Master of Business Administration (Online)

MBA Specialisations

Choose your specialisation


Students have the option to study an MBA or choose a specialisation in Finance or Change Management. Learn more about specialisations here.

Study an MBA to empower your leadership. Learn practical business principles applicable to real-world scenarios, and graduate equipped to elevate your career as an effective, authentic leader.

OR;

Specialise in Finance and make an impact in the business world as an empowered finance expert. Learn more about the Master of Business Administration (Finance) here.

OR;

Specialise in Change Management and be equipped to skilfully navigate the dynamics of transformation as an organisational change leader. Learn more about the Master of Business Administration (Change Management) here.

Expand your network

VU Collaborate, our intuitive online learning environment, makes it easy to connect with like-minded students, obtain feedback from academics and leverage a supportive professional network.

Learn from industry leaders

You will benefit from the unique industry connections of our academics and facilitators, as well as VU’s strong reputation in the business community.

Gain enterprise skills

All course content is written with a strong and consistent emphasis on employability, ensuring it meets industry standards and delivers the enterprise skills employers demand.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

  • Completion of an Australian Bachelor degree (or equivalent) in a similar discipline; OR
  • Completion of an Australian Graduate Certificate (or equivalent) in a similar discipline; OR
  • Applicants without an undergraduate qualification may be admitted to the Graduate Certificate (in the same discipline) based on approved work experience. Upon completion of the Graduate Certificate, graduates will be eligible for admission to this course with credit granted for completed units.
     

Advanced Standing

You may be eligible to enter into the masters with credit for past skills and/or study, known as advanced standing.
 
If you've already completed any of the units in the course in which you are enrolling, or their equivalent, you may be eligible for advanced standing. Learn more about Advanced Standing here.

MBA Career Paths

Ready to accelerate your career in a leadership capacity? VU Online’s MBA can help you achieve your goals.


Earn a globally ranked Tier 1 MBA, engaging in a curriculum designed in partnership with the University’s industry advisory groups. Guest speakers for each unit are high calibre business professionals from banks, big four consulting companies, NGOs and government departments.

Master strategic management, ethical business frameworks, analytical and financial skills, and successful business consulting – the essentials needed for success.

Assessments are largely self-determined, meaning they can be tailored so they are applicable to your current or future workplace. Whether you’d like to unlock new career opportunities, gain a competitive edge/advantage, or increase your earning potential, a VU Online MBA will equip you with the business essentials needed for success.

Want to learn more about this course?

Units of study

Units of study

VU Online’s MBA covers a broad range of business and management disciplines, effectively equipping you for current and future workplace leadership.

As well as innovative core units, you will also complete a practical, multi-faceted capstone project. Each unit of study lasts for seven weeks.

For more information about the units of study, download a brochure.

Strategic Management and Business Policy

Strategic Management examines the decisions, actions and processes undertaken by firms for success, growth and change in a business environment.
This unit of study will explore the principal elements in external and internal environments which impact on organisations and consider how current theoretical frameworks and the interdisciplinary and professional knowledge base respond to complex issues.
View unit page

Business Ethics and Sustainability

This unit critically reviews the socio-cultural environment in which business operates.
Ethical frameworks for decision making will be critiqued and students will construct the debates surrounding contemporary corporate responsibility and sustainable development as they impact on organisations in their local and global contexts.
View unit page

Marketing Management

This unit aims to critically review the major decisions faced by marketing decision makers in their efforts to harmonize the organization's objectives, capabilities, and resources with marketplace needs and opportunities.
This unit allows students to evaluate contemporary practices of marketing: the creation of value for customers and firms and the strategies and methods marketers use to successfully operate in today's dynamic environment.
View unit page

Financial Analysis

The unit takes a multidiscipline approach to develop advanced analytical, planning and decision-making skills.
This unit proposes a theoretical framework for effective and efficient use of financial statement information for business analysis. It identifies and evaluates the key analytical framework components: financial statement, business strategy, accounting, financial, and prospective.
View unit page

Business Analytics and Visualisation

Business analytics and visualisation focuses on uncovering business insights hidden in massive datasets using statistical models and algorithms. Visualisation is the vital component of analysing data and communicating insights to stakeholders. The unit equips students with foundational knowledge in business analytics and visualisation to be able to analyse business data, convert insights into business decisions and communicate results to stakeholders.
View unit page

Strategic Human Resource Management

This unit critically examines the extent to which human resource management is strategic to organizational success in a global context. Alternative models of business strategy and the integration of human resource management are considered.
There will be a focus on strategic international human resource management and the issues facing organizations that operate in the international environment.
View unit page

Managing Innovation and Entrepreneurship

This unit investigates theoretical concepts of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship and the skills and competencies to apply this knowledge effectively to diagnoses the need for, identify and leverage an opportunity and create solutions to contemporary business or societal challenges both locally and globally.
Contemporary scenarios and examples are given to enable students to apply developing knowledge to create an entrepreneurial venture that generates economic, social or environmental benefit and which is sustainable.
View unit page

Organisation Change Management

This unit develops a contemporary understanding of organisational design, organisational change and development through contextualisation of common challenges for change in both traditional and new organisational forms.
Students will advance their diagnostic skills, competencies and processes in assessing the need for change, and the development, implementation, and evaluation of change strategies at all organisational levels.
View unit page

Advanced Organisational Behaviour

This unit of study will expose you to advanced behavioural science theories and applications in management including cognitive theory, psychodynamics and psychoanalysis. It is designed for those who have an interest in understanding, critiquing, and analysing behaviour in organisations.
The primary aim of the unit is to improve your understanding of how people behave and interact within organisations.
View unit page

Performance Management and Rewards

The unit of study critically reviews key trends and issues in performance management and rewards, and debates the strategic importance of issues arising from balancing critical elements within the system of rewards and performance management
Students will: critical analyse performance management ethics through issues-based lenses critiquing expected as well as unintended strategic, organizational, team and individual outcomes that may emerge from performance management.
View unit page

Art and Practice of Leadership

The unit examines the contextual challenges facing leaders, seeking to develop a deep personal understanding of leadership as a complex process of scanning the environment and setting the direction, and achieving organisational goals through influencing people both inside and outside the organisation.
The dynamics of interpersonal power are investigated, with particular attention given to the leader as a social architect, implicit in the concepts of transformational and (values-based) authentic leadership.
View unit page

Business Consulting

This unit focuses on the key knowledge and skills required for successful business consulting. It will synthesise and leverage the competencies you have acquired in your earlier studies, which encompass accounting and finance, marketing, human resources and organisational change management, strategy and data analysis. The unit aims to develop capabilities which will allow you to pursue a career in consulting, or act as an effective internal consultant within an organisation. You will apply knowledge and skills acquired in the previous units of the course to effectively design, research and manage a business consulting project, deliver solutions and present practical recommendations to meet the needs of a real-world client, in an ethical manner. You will be involved in authentic engagement with a client and receive industry feedback, or draw on an industry case study, to address a complex business challenge. You will enhance your research and interpersonal skills, including problem-solving, collaboration, communication, customer-orientation and influencing.
View unit page

Career options

Career options

Step up to a middle or senior management role with an online MBA.  From running successful small businesses to leading multi-national corporations as a CEO, an MBA from VU Online will enable you to achieve individual success and see your business career flourish.

Our graduates have undertaken diverse and rewarding career paths both locally and overseas.

Typical job titles

  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Director of Business Development
  • Senior Managing Consultant
  • Marketing/Communications Director
  • Human Resources Director
  • Strategic Planning Manager
  • Financial Manager

Salaries and employment outlook

According to the QS TopMBA.com Jobs and Salary 2018 Trends Report, Australian Master of Business Administration graduates lead the Asia-Pacific region in terms of compensation (salary plus bonus), while the latest MBA hiring forecasts for the region remain above the global average.

How Online Study Works

Studying with VU Online means that you can undertake postgraduate study without having to attend on-campus classes. This makes it easy to fit study around work, family and other life commitments.

You will be able to access your coursework, resources, assignment details and individual feedback from facilitators, all from your online learning environment, VU Collaborate. Chat with fellow students, compare research notes and engage with learning materials – it’s all possible with our seamless, community-focused platform.

This degree is offered through VU Online’s postgraduate Block Model®, winner of consecutive LearnX Live! Awards. Instead of taking two or three units a semester, you will study one unit at a time in six study periods per year, offering more flexibility than traditional on-campus degrees. Learn about our postgraduate online Block Model ® with this YouTube video.

Learn about our postgraduate online Block Model and how it can empower you to create your own success story.

Courses Information

View entry requirements, career options and what’s available to you, through our extensive student support network below.

MBA entry requirements

  • Completion of an Australian Bachelor degree (or equivalent) in a similar discipline; OR
  • Completion of an Australian Graduate Certificate (or equivalent) in a similar discipline; OR
  • Completion of an Australian Bachelor degree (or equivalent) in any discipline and 5 years of managerial experience; OR
  • Applicants without an undergraduate qualification may be admitted to the Graduate Certificate (in the same discipline) based on approved work experience. Upon completion of the Graduate Certificate, graduates will be eligible for admission to this course with credit granted for completed units.
  • Additional Information
  • Applicants are required to submit a curriculum vitae (CV).

Advanced Standing

You may be eligible to enter into the masters with credit for past skills and/or study, known as advanced standing.
 
If you've already completed any of the units in the course in which you are enrolling, or their equivalent, you may be eligible for advanced standing. Learn more about Advanced Standing here.

Student support

VU Online provides you with the support you need, when you need it, during your course. Our support network has a single focus on ensuring you are entirely supported to succeed in your studies.

Our highly experienced academics are responsive and accessible and understand how to deliver a quality online learning experience. You will also be introduced to your very own Student Success Advisor, who provides motivation and one-on-one personalised assistance with non-academic matters throughout your course.

You’ll experience the support of your community through chat, virtual seminars and discussion board activity. Remember, your support network is only a phone call or email away.

MBA fees and FEE-help

An MBA from VU Online costs $3,800 per unit*, taking the total for 12 units to $45,600*.

This depends on the number of units you study and whether you are eligible for Advanced Standing, which is assessed after you submit your application.

Note that you may be eligible for the Australian Government’s loan scheme, FEE-HELP. The loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying students with the cost of a university program. It can be used for all or part of the tuition. To determine your eligibility, visit the FEE-HELP website.

*2024 student fees are shown and are subject to change.

For more information on fees and student support, download a brochure.

How to apply

VU online has simplified the application process, involving just three key steps.

  1. Speak to one of our Student Enrolment Advisors, who will help you determine your eligibility for the program and whether it suits your career goals. Our advisor will keep you informed of all the application requirements and what to expect during the process. They can also suggest flexible study plans for your circumstances.
  2. Begin your online application and submit the required documentation. This may include a copy of your CV and academic transcript.
  3. Upon completing your application, you will receive a confirmation email or an email letting you know if you need to provide any additional information.
Student support

Student support

VU Online provides you with the support you need, when you need it, during your course. Our support network has a single focus on ensuring you are entirely supported to succeed in your studies.

Our highly experienced academics are responsive and accessible and understand how to deliver a quality online learning experience. You will also be introduced to your very own Student Success Advisor, who provides motivation and one-on-one personalised assistance with non-academic matters throughout your course.

You’ll experience the support of your community through chat, virtual seminars and discussion board activity. Remember, your support network is only a phone call and email away.

What you'll study

VU Online’s MBA coursework covers a broad range of business and management disciplines, equipping graduates to excel as a leader.

The MBA subjects cover innovation, and the latest strategies and technologies you need to propel your career. You will also complete a practical, multi-faceted capstone project. Each unit of study lasts for seven weeks.

Strategic Management and Business Policy

Strategic Management examines the decisions, actions and processes undertaken by firms for success, growth and change in a business environment. Managers at all levels are involved in the strategic management process and must be able to utilise an advanced body of knowledge and skills to plan and problem solve in this area. This unit of study will explore the principal elements in external and internal environments which impact on organisations and consider how current theoretical frameworks and the interdisciplinary and professional knowledge base respond to complex issues. High level analytical and planning skills will be required to prepare relevant business plans.

View unit page

Business Ethics and Sustainability

This unit critically reviews the socio-cultural environment in which business operates. Ethical frameworks for decision making will be critiqued and students will construct the debates surrounding contemporary corporate responsibility and sustainable development as they impact on organisations in their local and global contexts. Emphasis will be on how new pressures on businesses arise, and how effective the various models that structure organisational responses are to these dynamic and emergent challenges. Students will understand the importance of various United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) relating to governance, operations and culture through evidence-based research, case analysis, and evaluation, in understanding the importance of the SDGs.

View unit page

Marketing Management

This unit aims to critically review the major decisions faced by marketing decision makers in their efforts to harmonise the organisation’s objectives, capabilities, and resources with marketplace needs and opportunities. This unit allows students to evaluate contemporary practices of marketing: the creation of value for customers and firms, along with the strategies and methods marketers use to successfully operate in today's dynamic environment. The unit reflects on the major trends in the managerial practice of marketing and the teaching pedagogy is crafted around applied learning content, case study analysis, collaborative decision making and reflective reasoning.

View unit page

Financial Analysis

Financial acumen is an important skill for managers in the complex local and global business environment. The unit takes a multidisciplinary approach to develop advanced analytical, planning and decision making skills. This unit proposes a theoretical framework for effective and efficient use of financial statement information for business analysis. It identifies and evaluates: financial statements, business strategies, financial data, and growth of the business. This framework is then applied to a variety of complex decision making contexts including security analysis, credit analysis, merger and acquisition analysis, and management communications analysis.

View unit page

Business Analytics and Visualisation

Business analytics and visualisation focuses on uncovering business insights hidden in massive datasets using statistical models and algorithms. Visualisation is the vital component of analysing data and communicating insights to stakeholders. The unit equips students with foundational knowledge in business analytics and visualisation to be able to analyse business data, convert insights into business decisions and communicate results to stakeholders. Using open source software (R and Python), students are exposed to a range of business analytics approaches and algorithms, including tidy data presentation, various data wrangling approaches, data storytelling and visualisation basics. Using project workflow and working with real world data, students learn how to work with different datatypes, build and evaluate models, develop data visualisation and communicate insights to stakeholders.

View unit page

Strategic Human Resource Management

This unit critically examines the extent to which human resource management is strategic to organisational success in a global context. Alternative models of business strategy and the integration of human resource management are considered. The changing external environment of globalisation and competition and the resultant restructuring of industries, labour markets and organisations is analysed so that the factors influencing managerial choice and employee choice in relation to the different strategies can be assessed. There will be a focus on strategic international human resource management and the issues facing organisations that operate in the international environment.

View unit page

Managing Innovation and Entrepreneurship

This unit investigates theoretical concepts of creativity, innovation, intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship and the skills and competencies to apply this knowledge effectively to diagnoses the need for, identify and leverage an opportunity and create solutions to contemporary business or societal challenges both locally and globally.

The unit provides an authentic and evidence based learning experience in which learners engage and apply to planning, strategising and decision making in professional, commercial and social contexts. The unit stimulates students to challenge the way in which entrepreneurs grow within, flourish and are perceived by and contribute to diverse societal and sustainable contexts. Students will use their insights in analysing and critiquing contemporary international entrepreneurial trends and dilemmas as responsible ethical and global citizens. Important paradoxes are posed for students to express the way in which human ingenuity translates to business endeavour which can have both positive and negative consequences. Contemporary and emerging future scenarios and examples are given to enable students to apply knowledge to create an entrepreneurial venture that generates economic, social and sustainability benefits.

View unit page

Organisation Change Management

This unit develops contemporary understanding of organisational design, organisational change & development through contextualisation of common challenges for change in both traditional and new organisational forms. Students are challenged through interrogation and critical reflection on practices and theories of critical and conventional theories and models of change.

Students will advance their diagnostic skills, competencies and processes in assessing the need for change, and the development, implementation, and evaluation of change strategies at all organisational levels. Solutions to complex change management problems will be derived in a socially and culturally responsible manner, where students will advocate and substantiate recommendations grounded in scholarly literature to demonstrate professional responsibility and accountability.

View unit page

Advanced Organisational Behaviour

Organisational behaviour is an interdisciplinary field drawing from numerous disciplines including psychology, sociology, economics, organisation theory, statistics, and several others. This unit of study will expose you to advanced behavioural science theories and real-world applications in management including cognitive theory, psychodynamics and psychoanalysis. It is designed for those who have an interest in understanding, critiquing, and analysing behaviour in organisations.

The primary aim of the unit is to improve your understanding of how people behave and interact within organisations based on industry case studies and contemporary experiences. Having a greater knowledge of employee behaviour will help you understand employee values, belief and behaviours, and will help you to direct, advocate and create a culture that matters to organisational success. Importantly, the unit will help you to better understand your own past and future behaviours as a member and manager (leader) within an organisation and those around you.

The unit extends beyond the introductory organisational behaviour course by focusing on provocative and current topics including the changing nature of workforce, contracting, consulting, global workforce mobility, remote working and knowledge economy.

View unit page

Performance Management and Rewards

The unit of study critically reviews key trends and issues in performance management and rewards, and debates the strategic importance of issues arising from balancing critical elements within the system of rewards and performance management Students will: critical analyse performance management ethics through issues-based lenses critiquing expected as well as unintended strategic, organisational, team and individual outcomes that may emerge from performance management. Contemporary theory and practice in performance management will be contested through critical analysis and critical theory will inform critiques of the history of performance management; popular techniques for conducting performance evaluations; the links between performance evaluation and systems of remuneration and opportunities for employee development and promotion.

View unit page

Art and Practice of Leadership

Uncertainty and changes call for unique leadership in businesses. The core learning in this unit is to understand the development of leadership capacity and prepare for critical transformation or transition in complex situations. A unique learning model that aims for students to increase to close the gap between their understanding and effective leadership action. The unit examines the contextual challenges facing leaders today, seeking to develop a deep personal understanding of leadership as a complex process of scanning the environment and setting the direction, and achieving organisational goals through influencing people both inside and outside the organisation. The dynamics of interpersonal power are investigated, with particular attention given to the leader as a social architect, implicit in the concepts of transformational and values-based authentic leadership.

View unit page

Business Consulting (Capstone)

This unit focuses on the key knowledge and skills required for successful business consulting. It will synthesise and leverage the competencies you have acquired in your earlier studies, which encompass accounting and finance, marketing, human resources and organisational change management, strategy and data analysis. The unit aims to develop capabilities which will allow you to pursue a career in consulting, or act as an effective internal consultant within an organisation. You will apply knowledge and skills acquired in the previous units of the course to effectively design, research and manage a business consulting project, deliver solutions and present practical recommendations to meet the needs of a real-world client, in an ethical, sustainable and responsible manner. You will be involved in authentic engagement with a client and receive industry feedback, or draw on an industry case study, to address a complex business challenge. You will enhance your research and interpersonal skills, including problem-solving, collaboration, communication, customer-orientation and influencing.

View unit page

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Frequently asked questions

Can I study VU Online's MBA without a undergraduate degree?

Yes. Our Graduate Certificate in Business Administration is an alternative pathway to entering into our MBA program. The Graduate Certificate in Business Administration is essentially the first 4 units of our MBA and those without an Undergraduate can be considered as applicants provided that they meet and have 5 years of full-time work experience. Once this is completed, these units are transferred into the overall MBA program.

What does an MBA graduate do?

Depending on each individual and the industry they’re in, the overall aim for an MBA graduate is to be able to elevate their career and gain valuable leadership skills. That may translate into running a successful small business to leading multi-national corporations. Our graduates have undertaken diverse and rewarding career paths both locally and overseas.

Potential career leadership roles include:
  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
  • Director of Business Development
  • Senior Managing Consultant
  • Marketing/Communications Director
  • Human Resources Director
  • Financial Manager

Does an MBA increase salary?

An MBA has been designed to take your career to the next level in order to achieve your professional goals. This may come in the form of potential promotions, salary increases, or new business and leadership opportunities. We believe that completion of an MBA will not only enhance one’s learning and confidence, it will also help to open up new opportunities for growth.

Is the MBA globally recognised?

Yes, and we are also ranked among the world’s top 2% of universities.

How long does it take to complete an MBA on VU Online?

VU Online's MBA can be completed within 2 years, part-time at a minimum. However, you can complete this within 5 years as part of our flexible block model structure.

What do you learn in VU MBA Online?

Our Online MBA focuses on business leadership through career-based teaching and learning. This is to ensure our MBA graduates develop the problem solving and financial skills to meet ever-changing industry standards and the enterprise skills today's employers expect. Students will focus on areas such as strategic management, ethics, financial analysis and organisational change – skills that are essential for all future leaders, in any industry. Students will also have the opportunity to connect with a community of like-minded peers via our intuitive and immersive online learning environment. Each student can share their own professional industry experiences and participate in collaborative online sessions.

What specialisations are offered?

Aside from our general MBA, you can also streamline into Finance and Change Management.

Can I choose my specialisation after I start studying?

Unfortunately not. You will have to know which specialisation you would like to do, prior to enrolling in our MBA (i.e. Finance or Change Management). You will have to complete your specialisation units, before completing the remaining core MBA units.

Are there options to study more than one unit at a time?

There are options to take more than one unit at a time, but this is not generally recommended for individuals who are working full time. To take more than 1 unit at a time, a student must make an application and decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

Is an MBA worth it?

Absolutely. Whether it’s a promotion, a position with more responsibility or a whole new career you are looking to embark on, sharpening the breadth and depth of your professional skills will play an important role in your success. The skills and knowledge gained from an MBA can help accelerate your career, as well as your earning potential. Learn about your career options after an MBA here and why an MBA is worth it.

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