Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Subject and course type
- Business and Management
- Postgraduate
Boost your career in business with our AMBA-accredited Master of Business Administration (MBA). On this course, we blend academic excellence with real-world business challenges to inform tomorrow’s leaders. If you strive for business innovation and leadership transformation, an MBA might be the right path for you.
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Shape your future with Kingston University’s MBA
With an expert faculty and hands-on projects, you’ll gain the confidence to lead and innovate in your chosen field.
Discover a world of opportunity with our internationally accredited MBA. Designed for professionals, this course builds leadership skills, sharpens strategic thinking and enhances your ability to navigate global business challenges.
Whether you work for a large organisation or own your first start-up, a tailored MBA course will equip you with invaluable skills. High-quality, informed teaching will give you practical skills, help you make effective business decisions.
Join the academic community at Kingston Business School. We have a strong focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, including an incubation programme and co-working space.
Incorporating sustainability and ethical business practices, this course will prepare you to think creatively and find solutions to real-life business challenges.
Before joining the MBA at Kingston, I had never considered opening my own business. But now I have adopted an entrepreneurial mindset, which has led me to launching my own consultancy company. One of the most useful elements of the course was being able to base the assignments through the lens of your own business. This has helped me develop key skills within risk analysis, time management, marketing, leadership and strategic planning.
Why choose this course
We are committed to advancing your professional growth and equipping you with the tools to thrive in the dynamic world of business. Kingston Business School proudly holds prestigious accreditations from the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), positioning it among the top 2% of business schools globally with AMBA accreditation and the top 6% with AACSB accreditation.
One of the key strengths of our MBA lies in its diverse learning environment. You’ll engage with peers from a wide range of industries and cultural backgrounds, bringing fresh perspectives to the classroom. This diversity fosters innovative thinking and prepares you for the challenges of global business leadership.
Through the MBA, we aim for our students to actively analyse, question, interpret and innovate. This course will prepare you to identify and embrace potential opportunities whilst developing your creative capacities and collaborative approach in order to be successful in different environments.
We also have close partnerships with esteemed institutions in Germany and France. MBA students can take on an elective module in a different cultural setting and experience different approaches to learning, whilst broadening their personal and professional network.
Ready for business
At Kingston Business School, we believe that professional success is shaped by honing your personal capacity and skillset, supported by the academic framework of knowledge. Through vocationally rich, employer-engaged and research-informed courses, we work alongside our students to help them meet personal goals and career ambitions.
Accreditations
Kingston Business School holds the prestigious international accreditation by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) in recognition of the excellence of its business education. This accreditation has been earned by just 6% of the world's business schools and recognises the high quality and standard of our business degree offerings.
The Kingston MBA has been accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) since 1984 – one of the first UK MBAs to achieve this endorsement. Joining Kingston's MBA programme opens the door to lifetime membership of the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and a global alumni network.
The AMBA is the leading accreditation body in the UK and is receiving increasing recognition across Europe. It provides an independent, international verification of quality which assures employers that our MBA is well respected and up to date.
Course content
Through the MBA, we aim for our students to actively analyse, question, interpret and innovate. This course will prepare you to identify and embrace potential opportunities whilst developing your creative capacities and collaborative approach in order to be successful in different environments.
Please note: Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Year 1
You will develop a strong foundation in general management, covering essential skills across various business functions through eight integrated subjects that combine theory and practice, helping you develop a comprehensive corporate perspective.
You will further enhance your practical management expertise through the Management Consultancy Project, while two electives allow you to tailor your studies to align with your career goals.
Running throughout your MBA studies, ‘The Kingston Impact: Leadership and Personal Growth’ module will support you in your personal and professional development whilst refining your executive leadership and professional skills.
Core modules
15 credits
The module aims to provide aspiring senior managers with an appreciation of the likely multidisciplinary impact of digital transformation on the overall customer experience and the need to develop future marketing executives possessing the necessary skills and capabilities, namely IT skills, to comfortably communicate across the different business functions ensuring that all digital platforms achieve optimal customer centricity.
15 credits
The module provides a critical understanding of the concepts of business ethics, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and stakeholder management and enables you to analyse, evaluate, and formulate business decisions in the light of ethical and societal considerations. It will enable you to manage organisations and your activities in a socially responsible way through the ability to evaluate CSR practices as applied to various business issues.
15 credits
This module will help you develop and enhance your critical understanding of a range of topical issues associated with financial management. You will do this by reviewing and analysing the position and performance of organisations as revealed in their financial statements and stock market indicators in the case of listed companies or key performance indicators in the case of not for profit organisations. In addition you will explore recent theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence concerning financial management issues to be found in the academic literature and then you will work to make sense of these in a practical context. You will engage with a broad range of issues, from financial reporting, through accounting for management decision making in the short and long term, to considerations of decision making in the context of responsible capitalism and accounting for and with sustainability issues.
15 credits
This module introduces you to the nature and scope of operations management within private and public sector operations in both service and manufacturing environments. The module explores operations strategy, process and capacity issues, supply chain management and improving operations.
15 credits
This module introduces you to a systemic approach to identifying, understanding and analysing macro, meso and micro issues, set within the global context, which have significant implications for the successful management of organisations and the people within them to produce appropriate detailed recommendations for organisational implementation.
15 credits
Students learn the necessary skills to build and scale a successful business. This includes how to develop ideas, build prototypes, and understand what customers truly want. The focus of the teaching and student experience is around hands-on learning and entrepreneurial activity. Students are given the opportunity to attend guest lectures with practising entrepreneurs and intrepreneurs to gain practical understanding towards making innovation happen. Support will be given through the Kingston University flexible office space for entrepreneurial start-ups, drop in advice, training and challenges.
Assessment is through coursework, presentations, business prototypes and completion of the entrepreneurial process.
15 credits
This module is designed to introduce business students to the exciting world of business intelligence and big data science with a particular focus on its use to inform strategic decision-making policies. Today's managers need to understand where and how to use business intelligence and big data analytics, to allow them to utilise new sources of customer, product, and operational data, which coupled with data science will allow them to optimise key business processes and KPIs.
15 credits
This module explores how an organisation could develop widely supported and high quality decisions in a manner that would ensure its ability to succeed and remain sustainable. The module also helps you to learn how to translate a strategy into action in organisations and engage with the challenges that the implementation of strategy brings about in order to ensure sustainable success in a rapidly changing environment.
To achieve this we will be examining a number of conceptual and analytical approaches and models to help us understand the assets and capabilities of the organisation, and its relationships with suppliers, customers, regulatory bodies and other firms. Following on from this analysis we will consider the issues involved in understanding and designing strategic options and introduce a number of ideas as how the execution of strategy should be understood and related to different activities of the organisation that relate to the implementation of its different strategic options in terms of people, processes and technology.
0 credits
This module runs throughout your studies at Kingston and aims to support you in your personal and professional development through an emphasis on the refining of leadership, teamworking and the acquisition and refining of executive and professional skills. It also aims to prepare Senior Apprentices to meet Behavioural Standards for their End Point Assessment (EPA). The module builds on the recommendations of joint research undertaken by the Chartered Association of Business Schools (ABS) and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) aimed at meeting the growing demands from employers for business schools to produce more professionally adept managers and leaders. You will develop a number of valuable transferable skills via a series of workshops, each focused on a different aspect of your leadership, managerial and professional development, and help you develop as an individual those areas of most relevance to you. Throughout your journey you will also be able to track and assess your own individual progress. Module workshops and other activities are delivered by a range of academics and practitioners.
30 credits
This module consists of taught sessions on theory and practice of management consulting, as well as business research methods and a set of activities to support MBA candidates in the development of their client consultancy project. As such it looks at the relevant business research and analysis instruments and processes of sourcing and delivering consulting work. Perspectives of both consultant and client in a typical engagement are considered. The material provides solid theoretical and practical background to those wishing to pursue management advisory work on a professional basis.
Elective modules (choose 2)
15 credits
Venture capital and Business Angel finance has been the driving force behind some of the most vibrant sectors of the economy. Companies famous for receiving venture capital or business angel funding early in their development include Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon. US and Western Europe no longer dominate the industry and emerging countries such as China, India and Russia are fast catching up. Recently, the explosion of Crowdfunding platforms has signalled a new era for the innovation finance industry. This module analyses all stages of the funding ladder for innovative companies, from Crowdfunding, Business Angels, Venture Capital, Private Equity to IPO or M&A. It examines the main forms of innovation finance and the investment process; how private equity and venture capital funds, business angels and crowdfunding platforms work; how firms become investment ready, raise external finance and how to they finally exit. Students also learn about wider framework conditions that have a bearing on business innovation, including availability of finance for innovation, public policies and agencies promoting innovation.
15 credits
This module examines international business issues and the phenomenon of globalisation from a strategic perspective. On one hand, this module investigates the issues from a macro-level, looking at the trends of international trade and foreign direct investment, emergence of emerging markets and how they interact with or impacts on the global economy, and the role of international institutions such as regional economic trade blocs and the WTO. The impacts of these on businesses are then considered. On the other hand, this module also discusses concepts and theories that could be used to help firms make internationalisation decisions and formulate appropriate internationalisation strategies.
The emphasis of this module is on integration and reflection. During the delivery of the module contents, students will be constantly encouraged to share their experience in classes in relation to the issues discussed on the module and reflect in a critical manner how theories and the real world relate with one another. The ability of students to integrate and reflect is further stimulated, developed and enhanced by class discussion and the assignment, which requires the students to write a critique on an academic article, discussing with a critical mind the importance and applicability of the theoretical concepts/issues in the article to real business cases that they are familiar with.
15 credits
Why do organisations need to change; to become more creative and innovate? How can management help people to achieve their new ideas and practices in a creative and imaginative way?
Change is a defining feature in contemporary organisations, posing key challenges and questions for all sorts of businesses, communities and societies. Implicit in change is the ability and capacity to act creatively in order to maintain healthy organisations. Therefore, to learn more about how organisations change, how to manage it, how people understand it; and, the complexities involved in acting and enacting change through creative processes becomes an essential feature of organisations in order to succeed in the 21st century. All of these exciting issues are explored in this module focusing on both, the epistemological and ontological aspects of creativity and change.
15 credits
This module aims to develop students' ability to understand how to plan, implement and control the most effective and efficient flow of products and services. This module will help students develop decision making skills in the structuring of strategic and tactical options for organisations engaged in various supply chain and logistics activities. Class will be delivered by the combination of lecture, discussion of case studies, and students' presentations. This module considers how the theoretical aspects and methodologies of logistics and supply chain management can be applied into the real life practices. This module will be assessed through group presentation and individual assignment. Formative feedback on how well they do this will be provided in class.
15 credits
The potential for growth is a defining feature of the entrepreneurial small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This module is concerned with the issues and decisions that the entrepreneur must consider in successfully managing the growth and development of new SMEs. The module is designed to cover four broad and interrelated issues: a) the process of business growth of SMEs, b) barriers to business growth of SMEs; c) internal strategies for the growth of SMEs, and d) external strategies for the growth of SMEs. The course will draw on materials from the literature on entrepreneurship to provide a basis for a critical understanding of the concepts and strategies for entrepreneurial venture growth and development.
15 credits
This Corporate Finance module is an elective available to course members of the MBA programme, both full-time and executive versions. The module has been designed and developed to provide course members with an opportunity to explore the theory and practice of corporate financial strategy and the link with corporate strategy. A blended learning strategy will be utilised, involving a combination of classroom based learning, independent and group study, together with tutor-student and student-student interaction via Canvas. Where and when possible, corporate finance practitioners will lead one or more session, offering course members the opportunity to explore at first-hand how analytical frameworks and models are applied in the practice of financial strategy and decision making.
15 credits
This module introduces you to the nature and scope of High Performance Leadership within private and public organisations, and explores how organisations can create and sustain success.
15 credits
In this module we look at how to use project management to deliver strategic change in organisations and thereby achieve performance improvement. We consider how strategic change can deliver performance improvement and identify the change required to deliver it. We then describe how to plan and manage a project to deliver the change. We consider how to define, plan and organise the project, and how to engage the stakeholders. We then describe how to manage time, cost, quality and risk. Projects usually take place as part of a portfolio or program of projects, so we describe how to manage them. We also cover the development of the business case and benefits realisation management. Portfolios and programs are a key governance mechanism in the project-oriented organisation, and so we place them in the context of governance. They are also key for translating corporate strategy into project strategy, and for ensuring project objectives are linked to corporate objectives.
Year 2 (optional)
This professional placement year is optional. It takes place after the full time MBA year. It enables you to do a 12-month work placement as part of your course. The work placement is an assessed part of the course and is therefore covered by a Student Route visa.
Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.
Core modules
120 credits
The Professional Placement module is a core module for those students following a masters programme that incorporates an extended professional placement that follows completion of the first 180 credits of taught modules and project or dissertation. It provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in an appropriate working environment, and to develop and enhance key employability skills and subject specific skills in their chosen subject.
It is the responsibility of individual students to locate and secure a suitable placement opportunity; this will normally involve one placement which must be completed over a minimum period of 10 months and within a maximum of 12 months. The placement must be approved by the module leader prior to commencement to ensure its suitability.
Career opportunities
An MBA from Kingston opens doors to senior roles in diverse industries, from finance to tech. Graduates have secured roles such as Chief Operating Officer, Marketing Director and Management Consultant.
Many graduates use the knowledge gained from the Kingston MBA to help them operate more effectively at a higher level of senior management. Others use these skills to successfully set up their own business, expand into a consultancy role within an existing firm, or set up their own consultancies.
Examples of well-known organisations our alumni have worked for include GSK, AstraZeneca PLC, RBS, Tata Consultancy Services and Deloitte Digital.
We are proud of our collaborations with a range of organisations from various industries. This approach ensures that we can provide invaluable opportunities for MBA students. We plan live project briefs and guest lectures, as well as experiential visits and networking events.
International business networking
All Kingston MBA students come together for our annual International Fortnight event. Taking place on campus, you will study and socialise with other MBA students to grow your professional network.
Building on the knowledge you've gained during your course, you will immerse yourself in your choice of specialist modules and hear from inspiring guest speakers. Previous attendees have also had the opportunity to take part in exciting company visits, to give them a head start on their career path.
Courtesy of our AMBA accreditation, Kingston's MBA programme opens the door to lifetime membership of the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and a global alumni network.
Teaching and assessment
When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the online virtual learning platform.
As a student at Kingston University, we will make sure you have access to appropriate advice regarding your academic development. You will also be able to use the University's support services.
A course is made up of modules, and each module is worth a number of credits. You must pass a given number of credits in order to achieve the award you registered on, for example 360 credits for a typical undergraduate course or 180 credits for a typical postgraduate course. The number of credits you need for your award is detailed in the programme specification which you can access from the link at the bottom of this page.
One credit equates to 10 hours of study. Therefore 180 credits across a year (typical for a postgraduate course) would equate to 1,800 notional hours. These hours are split into scheduled and guided. On this course, the percentage of that time that will be scheduled learning and teaching activities is shown below. The remainder is made up of guided independent study.
- 25% scheduled learning and teaching
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will primarily be delivered in person. It may include delivery of some activities online, either in real time or recorded.
Type of assessment
- Year 1: Coursework: 85% , Practical 15%
- Professional placement: Coursework 100%
Assessment typically comprises exams (e.g. test or exam), practical (e.g. presentations, performance) and coursework (e.g. essays, reports, self-assessment, portfolios, dissertation).
Please note: the above breakdowns are a guide calculated on core modules only. If your course includes optional modules, this breakdown may change to reflect the modules chosen.
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
Each student receives a personalised timetable. This is usually available after you have completed your online enrolment, which is typically accessible one month before the start of your course.
You will be part of an intimate cohort of students which provides dedicated academic guidance and advice and the opportunity to build a life-long network of colleagues. Some modules are common across other postgraduate programmes therefore you may be taught alongside students who are on these courses within the Business School.
Partner institutions
We have close partnerships with esteemed institutions in Germany and France. MBA students can take on an elective module in a different cultural setting and experience different approaches to learning, whilst broadening their personal and professional network.
Fees and funding
| Fee Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | Full Time £25,000 |
| International | Full Time £25,000 |
| Fee Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | Full Time £25,000 |
| International | Full Time £25,000 |
Funding support for postgraduate students
If you are a UK student living in England and under 60, you can apply for a loan to study for a postgraduate degree on the government's website.
Scholarships and bursaries
For students interested in studying Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Kingston, there are several opportunities to seek funding support:
We are proud to offer a tution fee scholarship of £3,000 to self-funded candidates, who will be considered automatically following a formal offer of a place on the programme.
If you have any questions about the scholarship, please email the Course Director, Pauline Parker.
This scholarship offers a 40% reduction in fees across a range of taught postgraduate courses. Learn more about eligibility criteria for Inspire the Future applicants.
If you are an international student, find out more about scholarships and bursaries.
We offer discounts for Kingston University alumni.
Progression Scholarships are available for certain postgraduate courses. Review our range of funding opportunities for masters-level study.
Additional course costs
Please note, the MBA programme at Kingston so far has been a fully-financed programme for its participants. All core text books and company visits are included. If you decide to do a study exchange at one of our partner institutions, you will need to pay for your own travel and accommodation.
Students who choose to take opportunities for supplementary certificates may incur costs for the exam. For example, we offer project management through ILX. Kingston University funds the teaching but not the exam.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and University facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from £50 to £250 per year. And a personal computer can range from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
Kingston University will pay for all compulsory field trips. Fees for optional trips can range from £30 to £350 per trip.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our free intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations - Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, and Norbiton.
Courses involving placements or direct work with vulnerable groups may require a DBS check or other security checks.
If you choose to do a placement year, travel costs will vary depending on your location. These costs could be up to £2,000.
Some courses may require professional memberships.
I have found communicating and networking with fellow students a highlight of the course. Our teamwork has allowed us to overcome the challenges in solving business cases, developing product ideas, and creating marketing, financial and operational strategies. As well as developing my knowledge and skills, I also expanded my professional network and built friendships with like-minded people.
Industry partners
We are proud of our collaborations with a range of organisations from various industries. This ensures that we can provide invaluable opportunities for students, from live project briefs and guest lectures, to experiential visits and networking events.
How to apply
Before you apply
Please read the entry criteria carefully to make sure you meet all requirements before applying.
How to apply online
Use the course selector drop down at the top of this page to choose your preferred course, start date and mode, then click 'Apply now'. You will be taken to our Online Student Information System (OSIS) where you will complete your application.
If you’re starting a new application, you’ll need to select ‘new user’ and set up a username and password. This will allow you to save and return to your application.
Application deadlines
We advise that candidates apply for the Kingston MBA as soon as possible – it can take longer than you think to get organised to start your MBA. We accept admissions throughout the year, so you can join the next available group of students when you are ready.
Information required to confirm your place
If English is not your first language, we will require proof of your proficiency to allow us to confirm your place on the course. This will generally be either an IELTS or TOEFL test certificate, which can be forwarded to us after you have submitted your application. If you do not hold a formal English language qualification, please indicate how you have acquired your proficiency in written and spoken English.
After you have applied
For courses that select on application alone, applicants should normally receive an initial decision or a request for more information within four to six weeks of receipt of their application. Our admissions team will notify you of the decision by email.
Learn more about the postgraduate application process in detail.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
What our MBA students and graduates say
The Kingston MBA helped me transition from an engineer to a senior management position. The course goes beyond the carefully designed modules - students are also given practical opportunities to apply theory to real business cases.
The way the MBA is taught is closely aligned with current corporate standards. As such, it has allowed me to implement what I have learnt into my business strategy, with a clear vision about how I can progress in my career. I joined the MBA as a doctor with plans to set up a tertiary health care hospital in my hometown in India. I am now equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to achieve my goals.
My MBA cohort allowed me to work closely with an extremely talented group of people from a broad range of industry sectors, geographies and backgrounds. When writing my MBA dissertation on ‘IT integration in mergers and acquisitions' I established a number of unique and interesting relationships. This strengthened my professional network and was presented with opportunities to attend and speak at a number of industry events.
