MBA information

Rhodes Business School Mini Brochure

The Rhodes Business School MBA is a part time, modular programme over two and half years, in terms of which students are required to attend 3 x two-week teaching blocks per year for the first two years, in Grahamstown. the last six months is dedicated to a research dissertation. It is designed to equip practising and potential managers to assist in the creation, development and leadership of successful organisations in a competitive business environment.

To this end, the Rhodes Business School MBA has been designed around what managers need to know in order to ensure that they are able to contribute to the achievement of superior business results in the organisations for which they work. In addition, the Rhodes Business School MBA curriculum has been benchmarked against the curricula of other leading Business Schools. It is also important to note that the Rhodes MBA is fully accredited by the Council on Higher Education.

To focus on equipping its graduates with the knowledge and skills to pursue managerial and organisational excellence, the Rhodes Business School MBA programme is based on the following principles:

• It is primarily a general MBA aiming to provide an integrated, conceptual and theoretical framework within which to understand generic areas of business and management. It is possible, however, to take up to four elective courses in Environmental Management
• It assumes no prior depth of knowledge of business, economics and/or accounting. It is an academic conversion programme, where graduates with first degrees in a diversity of subjects can attain professional knowledge of business and management
• It aims to enhance previous management-related work experience by helping students to evaluate their practical business experience from a more professional, academic and research perspective
• Where appropriate, it uses a case study-based teaching methodology incorporating South African case studies where they are available

The benefits - individual

• The short, intensive teaching blocks facilitate the speedy transfer of new learning and skills into the workplace
• The assessment process facilitates the continuous application and development of learning in the work environment
• Long absences from work are not needed. This minimises disruption both to your career development and your work responsibilities
• The programme is built on two-week teaching blocks which can be planned well in advance
• The periods of intensive study away from the pressures of the workplace provide a demanding, rewarding and motivating experience
• The MBA class will be restricted to approximately 40 students providing the opportunity for a meaningful cross-fertilisation of ideas and experiences, and constructive debate both during and between teaching blocks
• Our entry requirements will mean that you will benefit from the experience of a motivated and mature peer group of students from diverse work and professional backgrounds
• The dissertation, which is supervised by a member of the Rhodes academic staff, provides the opportunity for you to capitalise on your learning from the course as a whole and to become an "expert" in a particular area.

The benefits - employer

• A tangible return for your employer is the opportunity for immediate, practical application of the knowledge and skills gained, as well as the introduction of new ideas into the organisation
• The combination of this transfer of knowledge, the work-based assignments and feedback from academic staff constitutes a type of cost effective management consultancy for the employer on the one hand, and a process of management development for you, the student, on the other
• Students are encouraged to select dissertation topics which have both academic merit and which are of value to the employer
• You will not be absent from the organisation for any lengthy period of time