The emphasis for your learning is directly rooted in management practice. The ‘master’ in the degree title signifies 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 and covers core themes such as: critical engagement; embedding theory in practice and global impact awareness.
Your employer could contribute towards your study fees. Generate a personalised, compelling business case for your employer, with this interactive Business Case Builder. You can find more information on how our MBA works in these Frequently Asked Questions.
There are now two routes to the MBA depending on when you start your studies.
November 2019 onwards route
If you start this year or have started with B870 in November 2019 or thereafter, including if you've previously studied any electives on a standalone basis, you'll need:
105 credits from the following:
plus 45 credits from the following :
Or the discontinued modules BB841, BB844, BB845, BB846, BB847, BB848, BXM871.
*These microcredentials are 10–12 week professional development courses presented on FutureLearn. For more information on what you'll study on individual microcredentials, please visit Counting microcredentials towards OU qualifications and select your chosen course under the MBA (F61).
plus 30 credits from the following:
Hybrid route
If you have gained 60 credits from completing either of the discontinued modules B716 or BXFT716 you'll need:
30 credits from the following:
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued module BB835.
plus 15 credits from the following:
Or the discontinued module BB831.
plus 45 credits from the following:
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules BB841, BB844, BB845, BB846, BB847, BB848, BXM871.
*These microcredentials are 10–12 week professional development courses presented on FutureLearn. For more information on what you'll study on individual microcredentials, please visit Counting microcredentials towards OU qualifications and select your chosen course under the MBA (F61).
plus 30 credits from the following:
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.
Details of the Final Study in May 2020 route, which is no longer available to new students, can be seen below in the qualification regulations.
If you’ve successfully completed some relevant postgraduate study elsewhere, you might be able to count it towards this qualification, reducing the number of modules you need to study. You should apply for credit transfer as soon as possible, before you register for your first module. For more details and an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.
We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 14 March 2023.