Aberystwyth University, School of Management and Business

Aberystwyth is a member of a select group of MBA providers that have their programme accredited by the Association of MBA’s. This accreditation reinforces SMBA’s position as a dynamic business school within a premier University, it also allows the MBA students access to the wide range of services and opportunities for career enhancement provided by AMBA.
In today’s increasingly competitive and global business environment managers need not only an understanding of the theoretical fundamentals of management but also the ability to be visionary and inspirational leaders. The Aberystwyth MBA will provide you with these skills by delivering an integrated programme linking together modules by adopting a thematic approach with a particular emphasis upon interpersonal skills in a culturally diverse environment.
These factors combine to make the Aberystwyth MBA a value added programme giving you the opportunity to spend a year of your life studying for a quality programme in a welcoming and unique learning environment.
School of Management and Business
The School of Management and Business is situated on the modern Penglais campus overlooking the town of Aberystwyth. Taught Postgraduate programmes include the MBA and MSc programmes in Management, International Business Management, Management and Marketing, Management and Finance, Accounting and Finance, Banking and Financial Regulation and International Business and Public Policy. The School also offers a variety of PhD and MPhil programmes. The MBA teaching team is drawn from the faculty of the School and is actively involved in research, teaching and consultancy. The quality of the MBA teaching team reflects the ethos of the University, which is research led.

The Aberystwyth MBA is a career-enhancing programme, aimed at widening your knowledge, skills, experience and understanding of management and business practices.

We offer small class sizes and a friendly environment to encourage communication and the sharing of experiences, opinions and observations among you and your colleagues. Our aspiration is to make you a better leader, a better manager and a better communicator.

A student coming to the School of Management and Business at Aberystwyth will be joining a dynamic and innovative community. In the past two years, we have added over twelve academics to the faculty and are in the midst of an exciting process of innovation in programmes and links with business and other organisations. We take care with our teaching and this is reflected in student satisfaction scores that are amongst the highest in the United Kingdom. Our research meets the highest standards of academic quality, yet also speaks to issues and questions in contemporary management.

The Aberystwyth MBA is accredited by the Association of MBAs, a superb mark of quality. The commitment to excellence in professional practice, and rigour in preparing you for a demanding leadership role, are valued nationally and internationally. The Aberystwyth MBA will improve your qualifications and enhance your skill set. It will also give you the opportunity to reflect in a more detailed and structured way on your existing managerial experience, facilitating your own independent learning in the way which is most relevant to your future aspirations.

The programme is recognised and valued internationally for commitment to excellence in professional practice, and its rigour in preparing you for a demanding leadership role. Our MBA is a programme demanding focus, aspiration and commitment. Set in a unique, learning environment on the west coast of Wales, the programme enables you to reassess your career direction and reflect constructively on previous professional experience.

This MBA degree will suit you:

if you already have managerial experience and want to develop your leadership potential;
whether you want to move upward in your present organisation or broaden your other opportunities;
if you want to keep up-to-date with best practice in the field of business leadership;
if you have the focus, aspiration and commitment to succeed.

Throughout the subject areas of management, business, marketing, economics, accounting and finance you will discover a diversity of knowledge, skills and good practice. As part of your MBA programme you will understand the relationships between research, theory and practice. You will enter a world of potential where new ideas and creative thinking can lead to new solutions. You will realise that there is no perfection in thinking and practice – your own contribution can and will make a difference, both in the study environment and in the professional working environment.

Our MBA programme is designed to provide you with maximum exposure to current managerial thinking, in either the public or the private sector. The programme offers ten core modules and two elective modules providing you with an understanding of the principles of professional management practice. The theoretical aspects of the modules are taught but much of the learning is attributed to practical problem solving, small-group seminars, team-work and case-study analysis.

Core Modules:

Economics for Managers Financial Reporting
Marketing Principles Research Methods for Managers
Human Resource Management Information Systems and the Digital Firm
Operations Management Financial Management
Strategic Management Project Management

Elective choices include:

Financial Markets and Investment International Business
International Markets Supply Chain Mgt.
Small Business Mgt. Internet Marketing and e-business
Marketing Communications Managing in the Global Economy

Managerial Reports:
As an important part of your MBA programme you will also have the opportunity to develop two managerial reports. One managerial report will focus on your own skills development. The other managerial report will focus on the development of a management solution, in negotiation with academics and professionals from business and industry.

Team work is an essential element of your MBA success. At SMB, we offer you direct experience of our unique environment with challenging, out-door problem solving and leadership development activities. Your experience in Wales will enable you to develop the attitude and skills required to work successfully in, and to lead a team of managers that come to study with us from many parts of the world.

Aberystwyth University is intimate, focused and supportive.

In Aberystwyth I received tremendous academic and personal support from fellow students and lecturers. It was great to have so many different nationalities and cultures living together.

The assignments and tutorials helped me to face challenges and develop strong time management and planning skills. Without that experience I would be totally overwhelmed in my current job. The University was instrumental in my subsequent career.

My experience at Aberystwyth changed the way I think, by making me a better learner and much more aware of the world. Those are skills I'll carry with me the rest of my life. I think Aberystwyth was a great place to study, and to live.

Ragini Jain
MBA (Distinction)
2008-2009

Leadership in the International Context

The rich cultural diversity of the international student body of Aberystwyth SMB is a great experience in and of itself: but in addition, it will help you make important discoveries about the world of international business, the requirements of different market places and the importance of cultural awareness in dealing with business colleagues and customers from all over the world: in the UK and Western Europe, and in the emerging markets of new-accession EU states, China, India and others. A good leader in any field will be open to new ideas, new people and new ways of doing things. In modules dealing specifically with International Commerce and in sharing with student colleagues from all round the world, the Aberystwyth MBA offers you great opportunities to learn from other business cultures.

In order to further develop the international dimension of the programme our MBA students have access to a number of study visits and international student exchange opportunities. Our most recent cohorts have taken part in study visits to: Erlangen in Germany where, in addition to academic workshops on Business Strategy, innovation and International Business, they visited major companies such as INA Schaeffer, Siemens, GFK and Audi; and Hammonds in London which included a visit to experience a debate at the House of Lords. In addition, the School has recently welcomed managers from a highly prestigious Chinese MBA programme as part of a student exchange agreement.

Career Development Plan:

Our career development programme is designed to support your career potential and give you a competitive advantage in a challenging global employment market. The opportunities are there – we help you capitalise on them. As part of the career development programme you will be involved in personal planning, professional skills analysis, assessment of career and lifestyle aspirations and reflection on your life values. You will also be involved in strategic planning, identifying and accessing opportunities and a whole range of presentation and application skills to target and impress potential colleagues and employers.