Â鶹´«Ã½

STUDY

Postgraduate

Suffolk Executive MBA (SEMBA)

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Institution code: S82
UCAS code: N/A
Start date: September and January
Duration: One year full-time, two and a half years part-time
Location: Ipswich
Typical Offer: Students will be required to have at least three years relevant work experience
Institution code: S82
UCAS code: N/A
Start date: September and January
Duration: One year full-time, two and a half years part-time
Location: Ipswich
Typical Offer: Students will be required to have at least three years relevant work experience

Closed to International applications for January 2025, please see next intake

Overview

The Suffolk Executive MBA here at the Â鶹´«Ã½ offers business knowledge at a senior level of management and advances leadership skills. Undertaking this qualification demonstrates determination to succeed in your chosen career and achieve your potential. With its distinctive nature the course aims to develop analytical and strategic management skills using concepts derived from a wide range of academic disciplines. With its flexible and practical nature, the Suffolk Executive MBA is designed to fit in with existing career commitments, offering flexibility for managers and senior leaders across several different industries and sectors who are wanting to boost their career prospects whilst continuing to work.

Students will be involved in live management issues through various projects and assessments, developing leadership and management skills, and undertaking both group-based and individual work. The blended approach to the Suffolk Executive MBA combines a multitude of different traditional classroom learning supported by additional forms of online learning and a Postgraduate Workshop Series. The Postgraduate Workshop Series aims to address a wide range of current management issues and offers an opportunity to discuss these themes with academics and practitioners. 

Through our accreditation scheme, and upon successful completion of modules on the Suffolk Executive MBA programme, students will be eligible to apply for the ILM Level 7 Diploma in Leadership and Management and CMI L7 Strategic Management and Leadership Practice.  Further information about the University's relationship with the ILM and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is available in the PSRB register. 

Specialisms

  • Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Integrated Care

Please speak to the programme leader Dr Ross Kemble (R.Kemble@uos.ac.uk) to discuss options.

Critique
Many MBA degrees offered elsewhere are principally formulaic how-to courses.  With us, however, we actively encourage students to fundamentally question generally-accepted management and leadership wisdom by drawing upon the full range of social scientific knowledge. Not only does this develop a more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of the complex nature of organisations and their functioning, but it develops the transferable skills of evaluation and analysis required of senior management.

Practice-based learning
Students will be involved in live management issues through various projects and assessments, developing leadership and management skills, and undertaking both group-based and individual work. Students are also invited to guest lectures by practising managers, each of whom has extensive experience in their particular field.

The Â鶹´«Ã½ is world-class and committed to our region. We are proudly modern and innovative and we believe in transformative education. We are on the rise with a focus on student satisfaction, graduate prospects, spending on academic services and student facilities.

2nd

in the East of England for graduate prospects

(The Complete University Guide 2024)

6th

in the UK for spend on academic services

(The Complete University Guide 2024)

11th

in the UK for social inclusion

(The Good University Guide 2023)

Course Modules

You can take your own pace through the programme by choosing to do fewer modules in a year. You can also opt to take just one module as part of a Continuing Professional Development programme. On passing, this will give you 20 Masters Level credits, which may be used to build up a Masters qualification.

Full-time students generally complete the course over one calendar year, with attendance, typically, on evening basis 5pm-8:30pm, one day per week with one Saturday 10am – 4pm a month. Part-time students take between two and four years to complete the degree.

Downloadable information regarding all Â鶹´«Ã½ courses is available in the Definitive Course Record.    

Interior walls in The Atrium

This module provides an appreciation of a wide range of financial issues as they impact on the business world. It also evaluates the nature of the corporation and its governance from a financial perspective. It concentrates on the basic analysis of financial statements, financial tools and techniques before progressing to a more strategic perspective. It encourages students to see the financial implications of the decision-making process.

This module aims to develop a critical understanding of organisational strategy, and to apply this to different contexts, including commercial and not-for-profit organisations of various sizes. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving, drawing on skills developed in other modules. The content will cover contextual analysis, culture and stakeholder analysis, approaches to organisational change management, and methods of implementing and evaluating change interventions. The module encourages students to develop their own intellectual framework of values, attitudes and practice in relation to managing change.

Marketing is fundamental to profitable business operations, achieved through strategic analysis, strategy formulation, strategic implementation and control. It is largely responsible for delivering core corporate objectives by offering value propositions to targeted customer segments, helping to sustain competitive advantage in the longer term. It is desirable for the contemporary MBA programme to contain a designated marketing module, which demonstrates a customer-facing approach, integrated across and throughout a business organisation. As a set of principles and practices, marketing also has relevance to public sector and other not-for-profit sectors.

This module explores leadership and management in organisations. Over the course of this module we will consider the complex relationships between personal, structural and environmental factors as they affect the operation and success of organizations.  The module introduces the study of organisations and their evolution. In particular it focuses on: Managing people; Managing technology; Managing responsibility. Rather than study each in isolation, in bringing together these key components of organisation strategy, this module reflects the reality of addressing the interests of multiple stakeholders simultaneously. Where appropriate, students are encouraged to reflect on the content of this module in their place of work.

For more than a decade, the requirement for change in health and care has coalesced around the concept of Health and Social Care Integration, recently mandated through the implementation of Integrated Care Systems.  It is well-rehearsed argument that leadership is one of the most influential factors in shaping (and changing) organisational culture and in delivering health and care service improvement, greater staff well-being, and increasing quality of care. It is also recognised that the new Integrated Care Systems need leaders who can motivate staff and managers to work differently across service and organisation boundaries. This module will equip leaders to ‘lead differently’ and will explore international, national and local models of integrated care, the evidence underpinning integration, the role of data and digital integration, organisational cultures and behaviours, transformational management and leadership as well as the future of the integration workforce.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the wide variety of approaches and techniques of quantitative and qualitative research and to equip students with the skills required to collect, collate, analyse, present and interpret data. It also aims to provide a firm foundation for the dissertation. The content will cover the context of qualitative research, data collection techniques, qualitative data analysis techniques, statistical analysis or relationships and trends, sampling, and exploratory and descriptive research.

Information is the lifeblood of business. Companies that manage information effectively can improve efficiency, be more responsive to market opportunities, achieve competitive advantage and operate more sustainable.  As businesses drive towards sustainable strategies, they are looking for better information to guide decisions.  This will enable companies to more effectively identify which actions are achieving their goals, detect risk or opportunity early, evaluate possible outcomes, allocate resources to achieve greatest returns, and measure the true impact of products.

The Management Project provides students with an opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of independent research in an area of particular interest and to allow students to demonstrate their understanding of research methods and their application. It also provides an opportunity for students to relate their learning in taught modules to the analysis of a problem relevant to their Master's programme.  On completion of the management project, students will have designed an appropriate and feasible research plan, developed appropriate research instruments, written a dissertation and undertaken a Viva of their project.

Course Modules 2024

You can take your own pace through the programme by choosing to do fewer modules in a year. You can also opt to take just one module as part of a Continuing Professional Development programme. On passing, this will give you 20 Masters Level credits, which may be used to build up a Masters qualification.

Full-time students generally complete the course over one calendar year, with attendance, typically, on evening basis 5pm-8:30pm, one day per week with one Saturday 10am – 4pm a month. Part-time students take between two and four years to complete the degree.

Downloadable information regarding all Â鶹´«Ã½ courses is available in the Definitive Course Record.

Interior walls in The Atrium

This module provides an appreciation of a wide range of financial issues as they impact on the business world. It also evaluates the nature of the corporation and its governance from a financial perspective. It concentrates on the basic analysis of financial statements, financial tools and techniques before progressing to a more strategic perspective. It encourages students to see the financial implications of the decision-making process.

This module aims to develop a critical understanding of organisational strategy, and to apply this to different contexts, including commercial and not-for-profit organisations of various sizes. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving, drawing on skills developed in other modules. The content will cover contextual analysis, culture and stakeholder analysis, approaches to organisational change management, and methods of implementing and evaluating change interventions. The module encourages students to develop their own intellectual framework of values, attitudes and practice in relation to managing change.

Marketing is fundamental to profitable business operations, achieved through strategic analysis, strategy formulation, strategic implementation and control. It is largely responsible for delivering core corporate objectives by offering value propositions to targeted customer segments, helping to sustain competitive advantage in the longer term. It is desirable for the contemporary MBA programme to contain a designated marketing module, which demonstrates a customer-facing approach, integrated across and throughout a business organisation. As a set of principles and practices, marketing also has relevance to public sector and other not-for-profit sectors.

This module explores leadership and management in organisations. Over the course of this module we will consider the complex relationships between personal, structural and environmental factors as they affect the operation and success of organizations.  The module introduces the study of organisations and their evolution. In particular it focuses on: Managing people; Managing technology; Managing responsibility. Rather than study each in isolation, in bringing together these key components of organisation strategy, this module reflects the reality of addressing the interests of multiple stakeholders simultaneously. Where appropriate, students are encouraged to reflect on the content of this module in their place of work.

For more than a decade, the requirement for change in health and care has coalesced around the concept of Health and Social Care Integration, recently mandated through the implementation of Integrated Care Systems.  It is well-rehearsed argument that leadership is one of the most influential factors in shaping (and changing) organisational culture and in delivering health and care service improvement, greater staff well-being, and increasing quality of care. It is also recognised that the new Integrated Care Systems need leaders who can motivate staff and managers to work differently across service and organisation boundaries. This module will equip leaders to ‘lead differently’ and will explore international, national and local models of integrated care, the evidence underpinning integration, the role of data and digital integration, organisational cultures and behaviours, transformational management and leadership as well as the future of the integration workforce.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the wide variety of approaches and techniques of quantitative and qualitative research and to equip students with the skills required to collect, collate, analyse, present and interpret data. It also aims to provide a firm foundation for the dissertation. The content will cover the context of qualitative research, data collection techniques, qualitative data analysis techniques, statistical analysis or relationships and trends, sampling, and exploratory and descriptive research.

Information is the lifeblood of business. Companies that manage information effectively can improve efficiency, be more responsive to market opportunities, achieve competitive advantage and operate more sustainable.  As businesses drive towards sustainable strategies, they are looking for better information to guide decisions.  This will enable companies to more effectively identify which actions are achieving their goals, detect risk or opportunity early, evaluate possible outcomes, allocate resources to achieve greatest returns, and measure the true impact of products.

The Management Project provides students with an opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of independent research in an area of particular interest and to allow students to demonstrate their understanding of research methods and their application. It also provides an opportunity for students to relate their learning in taught modules to the analysis of a problem relevant to their Master's programme.  On completion of the management project, students will have designed an appropriate and feasible research plan, developed appropriate research instruments, written a dissertation and undertaken a Viva of their project.

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WHY SUFFOLK

2nd in the UK for Career Prospects

3rd in the UK for spend on academic services

4th in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction

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Welcome to Business
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Business students
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Virtual Tour: University Campus

Entry Requirements

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Career Opportunities

An MBA (Master of Business Administration) can open up a wide range of career opportunities and provide individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in various fields of business. It's important to note that the specific career opportunities and destinations can vary based on individual interests and market trends. Some career paths are listed below:

  • Entrepreneur
  • Strategic Marketing Manager
  • Human Resources Director
  • Supply Chain Manager
  • Business Development Manager
  • Market Analyst
  • Corporate Sustainability Manager
  • Leadership and Management Consultant

The Careers team offer confidential advice in 1-2-1 career coaching sessions to help you with your career decisions, mock interviews to ready yourself for challenging recruitment rounds and provide the opportunity for you to realise your full potential as one of tomorrow’s business leaders.

Your Course Team

Dr Ross Kemble

Ross has been at the Â鶹´«Ã½ for the past 3 years as the Suffolk Executive MBA (SEMBA) Programme Leader.

Ross Kemble staff profile photo

Dr Fran Hyde

Fran joined the Â鶹´«Ã½ in 2018, she is now Interim Dean for the London Centre and Associate Professor in Marketing.

Fran Hyde staff profile photo

Dr Tom Vine

Tom was recruited by Suffolk Business School in January 2012. He currently leads the Suffolk Business School Doctoral Programme.

Tom Vine staff profile photo

Dr Will Thomas

Will is Associate Dean for Learning, Teaching, and Student Experience, as well as Head of Business.

Will Thomas staff profile photo

Robert Price

Robert Price is Associate Professor specialising in organisational change management and leadership. He also helps the Business School's CPD programmes.

Robert Price 1

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Tuition Fee

£14,040

per year
UK Part-time Tuition Fee

£1,560

per 20 credit module. Please contact Student Centre for further details
International Full-time Tuition Fee

£17,100

per year

For International part-time study, the cost for 2024/25 is £1,900 per 20 credits

Further Information

Postgraduate Loans are available for this course, we also offer Â鶹´«Ã½ Alumni a 25% reduction on fees, find out more below.

Postgraduate Funding Alumni Loyalty Scheme International Students

How to apply

Applying for a postgraduate programme is simple, you can apply using the link below. You can also find out more about what to include on your application and how to contact us for support during the process on the Postgraduate Study link.

Postgraduate Study
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Jerusha David, Suffolk Executive MBA (SEMBA) Student

"Right from the agent in Malaysia to every person from the University I directly dealt with, I experienced nothing less than the best transitioning from one country to another."

read more
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