take on the

World

www.astonmba.com

Why choose the Aston MBA?

One of the worlds leading MBA programmes with

Triple Accreditation from AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB - the three major international management education bodies. Less than 1% of Business Schools worldwide have Triple Accreditation. have jobs by the time they graduate.* post MBA.*

Excellent employment prospects - 89% of MBA students Salary increase - an average increase of 70% pre to Global network - students from over 20 countries and

Rankings
Financial Times
Top 100 Global MBA - 2009 Top 40 Distance-Learning MBA - 2009 Top 20 European Business School - 2008

more than 40% international teaching staff.

*2006/7 graduate cohort.

I chose Aston Business School because of its reputation for delivering a first class programme.
Rebecca Wassell - United Kingdom

Which MBA? Economist Intelligence Unit

Top 25 in Europe - 2008 1st for Student Diversity - 2008

Aston MBA 2008/9 Full-time class profile

Number of students: 83 Number of nationalities: 23 Average number of years work experience: 7 Average age: 29 Age range: 23 - 41 Student Nationality: Armenian, Belgian, British, Canadian, Cypriot, Chinese, German, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Kenyan, Korean, Kuwati, Nigerian, Omani, Pakistani, Portuguese, Russian, Saudi Arabian, Taiwanese, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese Degree taken: Business related (24%), Engineering (21%), Computing (13%), Economics (12%), Humanities (9%), Sciences (8%), Accounting/Finance (8%), Other (5%) Professional background: Sales/marketing (18%), Engineering (12%), Banking (12%), Finance (10%), IT (8%), Telecoms (6%), Government (6%), Accountancy (5%), Other (23%): includes HR, Hotel Management, Education, Medicine, Retail, Consultancy, Science, Property Services, Import/Export

Aston MBA 2007/8 Part-time/Distance-learning class profile

Number of students: 43 Number of nationalities: 6 Average number of years work experience: 9 Average age: 33 Age range: 24 - 51 Student Nationality: British, Australian, Cypriot, German, Ghanaian, Indian Degree taken: Sciences (30%), Business related (30%), Humanities (14%), Computing (7%), Accounting/Finance (7%), Other (12%) Professional background: Healthcare (16%), Construction (14%), Consultancy (12%), Manufacturing (9%), Transport (5%), Motor industry (5%), Pharmacy (5%), Education (5%), Other (29%): includes Engineering, Banking, Finance, Government, Accountancy, Retail, Property, Distribution, Housing, Tourism, Science

Aston MBA programmes

Full-time, part-time or by distance-learning
Flexible Learning
Full-time students can transfer from full-time to part-time/distance-learning routes during the year. Part-time and distance-learning students can move between these two programmes, take fewer modules or take breaks of up to two years.

Full-time MBA
One intake per year: mid-September. Taught over three terms and followed by a business project. Term One five core modules Term Two five core modules Term Three two elective modules followed by the project. This may vary depending upon elective modules chosen. Each module based on 100 learning hours of which 30-40 hours are classroom-based.

Part-time MBA
Three intakes per year: October, January and April. Taught over six terms (two years) followed by a project of up to six months duration. General study pattern is two modules per term for six terms. Each module involves three hours of study on campus each week, either during the day or in the evening. Students studying the usual two modules per term come onto campus twice a week. In addition, an average of nine hours per module of private study is required weekly.

Distance-learning MBA
Three intakes per year: October, January and April Students receive DVDs that contain a recording of the actual lectures delivered at Aston to on-campus students, plus PDF files of notes and handouts. All lectures are also downloadable from the student intranet. All students attend a weeks residential programme each year.

Entry requirements
One of the following:
a good UK honours degree an equivalent overseas degree recognised

by Aston University

a degree-level professional qualification

Plus
at least three years relevant post-gradua-

tion work experience by the time you start your MBA. This should involve a degree of supervision of staff, budget management and/or project management an official academic transcript of your grades (in English) two references usually at least one from an academic referee, the other from your current or previous employer Plus
a relevant English Language qualification

The Aston MBA increased my salary, gave me better opportunities and I made good friends as well. What more could you ask?
Kenji Kurose Japan

such as IELTS or TOEFL.

Up-to-date language requirements may be found at www.astonmba.com

MBA programme structure

Ten compulsory modules and two elective modules plus a consultancy project
Generalist MBA
Any two elective modules and a project in any subject.

Elective Modules Subject Streams

MBA e-Business Knowledge Management Electronic Business MBA Finance International Financial Management & Investment Business Performance, Planning & Control MBA International Business Any two from:
International Business International Marketing

MBA Marketing
Marketing Strategy International Marketing

Specialist MBA
Two elective modules from the six Subject Streams and a project in that subject area. Compulsory modules
Organisational Behaviour Operations Management Marketing Management Business Finance Accounting for Business Business, Ethics & Responsibility Innovation & Entrepreneurship Business Economics & Strategy Leadership Development Strategic Management

Management

MBA Leading People for Competitive Advantage Any two from:

Strategic HRM in a

Global Context

Organisational Learning Creative Decisions for

& Personal Development Effective Change

Management International Financial Management & Investment

MBA Strategic Management Any two from:

International Business Topics in Advanced Strategy Marketing Strategy

MBA Project
Students usually work with an organisation for 8-12 weeks as an unpaid consultant, producing a client report under the supervision of an Aston member of staff. Although they are supported by the Business School in sourcing their project, students need to contact and obtain agreement from the organisation they choose to work with. As a result of the project, students should be able to:
Apply theory and method

Recent MBA Projects include: Market Analysis for an Online Recruitment Business Mobile Telecoms Company Quality Planning and Preparation for a New Model Launch Major Car Manufacturer Managing change within a European company Major Steel Manufacturer Strategic Marketing Plan Public Sector Organisation A Review of Hedging Strategies International Airline A study of the impact of a positive culture on business performance Finance Group A Pricing Framework International Logistics Company

from their academic work to live managerial issues in real organisations. Define a problem, select appropriate methodologies, find and manage relevant data, plan a complex piece of work, make a critical analysis and present a well-structured, lucid report with productive conclusions. Commission and evaluate the research and reports that are vital tools for any senior manager.

Personal and professional development

The Aston MBA is about more than acquiring the most up-to-date business knowledge and techniques. Its an opportunity to invest in your own personal development and build skills that will be useful to you not only in getting your first job after graduation but in helping you to manage your career in the years that follow. To assist you in this we offer a range of support services for our MBA students.
MBA careers adviser
Available throughout the year to help with all aspects of your career management and offering one-to-one guidance and coaching on career planning, self assessment, application forms, CVs, interviews and employer research. We also have a dedicated section of the MBA website where employers are able to view the CVs of MBA graduates.

Career management skills programme

During your MBA, our professional development programme helps you to grow your talents in such areas as leadership, networking and negotiation. We organise an extensive range of activities for students throughout the year, with workshops on topics such as career planning and decision making, job search techniques, psychometric testing and written applications. Visiting speakers, consultants and past students are invited to deliver sessions based on their real world experiences.

MBA Alumni life beyond graduation

As an Aston MBA alumni you will have access to a dedicated MBA Alumni Officer. MBA alumni events offer a chance to network with fellow graduates from around the world, learn new skills, digest a new theory or simply listen to an expert in their field. The MBA Online Community enables you to maintain your network of contacts through a chat room facility, giving you the chance to keep abreast of business developments and debate them with fellow graduates around the world.

European careers resources

Aston Business School is a member of CARNET, an alliance of Careers Services in leading UK and European business schools that benefits all of our MBA students and graduates. In collaboration with other members of CARNET, we run an annual online recruitment fair for our MBA students where you can talk online to a variety of employers and apply for their vacancies.

The Aston MBA brought more working opportunities, better career development opportunities and had a dynamic, multinational working environment.
Julia Liu Jiangxia - China

Neal Strange
United Kingdom part-time MBA Having spent over seventeen years dealing with the challenges presented by the automotive industry I had reached the point where I needed a new personal challenge, something that would give me the stretch that I was looking for. An MBA - even though a daunting task seemed the most obvious choice. But how do you decide where and when? Todays business managers need to be ambitious, creative, challenging, flexible, innovative, strategic thinkers with internationally recognised qualifications. The Aston MBA met all those criteria but I had to consider all my other commitments. Astons structure gave flexibility in the course material, use of DVDs for distance-learning and the availability of course lecturers. This was key in ensuring I could maintain some form of work/life balance but still keep on track with my MBA. Would I recommend to others considering on embarking on an MBA to go for it? The answer is definitely yes. It is a life changing experience and the personal satisfaction of graduating is something that I will never forget.

Ravinol Chambers
Ireland full-time MBA Aston Business School emphasized the group-learning element of the MBA and this attracted me. I wanted to learn from others and also enjoy the MBA experience and the diversity of knowledge it would bring. All this along with the triple accreditation sealed the deal for me. The MBA has helped my career a lot. It has given me the confidence to start my own businesses by developing my ability and working knowledge in a wide variety of business related areas. I now feel better equipped and enthusiastic to deal with any task or challenge that comes my way and to seek out new challenges. I have found that it demonstrates to potential clients a personal commitment to the highest standards possible.

Donna Lam
Hong Kong full-time MBA The professors helped me understand so much about the business world, including the difference in cultures and countries. I learnt about leadership training and to understand the importance of team working as well as time management, collaboration and negotiating skills. I dont think we could have had the opportunities in the fierce business world to learn and develop as we did at Aston. The course was intensive but I enjoyed it very much. The MBA not only gave me business skills, it built up my confidence and self-motivation. It made me think much more broadly about everything around me, not just about business, but about people, the environment, social networking and personal skills.

Vivian Nwachukwu
Nigerian full-time MBA The experience and insights gained from working in syndicate groups with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures has enabled me to hone my interpersonal skills in an international setting. The lectures are such that you can relate sessions to real life situations. So I know Im gaining real practical knowledge that will be essential in the next stage of my career. Studying for an MBA is definitely an investment worth making, you start reaping the returns from day one.

Contact
MBA Office Aston Business School Aston University Aston Triangle Birmingham B4 7ET Tel: +44 (0)121 204 3100 Fax: +44 (0)121 204 3224 Email: mba@aston.ac.uk

www.astonmba.com