MBA outcomes and career development

An MBA is an indication to employers of high level business and management skills – and if you want to be a manager of international standing, it’s often an essential qualification.

The Open University's flexible, distance-learning MBA provides a thorough grasp of business and the skills you need to lead at a strategic level. Its evidenced-based approach to learning ensures relevance in the workplace and provides the practical experience that employers particularly value in times of economic uncertainty.

A careers survey by The Association of MBAs (AMBA) shows that MBA students can expect their salary to increase, and the MBA to have a positive impact on their career progression, as well as bring improvements to their organisation or business.

Our MBA graduates would concur – a recent alumni survey found that 83% of respondents saw an improvement in their performance, and 74% agreed that their study also benefited their employers.

Learning outcomes

There is expectation that as an Open University MBA graduate you will work with others in groups and teams in a way that promotes effective outcomes, applying knowledge and skills to deliver outcomes and upholding the highest ethical standards.

Specifically, after completing this qualification you will be able to:

understand theories and concepts applicable in managing organisational performance, resource allocation, management of people and leading organisations
manage complex situations in business and other organisations based on knowledge of both the external and internal context of organisations; generating social and economic benefits
develop long term vision, goals and direction for organisations and develop strategies to deliver the goals, including through appropriate financial resource allocation
critically collect and use valuable information and evaluate in the context of their application across different environments and settings
conduct professional inquiries in problem identification, and use and manage knowledge and evidence critically to solve problems and develop actionable solutions
understand the ethical implications of management practice and respond to ethical issues as a socially responsible professional
engage and manage in digital and entrepreneurial work environments
communicate effectively using a wide range of media
provide effective and ethical leadership that transcends functional perspectives
reflect critically on learning from workplace practice.

In the final stages of your studies, you will focus on developing appropriate people-management skills and leadership style, devising and applying evidence-based approaches to management decision-making and develop as an independent and reflective management practitioner. You’ll capture all these through an action-learning project designed to apply your MBA studies to make a difference in your workplace.

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Support for your career

All OUBS students receive exceptional support from our careers service during their studies and postgraduate students automatically join our influential Alumni and Careers Network free of charge when they graduate. With more than 28,000 MBA alumni worldwide and about 65,000 diploma and certificate members, it’s a powerful network designed to support successful professionals in their continuing personal and professional development.