Duration: 1 year

Mode of Delivery: Online

Awarding Institution: GBS HE Malta

Awarded Qualification: Master of Business Administration

Level: Comparable to Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF) / European Qualifications Framework (EQF) Level 7

MQRIC Accredited Status: Recognised

Accreditation Category: Higher Education Programme

Language of Instruction: English

The Online MBA with specialist pathways offers a flexible and practical programme, enabling professionals to gain advanced business and management expertise anytime, anywhere. Combining academic rigor with real-world relevance, it develops critical thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to evaluate global management practices.

Designed to deepen your understanding of personal strengths and experiences, this programme empowers you to become a socially responsible, innovative leader, ready to excel in today’s dynamic business landscape.

The programme of study enhances participants critical understanding of their knowledge, experience and strengths and how to deploy these to become effective managers in a range of different organisations.

All participants will take four core modules (10 ECTS each):

• Global Strategies
• Managerial Finance
• Leadership and Organisational Behaviour
• Applied Digital Marketing.

Two modules are also taken reflecting the MBA pathway chosen. All participants take a major dissertation/project module (30 ECTS) on a topic related the pathway chosen.

The achievement of the MBA qualification will enable you to further enhance your career as a socially and ethically engaged, globally connected professional who is creative, enterprising and innovative.

Our Master of Business Administration with 3 pathways are assessed and accredited by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) and aligned with the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF).

Credits needed to earn the degree:

ECTS Credits: 90 ECTS

UK Credits: 180 Credits

Compulsory modules:

• Global Strategies
• Managerial Finance
• Leadership and Organisational Behaviour
• Applied Digital Marketing
• Project/Dissertation

Each of the five pathways consists of two additional 10 ECTS modules which are pathway-specific:

MBA in Marketing Management:

• Contemporary Issues and Practices in Marketing and Ethics
• Marketing Management Practice

MBA Project Management:

• Procurement, Leading and Managing Project Teams
• Executing, Controlling and Closing a Project

MBA Entrepreneurship:

• Managing Entrepreneurial Ventures
• Entrepreneurial Finance

To be offered a place to study on the MBA programme prospective participants would normally be required to meet the following admissions criteria:

• (a) Possess the equivalent of a good UK honours degree – normally equivalent to a 2:2 or above.
• (b) Possess the equivalent of a UK degree below a 2:2 standard whilst being able to evidence an aptitude and/or relevant work/management experience to successfully complete the MBA programme of study.
• (c) Possess appropriate professional body qualifications (for example, ACCA or CIMA) at a level equivalent to UK undergraduate degree.

Recognition of Prior Learning

• Prospective participants with relevant work experience, for example, having been or are working in a junior or middle manager role would also be considered for recognition of prior learning.
• Evidence of in-company formal training, professional development through attendance at external courses/training, for example, would also be considered and could substitute for the admissions criteria given in (a), (b) or (c) above. Recognition of prior learning for entry to the MBA on a case-by-case basis with evidence required to be provided by the prospective participant.

Assessment for this MBA will be through a range of different types of coursework. Across the core and pathway modules of this programme the range of coursework assessment will include: essays, case studies, literature reviews, individual reflective learning log, portfolios, group presentations, critical reflection of group/team work, posters, project proposal, project reports.

Formative and summative approaches to assessment will be employed. Formative assessment tasks will be used in all modules and will be aimed at supporting participants to understand and prepare for the module summative assessment requirements. In this way, participants with different learning styles and abilities will be able to gain a good understanding of the summative assessment requirements and on their journey to submitting their summative assessments.

Assignment briefs will be produced for each of the summative assessments required by each of the modules on this MBA programme. Assignment briefs will set out the learning outcomes being assessed, appropriate material, context, etc. for the assignment. Suggested reading will include book chapters, published articles and published research, web links to companies, and case studies, as appropriate, to the assignment brief. Each assignment brief will include marking/grading criteria so that participants have a clear understanding of what is required to pass the assessment and what is required to achieve higher grades. Grading of a participant’s assessment will be made using the pass, merit, distinction and fail criteria common to MQF/EQF Level 7 programmes of study.

Feedback will be provided to each participant on their assessed work identifying both areas of strength and areas that could be improved. Where a fail grade is awarded the participant will receive detailed feedback on the reasons for awarding such a grade and the areas that would need to be addressed for improvement.

All summative assessed work will be first marked by the academic member of staff teaching the modules. Moderation will be conducted on graded summatively assessed participant work. GBS HE Malta will also appoint external examiners with expertise and experience of teaching and assessment on masters business and management programmes. Assessment Boards will be held to consider participant assessed work, consider tutor module reports and feedback from external examiners.

The learner will be able to:

• Understand and provide a critical evaluation different conceptual strategy frameworks and their application
• Identify a range of contemporary issues in global strategic managment
• Describe and identify principles of corporate finance
• Identify and demonstrate a critical understanding of managerial finance and risk measurement
• Identify and and demonstrate a critical evaluation of theories of leadership and research on leadership
• Describe and provide a critical analysis the importance of leadership for effective organisational functioning
• Understand and provide an analysis of digital marketing as a integrative management function
• Describe the idea of product life-cyle and and applications to organisational planning
• Understand and provide a critical analysis of quantitative and qualitative research methods as applied to organisational management
• Describe, analyse and provide a critical analysis research findings and their relevance within the context of published research.

The learner will be able to:

Marketing Management Pathway

• Identify and provide a critical evaluation a range of contemporary issues in marketing and ethics
• Understand and critically apply contemporary thoeries and approaches of marketing management practice

Project Management Pathway

• Describe and provide a critical analysis of the phases of project management including devising, executing, controlling and closing a project
• Identify and provide an evaluation of procurement, project leadership and managing project teams in the successful delivery of a project.

Entrepreneurship Pathway

• Identify and provide a critical analysis the importance of finance and financial data to successful entrepreneurship
• Describe and demonstrate a critical understanding of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial ventures.

The learner will be able to:

• Demonstrate critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and problem solving in management as applied to different types of organisations.
• Demonstrate a high level of ability in decision-making using quantitative and qualitative research skills.
• Show abilities in locating, extracting and summarising data from multiple sources to address problems and issues in management.
• Apply accounting and finance terminology accurately and appropriately in a range of management and organisational settings.
• Show how information technology can be applied and used in management and appreciate limitations and shortcomings.
• Apply a holistic approach to the analysis or organisations and challenging situations that may arise within organisations and require effective management.
• Demonstrate and practice effective group and team working and the importance of inter-personal skills to successful outcomes.
• Demonstrate time management skills, the ability to act independently in planning tasks and be able to arrange time and prioritise tasks.
• Show effective communication in English language (written, spoken and comprehension).
• Demonstrate high level skills in the appreciation of published research, application of theories to management practice and critical literature reviews.
• Practice and develop leadership, management and professional skills to be able to pursue a career in senior management.

This Online MBA programme is designed to prepare you for a wide range of occupations in general management across all industry sectors and the international environment as well as employment in your chosen pathway.

Career paths after the course:

• Senior management roles in all sectors
• Management training
• Management consultancy
• Strategic roles in any context