Online MBA - MBA
- Level: Postgraduate Taught
- Starting: October 2021
- Study mode: Distance Learning
- Location: Online Learning
The MBA can transform your professional career and develop your leadership potential.
The MBA has been designed to reflect the increasing emphasis on management skills and abilities arising from today's market developments and explores the complexity and diversity of business in an increasingly interconnected and multi-cultural world.
What's covered in the course?
You will be expected to develop critical analytical skills in assessing the current and developing environment for business; identify new business opportunities and analysing markets; deal with complex issues systematically and creatively; and communicate clearly to a range of audiences.
You will continue to work full-time in a business while learning and applying theory to practice to enhance your career development prospects. The MBA covers a blend of fundamental and in-depth senior management skills across leadership and management, and is designed for proactive career focused individuals who can progressively apply their learning, demonstrating impact, by producing a portfolio of evidence meeting the knowledge, skills and behaviors required of a senior leader.
Why Choose Us?
- Our flexible online delivery means that you can study with us full-time or part-time, and at a time that suits you, from anywhere in the world. See ‘course in depth’ to find out more.
- You'll get an opportunity to reflect upon and assess your learning throughout the course using the journal function in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
- Our module structure encourages critical thinking by studying ‘real world’ scenarios, be they on-going or complete. Linking these examples back to your own business will allow you to see new solutions and opportunities you may not have previously envisioned.
- The course provides an innovative student experience with a professional user interface.
- You have the option to take the course over two years, meaning that you can study for an MBA and advance your opportunities without interrupting your career.
- This course gives you the opportunity to study alongside professionals from around the world, giving you otherwise unavailable insight into a diverse range of international businesses and how they operate.
Open Days
Attending one of our Virtual Open Days is a great way to find out more about the courses we offer and get answers to any questions you might have. Our next postgraduate Virtual Open Day is taking place on Wednesday 28 April.
Book now
This course is open to International students
New £11,222 postgraduate loans
You may be able to take advantage of the government’s plans to make loans of up to £11,222 available for postgraduate study.
Entry Requirements
We require one of the following:
Essential Requirements
Essential |
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An honours degree of a British University or equivalent institution (minimum 2:2) |
An equivalent graduate level qualification from an overseas university or equivalent institution (minimum 2:2) |
A pre-masters programme approved by Birmingham City University |
A pre-masters programme with a minimum of 55% average |
*Other qualifications will be considered on a case by case basis.
Additional information for EU/International students
Essential | ||
---|---|---|
Applications from international applicants with equivalent qualifications are welcome. Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In additional to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table. |
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English language requirements 2020/21 | ||
IELTS |
6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information. |
|
Other accepted qualifications | Visit our English language page |
International Students
Don't meet our entry requirements? You could apply for courses at our International College.
- UK students
- International students
Award:
Starting: Oct 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Distance Learning
- 1 Year
- £8,800 per year
- Distance Learning
- 2 Years
- £4,400 per year
Award: MBA
Starting: Oct 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Distance Learning
- 1 Year
- £8,800 per year
- Distance Learning
- 2 Years
- £4,400 per year
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead.
Personal statement
Students are required to submit a personal statement as part of their application for this course.
Your postgraduate personal statement is going to shine a light on your personal experience, academic success, personal skills and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
Your passion and motivations
Studying a postgraduate course usually means you want to specialise in something. So what’s driving you?
Why this course?
Show that you’ve researched the course offering. What is it about this particular course that appeals to you? Is it the lecturers? The modules? Etc.
What makes you a good postgraduate candidate?
Tutors want to know that you can handle postgraduate study, so show them how your undergraduate experiences or work life has equipped you for a more advanced level of study. Key areas to address are research and group work but this can vary depending on your chosen course.
Relevant academic or work experience
Add anything relevant that relates back to your chosen course and shows how your skills will contribute towards your learning. What extra-curricular activities have you taken part in? What awards have you won? What employment or voluntary experience do you have that has helped you develop transferable skills? How do these specifically relate to the course you are applying for?
You should also mention your future plans and how a postgraduate qualification fits in. Try to look beyond your postgraduate study – do you plan to jump straight into a specific career or follow your studies with a research degree? Lastly, use plain, professional English and, where possible, utilise the language of your chosen industry.
Get more information on writing personal statements.
Additional costs
While there are no additional costs associated with purchasing text books, there may be other costs to you. If you are joining the course which has a professional body accreditation you may be required to pay membership or examination costs. For details of these costs, please click on the link below.
Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £50 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials. All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
Find additional costs for your course
Accommodation and living costs
The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.
Financial Support
We offer further information on possible postgraduate financial support. This includes the type of loans, grants and scholarships available both from the government and from Birmingham City University.
Did you know that you will soon be able to apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £1,222 for some courses and options?
Modules
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 180 credits):
Delivery
This course is delivered fully online, enabling you to study at a time that suits you. Each 20-credit module is studied over ten weeks. You don’t have to attend any face-to-face sessions, and delivery of course materials is done through our e-learning platform, Moodle.
You can choose to study with us full-time over one year or part-time over two years. As a guide, you should be allowing around 16 hours a week for part-time study, on average, as a combination of directed study (engaging with the online materials) and personal study.
Please see our Online Learning FAQs for more information on what to expect when studying with us.
Assessment
You will be assessed throughout your course, with assignments set at the end of each module. Assessment will be primarily by coursework, e.g. essays, research papers, reports, presentations, reflective journals, portfolios or posters. However, some modules may also have online exams.
OpportUNIty

OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.
Business Advice Centre
The Business Advice Centre (BAC) is the Business School's hub that offers a range of support services to you throughout each stage of your student learning experience.
We have a range of support solutions for students as well as opportunities to enhance your employability and entrepreneurial qualities.
Whether you are considering starting your business, connecting with real companies or enhancing your graduate opportunities, the Business Advice Centre can help you.
Welcome to the Birmingham City Business School, home to students from over 70 countries all around the world!
Birmingham City Business School is one of the UK’s largest, most established and most respected business schools. Our programmes are practice based and many have an international focus, which means your course will be entirely relevant to today’s business world. Almost all of our courses, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, are open to international students.
We also have links with universities across the world, including Europe, the USA, China, India and Malaysia.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here
- Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country
- Learn where to find financial support for your studies
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC)
International students who have a serious interest in studying with us but who perhaps cannot meet the direct entry requirements, academic or English, or who have been out of education for some time, can enter Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) and begin their degree studies.

BCUIC is part of the global Navitas Group, an internationally recognised education provider, and the partnership allows students to access the University’s facilities and services and move seamlessly through to achieving a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham City University.
Our Online MBA course is delivered through the Moodle online learning resource, with online study materials to guide you through the appropriate topics, as well as providing links to other resources. You will also need textbooks, and a full reading list is provided with each module syllabus.
Although it is taught by distance learning, you will still have regular contact with your module tutor by email or telephone. You also have access to all the facilities at our City Centre Campus.

Tony Birch
Senior Lecturer
Tony has spent over 15 years in Higher Education following a successful career in Manufacturing management with several global businesses. He has been developing online approaches to teaching and learning over the last 5 years.