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MBA - Executive MBA

The Executive MBA qualification has been designed for candidates desiring to become effective, responsible business leaders in an increasingly global, complex and technology-driven world.

This course is not for people who like to sit still. It is fast-moving, interactive and you will be challenged throughout to raise your business, management and leadership expertise.

You will explore what it means to develop a leadership mentality as well as explore leadership and management theories. Your leadership thinking will be challenged, you will engage with real businesses and develop purposeful, strategic leadership and business management thinking and skills.

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Course Overview

The Executive MBA offers a mix of on-campus learning and blended online delivery, and is designed to engage learners in highly interactive group dynamic learning as well as in thorough academic inquiry. The outlook of the content is global, and is designed against an array of global leadership thinking yet offers a strong focus on local / regional realities. You will examine a wide range of scenarios and case studies and examine and reflect on and analyse your organisational and sector context. This will link to regular work based learning and self-directed study.

The programme encourages a high degree of critical thinking and inquiry as well as the freedom to question theories and concepts presented. Modules are designed to create a mix of fast-paced interactive learning in groups, as well as more reflective, methodological learning to equip learners with the leadership and management tools they need to grow in their ability to impact their business environment effectively as well as and pursue personal growth.

The University of Cumbria has strong partnerships with industry, and these links have informed and strengthened the course content and ensured its relevance and currency.

On this course you will...

Develop critical reflection skills and engagement with organisational and professional theory to understand, and where appropriate, challenge existing individual and organisational perspectives and practice.
Develop, and where appropriate, apply innovation, entrepreneurial and design thinking.
Analyse and use data and current technologies to support leadership decisions and organisational improvement, change and business continuity.
Identify, develop and implement solutions to current issues such as the growing need to better manage supply chain as well as create more effective talent acquisition and retention solutions.
Develop particular expertise and understanding in the fields of global yet locally applied leadership.
Engage in individual research and demonstrate the ability to understand and apply management theory.

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Key Details

Recruiting toUK / RoI / Settled in UK
Course LocationLancaster
Online
Institute Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership
Mode of DeliveryBlended Learning
Course Duration Part-time: 18 Months
Course Start PointApril
September
AwardMBA
More informationProgramme Specification
Prospectus
Open DaysLancaster
All

Minimum entry requirements

Refer to entry requirements below.

UK Tuition fees

£13,640

Entry for academic year 2026/27

Tuition Fees Policy

Course Structure

What you will learn

You will learn how to lead a business or organisation from concept through to growth and impact.

You will acquire global leadership qualities and skills while learning how to use, implement and transform your local realities.

You will be encouraged to develop into an agile, well rounded and outward-looking business leader and manager with a high concern for customers and colleagues, capable of taking responsibility for yourself, your teams, your areas of responsibility within your organisation.

Across the leadership journey on this programme, candidates will engage with current, live business challenges presented to them from within the regional context as well as from further afield.

The programme is modular in that each module while in content stands alone, leads on to the next.

Modules

LEAD | Purposeful Leadership
Enables you to gain insight into different views on leadership, define your own leadership development goals. This module introduces leaders to their own leadership and helps them develop their individual leadership development plan.
INNOVATE | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Innovation
This module opens up the concepts of entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship and the strategic planning process needed to move from an idea to a value-generating product or service.
COLLABORATE | Influential Leadership
Explore and critically assess the need for collaboration as part of leadership and management roles. The module creates opportunity for candidates to deepen their understanding of leading cross-cultural and diverse teams.
DELIVER | Performance Leadership
Talent, performance and supply chain management are at the heart of this module as avenues to help you as a leader and your organisation deliver on your business goals.
EXPAND | Data-driven Leadership
Explore how data impacts leadership decisions as well as how to use data-visualisation and storytelling to communicate strategic thinking and bring stakeholders along in the decision-making process.
IMPACT | The Leader as coach and consultant, change catalyst
This module offers learners the opportunity to apply their learning by working with other leaders on their leadership decisions and their business challenges. Learners will explore the concepts of coaching, mentoring and consultancy and acquire knowledge and skills to bring about effective change.

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

Much of the learning and development in this programme is designed to encourage you to become an independent learner and critical thinker. It is designed to encourage a high-level of participation. The main emphasis on the programme is one of strong practical and professional orientation with your work developed and enhanced through interactive block teaching sessions (face-to-face) learning experiences. Students following this programme will normally have had at least two years’ postgraduate experience, and this programme will build on your combined prior knowledge as well as skills gained within a wider organisational and contextual framework. Because of the projected extensive experience of the students on this programme, peer-to-peer learning and coaching is very much encouraged across the programme. The establishment of learning sets within modules is instrumental in driving through the concept of the reflective practitioner, and is designed to encourage you to interact with other participants, both formally and informally, in seeking best practice and challenging existing practices.The programme provides you with a wide variety of learning and teaching methods. Particular care has been taken to ensure that modules utilise complementary teaching and learning approaches so that students experience a good balance of activities. These activities are informed by QAA Benchmarks and include:

Group discussion, opportunity for personal reflection and the availability of leadership coaching
Modules will see external partners present real-life business issues which learners will engage with and provide suggested solutions for. This type of engagement is highly effective as it takes learning outside of theory into real case scenarios and expects students to engage deeply and with external feedback. This then creates an additional learning loop to strengthen and further grow skills, understanding and learning experience.
Seminar activities and online work in learning sets which require students to discuss their own/organisational practices
Research activities
Self-directed study with peer groups, plus individual reflection and small-group work. The above is all designed to facilitate the deeper exploration of problems/issue(s) within an organisational context not only in terms of the module associated with it, but also with a view to constructing a research plan/proposal which will ultimately form the basis of the final dissertation

How you will be assessed

Assessments are set in a combination of written and verbal assessments, including client interaction. The course concludes with a thesis. You then have the option to progress on to the DBA.

Formative Assessment

Assessment is focussed on providing opportunities for both formative and summative assessment. Formative assessment is continuous and on-going via in class and online discussions, and tutorials. Tutors comment on ideas expressed, give feedback on the direction of thediscussion, and recommend courses of action/lines of thought that might be taken.In addition we look to build a safe and trusted environment for peer feedback and coaching.

Summative Assessment

Summative assessments are provided both as group and individual assignments and are based on analysis and critical evaluation of existing case-study material as well as real-life case studies provided by external businesses to facilitate the real-world application of knowledge and integration of the often considerable expected experience of the students as well as theoretical material.

The assessments are wide ranging, authentic assessments, with a variety of work relevant activities.These include:

• Investment Pitch

• Business Plan

• Video Blog

• Designing a Lecture

• Creating Learning Materials

• Financial Analysis & Investment report

• Consultancy Report

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

UK Tuition fees

£13,640
Entry for academic year 2026/27

International Tuition fees

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs.

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

Funding

Overseas and EU fees are charged at a higher rate; for more details please contact international.admissions@cumbria.ac.uk

Note: fees exclude travel, meals and accommodation.

More Information

We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries, grants and funds available to support you throughout your studies with us. This includes the Cumbria Bursary - a non-repayable bursary designed to support first year students with a household income of less than £25,000..

Student Finance

Additional Costs

Stationery, printing and digital storage

Approximately £30 to £40 per year

RequiredPer yearStationery

You should budget for stationery and consumables for personal use. These may include notebooks, pens and pencils, digital storage devices, printing and photocopying. The amount you spend will depend on your study preferences.

Books and journals

Approximately £50 to £300 over the course of your studies

OptionalThroughout the courseBooks and journals

Most core textbooks and journals are available through the University library. You may choose to purchase personal copies of books or other resources used to support your studies.

Some courses recommend particular books or provide an estimated annual budget for purchasing personal copies. Search for your course below for details.

Technology requirements

Cost depends on the equipment and internet service you choose

RequiredThroughout the courseDigital learning and IT

You will need regular access to a laptop or computer capable of accessing the internet and running software such as a word processor and Microsoft Teams. Microsoft 365 is provided as part of your studies. You will also need a reliable internet connection. The amount you spend will depend on the equipment and internet service you choose.

Information on borrowing university laptops

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Location
Lancaster Campus
Lancaster is the Red Rose heartland, a student haven full of history and culture. With iconic stone architecture, parkland, and a caring community, this is the place to get involved. The campus houses top-quality facilities tailored to the needs of life-savers, world changers, and future leaders.
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Location
Online Learning
Online learning at the University of Cumbria is an interactive experience that makes use of a range of technologies and media types to provide a rich learning environment.
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MBA - Executive MBA