint Top 20 Globally for Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals.
Visit our Sustainability at Ulster destination to learn more about how the University strategy and the activities of Ulster University support each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Ulster University Business School (UUBS) aims to be a thought-leader for sustainable business futures.
Our mission is to embolden staff, students and all our stakeholders to become sustainable business futures leaders. We aim to support and showcase sustainability research and education across Ulster University Business School.
We do so by embedding the sustainable futures agenda into five remits: sustainability performance, research and knowledge exchange, learning and teaching, student experience and communications and engagement. We are a member of PRME – the Principles for Responsible Management Education concordat.
Contact: uubssustainability@ulster.ac.uk
We support and develop ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ within the Faculty’s Learning & teaching portfolio. We do so by providing bespoke staff training on ESD and curating an ESD Resources Hub.
All UUBS undergraduate and post-graduate course are mapped against the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and students are actively involved in learning for sustainable development.
We seek to enhance the student experience by encouraging our students to become actively involved in sustainability initiatives, such as Carbon Literacy Training, the Big Spring Clean and collaborating with the Northern Ireland Resource Network.
We develop, support and disseminate sustainability-themed research within the Faculty and beyond. Our annual sustainability research networking event creates new research strands within the Faculty’s research portfolio.
We actively support out PhD community to embed sustainability in their research and provide training on methods and critical thinking on sustainability.
We partner with other institutions, such as Queen’s University Belfast and Atlantic Technological University to broaden our sustainability research and create interdisciplinary research links.
UUBS has a dedicated Sustainability Committee, tasked with developing dedicated internal and external communications and engagement activities promoting the sustainability work of the Faculty.
We host an annual Sustainability Business Breakfast, attend and speak at notable sustainability events, such as the SustainExchange Summit, the Belfast Re[Act] Festival and the NI Science Festival.
Our sustainability work is monitored on our bespoke UUBS SDG Dashboard on our dedicated UUBS sustainability webpages. Our sustainability performance team oversees the Faculty’s Academy Restaurant’s Green Academy programme and associated eco-certifications Green Key and Green Tourism Gold Award.
