The University of Technology Sydney will launch a new MBA program designed to better prepare graduates for the current and future business environment with a fast-paced and more advanced curriculum.
The new ‘UTS Advanced MBA’ will be a one year program starting in January 2019, offering students greater flexibility by allowing them to obtain their MBA in a single year or complete their studies over a longer time frame.
The university has also partnered with several representatives of the business industry so the program can immerse students in one of the most accurate ‘real-life’ portrayals of the business world, with live projects where they work to solve real business problems under the mentorship of academic and industry leaders.
The degree will be bookended by two Leadership Labs, which focus on developing leadership skills, emotional and cultural intelligence and the ability to lead a diverse workforce.
Dean of UTS Business School, Professor Chris Earley said the new MBA program represents a paradigm shift in business education in Australia.
“It harnesses the best knowledge and expertise from not only UTS Business School but across the university, especially STEM and healthcare, to bring a wide range of industry and sector perspectives to the program,” he said.
The UTS Advanced MBA will be delivered in a blend of intensive face-to-face sessions and online learning. It will have an adaptable structure, with two graduate certificates that can stand on their own or lead to the full Advanced MBA program.
Face-to-face subjects will be taught in “intensive” mode over full days on Fridays and Saturdays to allow students to keep working while they study and so they can apply what they learn right away.
Education Leader Catherine Friday, whose professional services organisation Ernst & Young is one of the companies partnered with UTS to deliver the program, believed traditional degrees were not always keeping up with the skills required.
“The UTS Advanced MBA addresses this issue through co-design and co-delivery of coursework, including true work-integrated learning, where students are not just doing work experience but actually collaborating on complex real-life problems,” she said.
Director of the Advanced MBA, Dr Natalia Nikolova, said having industry embedded in the program means it will respond to what industry needs now.
“Industry moves very quickly, so by working closely with industry we make sure it’s relevant.”
The program will include three “studio” subjects where students work collaboratively on complex challenges using a range of analytical and digital tools and methodologies. The studios include Digital Labs developed and delivered with leading digital experts.
“With the studio subjects we’ll be offering, we’ll be supporting students with tailored content that depends on the problem students are working on, and their needs and capabilities,” Dr Nikolova said
“The Advanced MBA is designed for professionals wanting to upskill and accelerate their careers.
“It aims to prepare them for the changing workplace – for the future of work – by equipping them with leadership, problem solving and enterprise skills that are transportable between roles and industries.”
