Global Finance Accelerated Part-time MBA

Once you've been offered a place on our MBA programme and paid a reservation fee, you have full access to our Manchester MBA Preparation course.

This online course will help you to reacquaint yourself with key study skills, how to go about writing academic assignments and most importantly, what 'Learning by Doing' really means.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Rediscover key study skills
• Prepare to start your MBA modules by undertaking Business Essentials in 'Marketing' and 'Operations Management', 'Accounting', 'Corporate Finance', 'Cultural Economy and Financialisaton', and 'Economics'
• Meet the teams that will be supporting you throughout your MBA
• Write and receive feedback on a 'practice' MBA essay.

The voluntary course takes around 15 hours in total and you can complete it at your own pace. There are lots of opportunities to apply your skills and new knowledge throughout.

Contemporary businesses face two major transition challenges:

1. To re-evaluate the purpose of the firm in the 21st century and transition to a stakeholder value-driven firm
2. How to redesign the business model in global transition to a net zero economy.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) is the formal tool that companies use to manage these two transitions. In this course, we cover why these two major transitions are happening by covering concepts and analytical tools such as:

• Financialisation
• Shareholder value maximisation
• Corporate governance
• Firm purpose.

Then we analyse the rise of ESG as a mechanism for firms to achieve social and environmental responsibility, and to transition to a net zero economy.

In this core course, you'll examine the field of organisational behaviour, evaluating questions such as:

• Why have contemporary management practices and organisational forms been adopted?
• What is their effect on people's behaviour?

You'll learn how to respond to contemporary management and organisational challenges, by applying the latest research, ideas, frameworks and practical case studies.

This course is delivered through a 4-day workshop and online learning. It will provide you with key knowledge about operations management and marketing.

We'll encourage you to consider the interactions and potential tensions between these areas, and to critically evaluate the application of theory to real-life contexts. You'll also work in multinational groups to develop solutions to marketing and operations management challenges.

This course is delivered through two parts:

• Part A: a 2-day workshop, three 3-hour virtual workshops and online learning
• Part B: a 4-day workshop and online learning.

This interdisciplinary course will help you develop a cutting-edge approach to strategy and competition that is fit for purpose in today's changing business environment. You'll explore key areas of interest, such as:

• Competition
• Global instability
• The sharing economy
• Technology disruption
• Traditional, dominant schools of thought.

The course will blend theory and practice, with an emphasis on teamwork and real-time case analysis.

You can choose three electives. Each elective is delivered through a 3-day workshop (minimum) and online learning.

Electives are your chance to customise the MBA to suit your personal goals and interests.

Current electives

• Big Data Analytics
  You’ll be introduced to Big Data Analytics theory and applications, exploring essential tools, techniques, and case studies that show how organisations leverage big data for decision-making, strategy, and competitive advantage.
• Business to Business Marketing
  This six-month Business-to-Business (B2B) Marketing course equips participants with insights into the unique dynamics of B2B marketing beyond traditional models, focusing on real-world applications of segmentation, targeting, and positioning.
• Corporate News and Shareholder Value
  Explore how corporate announcements impact stock prices and shareholder value, using tools like the efficient market hypothesis and event study methodology to analyse market reactions to events like mergers and ESG news, with hands-on case studies and research.
• Digital Economy: Platforms AI and the Firm
  Examine how AI and machine learning are transforming business operations, focusing on practical applications to leverage AI’s strengths, address its limitations, and create value across industries like finance, healthcare, and retail.
• Digital Marketing Strategy
  You’ll cover digital marketing strategies for B2B and B2C, focusing on social media, search engines, and data-driven approaches, with shared learning paths in AI and Big Data.
• Engaging Human Talent
  Gain strategic insights into attracting, developing, and engaging talent for organisational growth, integrating human resource practices with broader strategy through real-world examples and debates.
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management
  Entrepreneurship drives economic growth, creating jobs and fostering large business development. This elective hones skills essential for managing the entrepreneurial lifecycle, from recognising opportunities and crafting creative concepts to building innovative business models.
• Exploring Decision Making in Practice
  This elective provides practical tools to enhance decision-making skills, especially in group settings. Moving beyond textbook methods, it draws on insights from social psychology and behavioural economics to help managers navigate real-world, collaborative decision-making effectively.
• Fintech, Digital Banking and Blockchain
  Explore FinTech, digital banking, blockchain, and AI in finance, with case studies on innovation and digital transformation. Tackle a hands-on “digital banking challenge” by designing and pitching a mock banking app.
• International Business Strategy
  This elective covers strategic management of multinational corporations, emphasizing resources, capabilities, and cultural impacts on competitiveness to tackle real-world international management challenges.
• Leading Business Projects
  Gain a holistic understanding of driving strategic change through project design, leadership, and delivery, equipping you to lead impactful projects that align with broader goals like the UN SDGs.
• Managing Disruptive Technologies
  Explore how disruptive technologies like digital platforms and blockchain reshape business models, empowering leaders to recognize and respond to potential industry shifts for career advancement.
• Negotiation Skills
  Master essential negotiation skills through practical techniques and strategies, empowering you to navigate diverse business situations and achieve strategic goals with confidence.
• Platform Ecosystem Strategy
  Discover how digital technology reshapes strategy, from traditional approaches to innovative platform ecosystems, preparing you to lead in a world where digital platforms redefine competitive advantage.
• Practical Investing
  Gain hands-on experience in investing through practical simulations, client role-plays, and insights from seasoned industry professionals. You’ll cover investment strategies, market dynamics, and client-focused portfolio creation to prepare you for real-world success in today’s financial industry.
• Strategic Financial Analysis
  Engage in an intensive, hands-on elective that bridges strategy and finance through real company cases, honing your ability to make sound business judgments, analyse financial information, and craft compelling corporate narratives amidst uncertainty.
• Strategic Supply Chain Management
  Learn to master strategic supply chain management to reduce costs, manage risks, and drive innovation, equipping you with essential skills to optimise supplier relationships and enhance organisational value.
• Sustainable and Socially Responsible Business
  Examine key drivers and metrics impacting sustainable business practices, with tools and case studies to build socially responsible strategies that address environmental and societal challenges.
• Venture Capital and Private Equity
  Gain a practical understanding of Venture Capital and Private Equity, exploring key financial concepts and applying knowledge to real case studies. Take on roles as investors, company managers, and advisors to navigate investment and exit strategies.
• Work Psychology for Managerial Success - this elective is offered until January 2026.
  This course explores key psychological skills for managerial success, focusing on self-management, leadership, and career strategies to help students apply these insights to their own career goals.

Elective courses vary in length and availability. Some electives are only delivered once per year, which may affect the options available to you.

We deliver electives across our global centres in Dubai, Hong Kong, Manchester, Shanghai and Singapore. If you choose to study overseas, you'll benefit from the opportunity to widen your international network and sharpen your knowledge of the global business environment.

The live business project gives you the flexibility to explore an entrepreneurial venture in a sector of your choice, or to tackle a business issue that is critical to your organisation.

The skills learned in the course will help you stand out and deliver real value in the workplace. It's an opportunity to try something you've always wanted to do while gaining invaluable, practical business experience to enrich your CV.

Example business projects include:

• Rediscovering Kellogg Nutri-Grain Bar's Competitive Mojo
• A study into the effectiveness of the Corporate Parent in delivering value to stakeholders
• The lean startup: 'Fit-for-life'
• The effects of earned media on brand preference, purchase intention and sales performance: a study on infant formula brands
• Segmenting and targeting Chinese e-lock consumers
• Identifying and quantifying the critical success factors for taxi-hailing mobile apps
• Helping Salesforce.com support the re-integration of unemployed job-seekers into the labour market
• A study of non-household consumer switching in England's water market.

MBA+ is a suite of added value extra-curricular experiences that will help you define your goals, enhance your interpersonal skills, build your corporate connections and raise your profile across the world.

Running in parallel with the academic programme, MBA activities are not credit bearing. They're designed to give you targeted support and motivation to help you through the MBA and beyond, with unrivalled opportunities to connect and grow.

You'll have the opportunity to take part in the following activities:

• Networking events
• Online careers seminars
• Employability sessions
• Careers guidance
• Alumni socials
• Alumni speaker events
• Alumni groups, and more.

Most courses include an intensive, three-day workshop residential. Global Finance Accelerated MBA workshops are a chance to:

• Immerse yourself in your studies, away from the distractions of daily life
• Focus on what you want to achieve
• Build a strong, supportive cohort
• Experience a challenging mix of experiential learning from renowned business experts and practitioners
• Participate in group work focusing on real business problems
• Network, socialise and make connections that could transform your career.

You can also flex your workshops to include more online or face-to-face learning to suit your commitments.

In the first year of the course, you'll attend four core workshop residentials in Manchester, Dubai and Hong Kong. You can then choose your own electives at any of our global centres for the remainder of the course.

50% of students typically attend a workshop overseas during the programme.

Global Finance Accelerated MBA workshop schedule

Workshop dates for January 2025 intake

Specific workshop dates for September 2025 onwards will be added to this page when confirmed.

Our online teaching, learning and student support includes:

• Dedicated online learning and support hub
• Live online lectures and virtual workshops to support face-to-face workshops
• Virtual office hours with world-leading academics
• Online student surgeries
• Digital library
• Discussion forums
• Pre-sessional study skills and foundational review courses
• Virtual guest speakers and networking opportunities.

Top organisations want global executives with local knowledge. You need to thrive in a multi-cultural environment and manage across boundaries. The Manchester Global MBA offers a particularly international experience. You'll get to:

• Learn alongside high-achieving executives from 90 countries and diverse professional backgrounds
• Make new contacts from across the globe who could be indispensable to your future business career
• Experience new perspectives and business opportunities
• Learn how to communicate and negotiate effectively with people from other cultures
• Join our Alliance MBS network of 63,000 alumni from 177 countries - lifetime access to some of the world's brightest business minds.

Wherever you choose to attend workshops, you will receive the same world-class teaching. Our internationally-renowned academics travel the world to teach at our global centres.

If your career takes you overseas, you can continue your MBA without interruption by taking workshops at a different centre.