Master of Business Administration (MBA Global Block Delivery)

The highlights

• Our innovative MBA is designed for working professionals who want to gain an internationally recognised management qualification – without taking a career break
• It combines short intensive study periods on campus with off-site learning which you can balance with your working life, wherever in the world you are based
• Our MBA Global is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), so you can apply for Chartered Manager status on completion of your studies
• You can choose to undertake a corporate placement project instead of a traditional dissertation, tackling an important challenge that benefits your own organisation
• You will learn from a teaching team with extensive business and management experience and will work in small, professionally experienced cohorts of students. We additionally offer enhanced tutor support to keep your studies on track 
• If you are interested in applying for MBA Global Block Delivery please contact Programme Leader, Dr Shamaila Ishaq

Managers who can perform, think and act from an international perspective are in demand like never before. Our MBA Global has been designed specifically to meet that demand, nurturing leaders who are creative, dynamic and innovative – ready to excel in senior positions worldwide.

Ours is a thoroughly modern MBA programme which will transform your business thinking as you work towards the world’s most recognised management and leadership qualification. Challenging both academically and practically, it enables you to analyse and solve complex business problems that are directly relevant to your job role, helping inspire change within your own organisation and industry.

The Block Delivery MBA typically attracts senior managers and professional executives from wide-ranging backgrounds, including construction, energy, aviation and the public sector.

Our expertise

Offering substantial business and management experience, our lecturers combine academic rigour with real-world practice. They are conducting influential research and consultancy work, ensuring the knowledge they share with you is constantly refreshed. 

Our teaching is underpinned by partnerships with regional, national and international employers as well as the leading professional bodies. Our networks include major names such as Rolls-Royce, Boots, JCB, Toyota, Bombardier, DHL, the NHS and International Government Ministries.  

Global thinking

It is increasingly important for today’s managers to move beyond a purely domestic mindset. On this MBA, each module gives you advanced and applied knowledge of business in an international and global context.   

We pride ourselves on our small but truly international classroom environment where discussions will be lively, illuminating and often surprising. You will learn best practice with – and from – a diverse community of equally driven fellow students who include current and aspiring business and finance leaders. Our MBA attracts students from countries across mainland Europe and from across the globe, including; the USA, India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria and the Arab states of the Gulf. 

You’ll study the following modules: 

• Responsible and Authentic Leadership 
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation  
• Strategy, Finance and Business Transformation  
• Sustainable Business Operations  
• Independent Study: Research Methods  
• Digital Marketing Strategies for International Markets 
• Business Analytics for Strategic Decision-Making 
• Independent Study: Dissertation  
• Social Impact Project.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

We offer an engaging learning environment, taking you beyond the classroom so that you can apply your learning to real-world business challenges, including delivering practical solutions for a range of organisations.  You will be inspired by a mix of: 

• face-to-face and virtual lectures 
• case studies 
• Simulations and board room activities 
• scholarly debates 
• online collaborative discussions 
• presentations 
• enquiry-based learning 
• problem-solving activities 
• industry seminars and conferences 
• guest speakers 
• visits to business organisations.

Ours is an engaging learning environment, where you will receive plenty of individual support from tutors. We provide you with key reading and online research resources from around the World, and you can make the most of the University’s online teaching portal.

How you are assessed

Our wide-ranging assessment methods are designed to enhance your transferable skills, personal and professional development. They will provide you with the opportunity to undertake:

Digital ‘sales pitches’ 
Digital presentations 
Creating digital artifacts 
Board room simulations. 
Real world social impact projects 
Case studies 
Reflective reports.  
Collaborative activities
Our structured approach to formative assessment means that you will receive lots of support, guidance and feedback on your progress throughout your MBA journey.

The strong international perspectives of our MBA bring a whole new dimension to your CV. Our emphasis on work-based learning also equips you to apply your knowledge in ways which make an immediate impact – whether you are embarking on a new role or advancing your professional practice within your own organisation.

Equally important are the integrated support modules which will help you plan the next stage of your professional development. You can boost your employability through access to career coaching, mentoring and career development workshops.

Gaining a postgraduate degree can significantly boost your earning potential. Latest government statistics* show that postgraduates earn on average £6,000 more per year than graduates, with a median salary of £40,000.

Our Careers and Employment Service will provide you with support from day one of your course to ensure you leave Derby as a ‘work-ready’ graduate – industry aware, motivated and enterprising. Throughout your studies, you’ll also benefit from our Personal Development Planning (PDP) scheme which enables you to reflect on your learning and develop your career ambitions.

The support continues once you’ve completed your course too: you are entitled to further help and guidance from the Careers and Employment Service for up to three years after leaving the University.

*Graduate Labour Market Statistics 2018, Department for Education

Applicants should normally hold a good honours degree (minimum upper second class) from a UK university (or overseas equivalent) in any subject or a professional qualification deemed to be of equivalent standing. Alternatively, applicants may have significant management experience and a substantial record of achievement. Applicants meeting these criteria may not have previously studied at university.

We welcome and encourage all applicants as long as they can be considered adequately prepared to succeed on the programme. If learners have few or no formal qualifications, they may be able to gain entry to the programme if they have the required communication and learning skills as well as the knowledge, experience and motivation to succeed.

We welcome applications from international students. If your first language is not English you will be expected to have IELTS 6.5 (with at least 5.5 in each component). You may be exempt from providing evidence of English language proficiency if you have gained your undergraduate degree from a UK university. Please see further information for international applicants, including a list of documents required.

All applications are considered on an individual basis. Applicants may be invited to an interview, either on campus or online, as part of the application process.

When submitting your application, please ensure it is complete, with all the relevant documents requested in the application form.

2024/25 (August 2024 - July 2025)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

Additional fee information

*Note – at postgraduate level, you’ll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the awards below.

This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MBA.

Additional costs and optional extras

2025/26 (August 2025 - July 2026)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

Additional fee information

*Note – at postgraduate level, you’ll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the awards below.

This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MBA.

Additional costs and optional extras

Alumni discount for Derby graduates

We offer a discount on postgraduate course fees for all Derby alumni.

Find out about the Alumni discountFind out about the Alumni discount

This course is only available via referral through an agent. Please get in touch with your relevant contact for further information on applying. 

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.