Master of Business Administration

The Master of Business Administration at Adelaide Institute of Higher Education (AIHE) is a two-year postgraduate degree for people who want to run things, teams, projects, budgets, whole organisations. You study how businesses actually work: accounting and finance, marketing, operations, people management, strategy, economics and data-driven decision making. Later in the degree you choose electives or a specialisation, so you can tilt the qualification toward the industry you already work in or want to move into.

How the degree is structured

Australian master's degrees are built on units of study, each worth a set number of credit points. You typically enrol in four units per semester (or trimester, depending on the institution's calendar), and you need a set total of credit points to graduate. AIHE's MBA runs for two years full time. Most master's programmes finish with a capstone unit, a substantial project where you apply what you have learned to a real business problem, or a research component. Work-integrated learning, such as an internship or industry project, is common in Australian business degrees, though you should confirm the exact placement options and unit list on the official AIHE course page.

What you actually learn

You come out able to read a balance sheet, build a budget, analyse a market, lead a team through change, and put together a business case that senior managers will take seriously. Class work leans on case studies, group projects and presentations, which is deliberate, Australian business schools assess you on how you think and communicate, not just what you can memorise. Group work also mirrors the workplace, where nobody delivers anything alone.

Who it suits

This MBA suits early- to mid-career professionals who want a formal management qualification, career changers moving into business roles, and international students seeking an Australian degree with post-study work rights. If you are an international applicant, you will need to meet English requirements, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the standard for coursework postgraduate degrees, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the university's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. While studying, a Student visa generally allows up to 48 hours of work per fortnight, and on completion you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Check the official page for current unit details, entry requirements and fees.

• Business manager or general manager, running a division, branch or small company across retail, hospitality, manufacturing and professional services.
• Operations manager, logistics, supply chain and process improvement roles in transport, mining services and healthcare.
• Marketing manager, brand, digital and campaign roles in agencies, tech companies and consumer goods.
• Financial analyst or management accountant, budgeting, forecasting and reporting in banking, insurance and the public sector.
• Human resources manager, recruitment, workplace relations and organisational development, where Australian employers must navigate the Fair Work system.
• Management consultant, advisory firms and internal strategy teams working with government, not-for-profits and large corporates.
• Project manager, construction, IT, infrastructure and events, often with formal project management certification added later.
• Entrepreneur or small business owner, using the degree to build or scale your own venture.