Master of Business Administration

A Master of Business Administration at Southern Cross University is a two-year postgraduate degree that builds on your work experience and undergraduate study. You will cover the core areas of business: accounting, finance, marketing, organisational behaviour, strategy and operations. Later in the degree you choose electives or a specialisation, so you can aim the qualification at the industry you work in or want to move into. Teaching mixes lectures, tutorials, case discussions and group projects. Assessment is usually a blend of exams, written assignments and team presentations, with some units using live business problems supplied by employers.

How the degree is structured

Australian master's degrees are made up of units of study, each worth a set number of credit points. A two-year MBA typically requires 16 units, or 192 credit points, though the exact number depends on whether you have prior study or relevant work experience that earns credit. The academic year runs across semesters or trimesters, and you can often choose how many units to take each study period. Most MBA programmes finish with a capstone unit that pulls together everything you have learned, often in the form of a strategy project or a business consulting report. Some students take a research pathway instead, writing a minor thesis if they are considering a doctorate later.

Work-integrated learning and professional placement

Business schools in Australia increasingly build work-integrated learning into their MBAs. At Southern Cross University, this can take the form of an internship, a consulting project with a local organisation, or a placement unit where you work inside a company for a set number of hours. These units are usually elective, so you can choose whether to take one. Placements are common in fields like marketing, operations, human resources and general management. They give you Australian workplace experience, which matters if you plan to apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) after you finish.

Who it suits and what you gain

This MBA suits early- and mid-career professionals who want to move into management, change industries, or start a business. It also suits people with a technical background, engineering, health, IT, education, who need the commercial and people skills to lead teams. You will learn to read financial statements, build a budget, analyse a market, manage a project and make decisions with incomplete information. You will also practise negotiating, presenting and writing for a business audience. International students should note that a Student visa allows up to 48 hours of work per fortnight during study periods, so you can gain local experience while you study. English requirements for international applicants are published by the university; an IELTS Academic score of 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard for coursework postgraduate degrees, but confirm the exact requirement on the official course page. Tuition fees are listed on the CRICOS register under course code 080919A.

• General manager or operations manager, overseeing teams and budgets in retail, manufacturing, logistics, hospitality or professional services.
• Business development manager, finding new markets and clients, common in technology, consulting, finance and agribusiness.
• Marketing manager, planning campaigns and managing brands for consumer goods, tourism, health or education organisations.
• Human resources manager, handling recruitment, workplace relations and organisational change across the public and private sectors.
• Financial analyst or management accountant, preparing budgets, forecasts and reports for banks, insurers, government agencies and large companies.
• Project manager, running construction, IT, infrastructure or event projects, often after gaining a project management certification.
• Management consultant, advising organisations on strategy and operations, typically with consulting firms or internal strategy teams.
• Small business owner or entrepreneur, using the degree to plan, fund and grow a venture in Australia or overseas.

Australian employers in these fields include the big four banks, major retailers, mining and energy companies, health services, government departments and a large small-business sector. Graduates may also pursue further study, such as a doctorate, if they complete a research pathway.