Alliance Manchester Business School - AMBS

The Manchester Global Part-time MBA

An international programme designed for ambitious professionals, our Global Part-time MBA helps you excel in your career, while balancing work and personal commitments.

Top-rated
Financial Times logo

We're ranked 5th in the UK in the Financial Times Global MBA Rankings 2024.

Enhance your leadership skills with practical, real-world applications, and gain invaluable insights from our world-renowned faculty. Join a network of global business leaders and take your career to the next level with us.

Fees
£32,000 or £29,500 for Finance Accelerated pathway
Duration
24 months or 18 months for Finance Accelerated pathway
Location
Workshops in Manchester, Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and online
Start dates
January & July

Pre-registration

Prepare to start your Global Part-time MBA.

Manchester MBA Preparation Course (Online)

Once you've been offered a place on our MBA programme and paid a reservation fee, you can take our Manchester MBA Preparation course.

This online course helps you understand what it's like to study at Manchester, how to go about writing academic assignments and most importantly, what 'Learning by Doing' really means.

You'll have the opportunity to:

  • Rediscover key study skills
  • Undertake Business Essentials courses in Marketing and Operations Management
  • Meet the teams that will be supporting you.

The course takes around 15 hours in total and you can complete it at your own pace. There are lots of opportunities to apply your skills and new knowledge throughout.

Core courses

You'll complete six core courses as part of your Global MBA. The courses are designed to give you well-rounded experience across critical business functions.

Leading Global Transitions

Contemporary businesses face two major transition challenges:

  1. To re-evaluate the purpose of the firm in the 21st century and transition to a stakeholder value-driven firm
  2. How to redesign the business model in global transition to a net zero economy.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) is the formal tool that companies use to manage these two transitions. In this course, we cover why these two major transitions are happening by covering concepts and analytical tools such as:

  • Financialisation
  • Shareholder value maximisation
  • Corporate governance
  • Firm purpose.

Then we analyse the rise of ESG as a mechanism for firms to achieve social and environmental responsibility, and to transition to a net zero economy.

Leading People and Organisations

In this core course, you'll examine the field of organisational behaviour, evaluating questions such as:

  • Why have contemporary management practices and organisational forms been adopted?
  • What is their effect on people's behaviour?

You'll learn how to respond to contemporary management and organisational challenges, by applying the latest research, ideas, frameworks and practical case studies.

Operationalising and Communicating Value

This course is delivered through a 4-day workshop and online learning. It will provide you with key knowledge about operations management and marketing.

We'll encourage you to consider the interactions and potential tensions between these areas, and to critically evaluate the application of theory to real-life contexts. You'll also work in multinational groups to develop solutions to marketing and operations management challenges.

Business Accounting and Finance

This course is delivered through:

  • A 3-day workshop
  • A 1-hour virtual presentation
  • Online learning.

The course will introduce you to the two main areas of accounting:

  • Financial accounting
  • Management accounting.

We'll introduce you to the content, role and usefulness of financial reports. You'll then learn how to interpret, analyse and understand financial information. Alongside this, you'll develop an understanding of the theories, techniques and practices of management and cost accounting.

You'll also explore the design of management accounting and control systems.

Strategy and Competition

This course is delivered through two parts:

  • Part A: a 2-day workshop, three 3-hour virtual workshops and online learning
  • Part B: a 4-day workshop and online learning.

This interdisciplinary course will help you develop a cutting-edge approach to strategy and competition that is fit for purpose in today's changing business environment. You'll explore key areas of interest, such as:

  • Competition
  • Global instability
  • The sharing economy
  • Technology disruption
  • Traditional, dominant schools of thought.

The course will blend theory and practice, with an emphasis on teamwork and real-time case analysis.

Developing Managerial and Career Success

The underlying theme of this module is that to manage others, you must be able to manage yourself. The module therefore focuses on 'you' and how you define, develop and maintain both managerial and career success.

The module starts with providing a fundamental assessment of what managerial and career successes are and the factors that shape them. It then examines your ability to engage in self-control and self-regulation of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Key topics include:

  • Developing a positive reputation
  • Using influence strategies
  • Building strong working relationships.

The module also covers:

  • Career development
  • Providing insights into different career paths
  • Strategies for resilience and adaptability
  • Addressing specific issues such as the role of gender
  • How to effectively plan for global career paths.

Applied learning

Alongside your core courses, you'll take part in a business project. You'll work under realistic working conditions, and get live client experience to develop your knowledge and skills in a number of key areas. 

Live Business Project

The live business project gives you the flexibility to explore an entrepreneurial venture in a sector of your choice, or to tackle a business issue that is critical to your organisation.

The skills learned in the course will help you stand out and deliver real value in the workplace. It's an opportunity to try something you've always wanted to do while gaining invaluable, practical business experience to enrich your CV.

Example business projects include:

  • Rediscovering Kellogg Nutri-Grain Bar's Competitive Mojo
  • A study into the effectiveness of the Corporate Parent in delivering value to stakeholders
  • The lean startup: 'Fit-for-life'
  • The effects of earned media on brand preference, purchase intention and sales performance: a study on infant formula brands
  • Segmenting and targeting Chinese e-lock consumers
  • Identifying and quantifying the critical success factors for taxi-hailing mobile apps
  • Helping Salesforce.com support the re-integration of unemployed job-seekers into the labour market
  • A study of non-household consumer switching in England's water market.

Tailor your journey

You can customise your MBA to suit you - with options to choose some of your courses and get involved with extra-curricular activities.

Electives (credit bearing)

You can choose three electives. Each elective is delivered through a 3-day workshop (minimum) and online learning.

Electives are your chance to customise the MBA to suit your personal goals and interests. Our electives span many popular fields of expertise including:

  • Entrepreneurship and innovation
  • Finance
  • HR management
  • Leadership and management practice
  • Marketing
  • Projects and technology.

Elective courses vary in length and availability. Some electives are only delivered once per year, which may affect the options available to you.

We deliver electives across our global centres in Dubai, Hong Kong, Manchester, Shanghai and Singapore. If you choose to study overseas, you'll benefit from the opportunity to widen your international network and sharpen your knowledge of the global business environment.

GMBA+ (non-credit bearing)

MBA+ is a suite of added value extra-curricular experiences that will help you define your goals, enhance your interpersonal skills, build your corporate connections and raise your profile across the world.

Running in parallel with the academic programme, MBA activities are not credit bearing. They're designed to give you targeted support and motivation to help you through the MBA and beyond, with unrivalled opportunities to connect and grow.

You'll have the opportunity to take part in the following activities:

  • Networking events
  • Online careers seminars
  • Employability sessions
  • Careers guidance
  • Alumni socials
  • Alumni speaker events
  • Alumni groups, and more.

Blended learning

Study in a way that suits your lifestyle and learning style. We teach our Global MBA through a combination of highly-participative online learning and workshop residentials to fit around your work and home commitments.

Global workshop residentials

Most courses include an intensive, three-day workshop residential. Global MBA workshops are a chance to:

  • Immerse yourself in your studies, away from the distractions of daily life
  • Focus on what you want to achieve
  • Build a strong, supportive cohort
  • Experience a challenging mix of experiential learning from renowned business experts and practitioners
  • Participate in group work focusing on real business problems
  • Network, socialise and make connections that could transform your career.

You can also flex your workshops to include more online or face-to-face learning to suit your commitments.

In the first year of the course, you'll attend four core workshop residentials in Manchester, Dubai and Hong Kong. You can then choose your own electives at any of our global centres for the remainder of the course.

50% of students typically attend a workshop overseas during the programme.

Global MBA workshop schedule

Workshop dates for January 2025 intake

Year one (12 months) Year two (12 months)
Location: Manchester Location: Multiple
8 - 10 January 2025: 3 days January 2026: 4 days in Manchester
9 - 14 April 2025: 6 days April 2026: 6 days in any global centre
September 2025: 6 days September 2026: 3 days in any global centre

Global MBA (Finance Accelerated) workshop schedule

Workshop dates for January 2025 intake

Year one (12 months) Month 13-18
Location: Manchester Location: Multiple
8 - 10 January 2025: 3 days January 2026: 4 days in Manchester
9 - 14 April 2025: 6 days April 2026: 3 days in any global centre
September 2025: 6 days

Specific workshop dates for September 2025 onwards will be added to this page when confirmed.

Online learning

Our online teaching, learning and student support includes:

  • Dedicated online learning and support hub
  • Live online lectures and virtual workshops to support face-to-face workshops
  • Virtual office hours with world-leading academics
  • Online student surgeries
  • Digital library
  • Discussion forums
  • Pre-sessional study skills and foundational review courses
  • Virtual guest speakers and networking opportunities.
Global experience

Top organisations want global executives with local knowledge. You need to thrive in a multi-cultural environment and manage across boundaries. The Manchester Global MBA offers a particularly international experience. You'll get to:

  • Learn alongside high-achieving executives from 90 countries and diverse professional backgrounds
  • Make new contacts from across the globe who could be indispensable to your future business career
  • Experience new perspectives and business opportunities
  • Learn how to communicate and negotiate effectively with people from other cultures
  • Join our Alliance MBS network of 63,000 alumni from 177 countries - lifetime access to some of the world's brightest business minds.
Global consistency

Wherever you choose to attend workshops, you will receive the same world-class teaching. Our internationally-renowned academics travel the world to teach at our global centres.

If your career takes you overseas, you can continue your MBA without interruption by taking workshops at a different centre.

Course Timeline

Global MBA (24 month course Jan & July start dates)

View a PDF of our course timelines >>

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Year 1

Jan-Mar

Apr-June

Jul-Sep

Oct-Dec

Year 2

Jan-Mar

Apr-Jun

Jul-Sep

Oct-Dec

Prep course

This online course will prepare you for studying The Manchester MBA.

Core courses (a)

You will study:

  • Leading Global Transitions
  • Leading People and Organisations
  • Strategy and Competition
  • Operationalising and Communicating Value
  • Business Accounting and Finance

Core courses (b)

You will study:

  • Developing Managerial and Career Success

Electives

You will study 3 electives as part of the programme

  • Electives are delivered through a 3-day workshop (minimum) and online learning
  • Customise the MBA to suit your personal goals and interests

Live business project

The live business project will enable you to

Explore an entrepreneurial venture in a sector of your choice

OR

Tackle a business issue critical to your organisation

MBA+

You'll have the opportunity to take part in the following activities:

  • Networking events
  • Careers seminars
  • Employability sessions
  • Careers guidance
  • Alumni socials and events

3 days

  • Leading Global Transitions - 3 days

6 days

  • Strategy and Competition Part A – 2 days
  • Operationalising and Communicating Value – 4 days

6 days

  • Leading People and Organisations – 3 days
  • Business, Accounting and Finance – 3 days

4 days

  • Strategy and Competition Part B – 4 days

6 days

  • Electives 1 and 2 – 6 days

3 days

  • Elective 3 – 3 days

1 day

  • Strategy and Competition Part A – 1 day

1 day

  • Business, Accounting and Finance – 1 virtual day equivalent, spread over 3 three-hour long sessions, over a 3 week period

3 day

  • Developing Managerial and Career Success – 3 days

3 day

  • Developing Managerial and Career Success – 3 days
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Our Part-time Global MBA equips you with a global perspective and the strategic skills essential for leading in today’s dynamic business environment.

Xavier Duran , Global MBA Director

A thriving, supportive global community

Our curriculum is rooted in real-world issues, ensuring you develop the strategic mindset and leadership skills needed to excel in today’s global market. Immediate application of your learning to your current role helps you stay ahead.

You'll also benefit from our dedicated career services and a global network of peers, alumni, and industry leaders. Join a community that drives innovation and succeeds on the world stage.

Class age range: 26-62

Average years of experience: 12

43 nationalities

43% female students

Alex Hall

My reason for choosing Alliance Manchester Business School is because the school and the programme itself rate highly in the rankings. I also like the idea of having options to study in different centres around the world and work with people from different backgrounds and cultures while at workshops in Manchester.

Alex Hall , Global MBA Class of 2023, Finance Director, Boughey Distribution Ltd.
Joe Copp

I reached a stage in my career where I wanted to explore other roles and sectors that I hadn’t previously been exposed to, and the range of modules that the Manchester Global MBA programme offered really appealed to me.

Joe Copp, , Global MBA Class of 2019, Freelance Management Consultant and Published Author

We are a triple accredited school

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Association of MBAs logo
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business logo

We're well connected

Take advantage of our global network. Learn and network with senior Global MBA candidates from all over the world, no matter where you're based.

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