Australia’s largest MBA program from the Australian Institute of Business (AIB) is receiving positive accolades from its relaunch this year as The Agile MBA.
The third iteration of the school’s MBA program sees it taking a path of constant evolution rather than a remake every few years according to Australian Institute of Business Joint CEO, Joel Abraham.
“The Agile MBA is an evolution of our course and is striving to be Australia’s most progressive MBA as we take into account the changing needs of students and the workplace,” Mr Abraham said.
“Helping our students and graduates achieve their career goals is most important to us. By introducing new elements on a regular basis, we can best respond to the market and that of industry.”
Overcoming obstacles in MBA consideration
Mr Abraham said that AIB has just developed and released interactive, industry-first tools that address two of the biggest hurdles prospective students face in deciding whether to do an MBA: How to fit an MBA into their life; and what return can they expect from their investment?
Two online tools and calculators are available which have resulted from the institute’s alumni survey.
The MBA Time-to-Study Calculator is designed to determine how students can fit an MBA into their life by showing how they can include an expected 20-plus hours per week into their busy lives. By analysing weekday and weekend time availability, the calculator helps allocate hours required accordingly and provides successful graduate benchmarks.
The Agile MBA ROI Calculator uses graduate data to demonstrate what the MBA can mean for their income to demonstrate what an MBA can be worth to the student.*
“These two calculators address two of the biggest issues students ask,” Mr Abraham said.
“For someone to undertake the MBA is a huge commitment and there is a lot of consideration. So, we wanted to provide prospective students with the opportunity to engage with AIB without necessarily submitting all their information. We want to be as transparent as possible and provide real information that comes straight from our Alumni Insights Report.
“Coupled with discussions with an MBA Course Advisor, we want to set our students up for success. Studying an MBA is a sizeable investment with a cost/benefit outcome required.
“For us what we know is there is a formula that successful students have taken and we share the results of that in the calculators.”
Delivering life-changing experiences
The Australian Institute of Business has over 16,000 alumni, students and staff from over 90 countries and is the largest direct provider of MBAs in Australia.
The Agile MBA consists of 12 subjects delivered online in a 24-month period. Industry partnerships with a range of companies and peak bodies, like the Australian Marketing Institute and LinkedIn Australia provide direct access to industry expertise.
Mr Abraham describes the core attributes of their graduates. “Our typical graduate is a working adult and they have an increasing sense of confidence and belief in themselves,” he said.
“They’re looking at moving up the corporate ladder, setting up their own ventures, or changing industries, which is something we often see. Our graduates are quite hungry for success. They want a tangible outcome. Our program is very practical and they are applying a lot of what they learn to their jobs even before completion.
“Our mission statement is to deliver life-changing experiences. We have over 200 employees supporting this programme who are committed to transforming people’s lives and unlocking potential.”
*Based on 2017 Alumni survey salary growth over 4 years post MBA vs 1.5% CPI per annum.
