Programme structure
The Global MBA has two entry points each year in October and in April, irrespective of the study pathway you choose to follow. It begins with a comprehensive Induction programme, designed to equip you with a toolkit of essential study skills that will serve as your springboard to MBA success. Students following the Global MBA Online study path participate in the Induction programme via our virtual learning environment. For those pursuing the standard study route, there is the additional option of attending a one-week Orientation Week in Durham which combines the formal programme induction with block delivery of your first core module.
Core modules
The first stage of the Global MBA programme adopts an holistic approach to managing business relationships, both internal and external to the organisation. Six core modules therefore provide a foundation of knowledge and understanding, presented in a thematic way:
- Managing in the Global Environment
- Managing in the Competitive Environment
- Improving Management Decision-making
- Managing Finance
- Managing People
- Strategic Management
Elective modules
Electives allow in-depth study and reflection and provide you with an opportunity to enhance and deepen knowledge and skills in areas of particular interest to you, and that are relevant to your future career
You can opt for a broad-based MBA portfolio, or you tailor your degree toward a particular specialism. It's your MBA, you decide. One of the key features of the Global MBA programme at Durham is access to one of the widest selection of electives anywhere in the world. Commonly offered options include:
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MBA business project (dissertation)
The Global MBA Programme culminates in a 15,000-word dissertation on a business project chosen by you, and overseen by a faculty supervisor with relevant academic/consultancy experience. The dissertation is an independent piece of research that should be regarded as an exercise in the analysis, interpretation and presentation of information, observations and ideas. Normally it involves the systematic study of a problem using an appropriate theoretical framework.
This is a very rewarding part of the MBA learning experience across our programmes. The compulsory Methods of Inquiry module provides insight into the research project and must be undertaken before starting the dissertation.
Study schedule for October 2013 start date:
International study opportunities
More than any other option in the Durham portfolio, the Global MBA programme is a product of today’s connected digital world. Through our International Study Week options, this unique global dimension is further enhanced by the chance to immerse yourself in another country’s business world – visiting companies and attending lectures and cultural events. All Global MBA students enjoy access to these invaluable inter-cultural experiences, each providing an opportunity to interact with peers from Durham’s sister MBA programmes and further enhance your personal global business network.
Online Delivery
The Global MBA not only offers a unique perspective on today’s connected digital world. It is also embedded within that digital world and delivered online to reach its global community of learners across borders and time zones. For students pursuing our standard and specialist Finance pathways, all core modules and a substantial number of electives are available via our virtual learning environment, Durham University Online (DUO), complementing our block-taught Residency programme. For those following our dedicated Global MBA Online route, the entire world-class MBA curriculum is delivered in this way by leading Durham faculty members, integrating synchronous and asynchronous learning within a strong virtual cohort experience.
Your virtual classroom
Durham University Online (DUO) is your virtual campus, serving as the hub of your Global MBA experience. Online modules are delivered over a six-month period, with specially recorded video podcast lectures and e-learning activities being supplemented by access to an extensive library of e-books and all of the online journal resources and databases enjoyed by our Durham-based MBA students.
All core modules on the Global MBA programme, and the vast majority of electives, make extensive use of ‘live’ online seminars to enhance your learning experience. These seminars are facilitated by Durham faculty members and provide a unique opportunity for direct interaction with both your instructors and peers. Typically, seminars run on a monthly basis, with a choice of time-slots available to maximise access. The Global MBA is not about online delivery of modules per se – it has a strong philosophy of online teaching, with skilled instructors leading sessions who have a true passion for exploiting the medium and its at-times considerable advantages over more traditional learning methods.
A global social network
Here at Durham, we recognise that successful online delivery is not just about synchronous teaching and asynchronous provision of content. It also depends upon creating the conditions necessary for fostering a community of online learners enjoying a full cohort experience.
Global MBA modules provide all students with subject-specific Personal Tutors, facilitating virtual team-working activities and providing one-to-one academic support. Many of our Personal Tutors make increasing use of more ubiquitous social networking platforms to enhance these activities, from social networks such as Google+ to micro-blogging tools such as Twitter.
If DUO is your virtual classroom and administrative support office, the very latest social networking tools are used to replicate the more social spaces of the traditional university campus. Our Induction programme therefore offers all new Global MBA students training in the use of these emergent technologies, equipping you with the tools needed to interact with both faculty and peers wherever they may be based in the world.
