Studying MBA in Australia

Australia has emerged as a popular destination for higher education because of its strong educational infrastructure, standard of life, and relatively lesser expenses.

Australian degrees are gaining increased acceptance in the global arena. A peaceful and relaxed atmosphere, together with the cosmopolitan charisma of cities like Sydney and Melbourne – Australia could be the ideal destination for you.

Business Schools like Melbourne Business School have been ranked among the top B-schools in the world and the MBA programs offered by them are popular with students worldwide.

Why study an MBA in Australia?

There are two primary reasons for studying an MBA in Australia:

1. Australia offers internationally recognized MBAs at prestigious universities;
2. Australia offers a host of other advantages for students.

To understand the significance of the first point, it is necessary to explore briefly the meaning of the term 'good MBA'. At one point, it is possible in some countries to acquire an 'MBA' certificate through the mail by paying a few hundred dollars. Such 'MBAs' are obviously not worth, and any employer deceived into hiring such a person would soon learn their mistake and act accordingly. At the other end of the spectrum are MBAs acquired on the basis of diligent study and participation over a period of at least 16 months, within a rich learning environment at an internationally-recognized b-school within a prestigious university. The difference between these two experiences lies in the changes that they effect within the student.

MBA from a good school will help the individual grow appreciably, including their ability to work as an effective team member, to lead others, and to be effective in interpersonal relationships through communication, presentation, self-confidence, negotiation skills. In addition, his or her capacity to diagnose the changes required to achieve business success and the power to implement these changes will be increased dramatically. By contrast, MBA from an average b-school will affect none of these changes within the individual, and thus individual performance will be poor.

Australia provides a meeting ground between West and East. Perth, for example, is in the same time zone as Hong Kong, Taipei and Singapore.  Developments in Asia are subject to close academic and business scrutiny within Australia, and specific MBA courses are tailored to bring out deep student understanding of the Asia/Pacific Region.

Industrial restructuring and public sector reform have been actively pursued by successive Australian governments since the middle of 70s. As a result, the Australian economy is currently experiencing both robust economic growth and low inflation, and is presently one of the strongest economies in the world. Consequently the analysis of industrial re-structuring, public sector reform and the management of change are right at the 'cutting edge' within Australian management schools. Despite Australia's sound economic prospects, because of low cost of commodities, Australia's exchange rate is currently low. The cost of an MBA program is relatively low in world terms - for example, international students pay AU$2000 per subject for each of the 16 units at the University of Western Australia, a total of AU$32 000.

Australia is well-known for its many beautiful beaches and associated tourist outlets, which tend to be popular with visitors from the Northern Hemisphere. The environment is clean and the climate is mild and pleasant in both winter and summer, allowing international students to sample the ample recreational, cultural and sporting facilities, activities which allow students to relax in the few precious moments that they can spare away from their intensive MBA studies!

To summarize, if you would like to see more of the world, to study intensively in a clean, novel, pleasant, interesting environment, to complete a high-quality, internationally-recognized business-oriented Masters Degree, and to improve significantly on your career prospects, studying towards an MBA is the thing to do - and Australia is the place to do it.

Australian MBA Programs

Australia offers a large number of MBA programs which meet the above criteria for providing a good MBA. Very early in its history, Australia inherited the British academic tradition of rigorous inquiry and devotion to high academic standards. Australia's oldest universities in particular are internationally-renowned for their very high principles of research and teaching.

Currently, a total of fifty-five Australian universities offer different MBA programs. The prevailing model at the better institutions is the 'Harvard style' management degree, which offers around 16 various business related subjects, delivered over a period of 16 months to 2 years of full-time study. The 16 month program is delivered by institutions who have adopted the trimester system as a means to reduce the opportunity cost of an MBA degree to its students. Students may also study part-time, and most choose to do so.

The better MBA programs are truly international in terms of orientation and curriculum. This international focus is enhanced by the large number of international students that study in Australia. At Graduate Schools of Management, for example, students from about 30 countries within North America, Europe, Africa and Asia participate in the MBA program, and graduates now occupy executive positions in organizations throughout the world. MBA programs are delivered by the older universities located in each of the State capital cities. In general, these are particularly well resourced in terms of quality of faculty, ability of students and also in terms of library, computer and other facilities.