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Business Administration (Distance Learning) (MBA) (2022 Entry)

About this ... course header
Course overview header

Ranked first in the world by The Financial Times Online MBA Ranking 2021, our Distance Learning MBA combines inspirational teaching with flexible online learning.

If you’re looking for a way to accelerate your career, increase your business knowledge and leadership skills and maximise your board level awareness without stepping out of work, our part-time course could be your next step.

Teaching primarily takes place via our bespoke online learning environment my.wbs, which houses our teaching materials, interactive spaces and our online classroom: wbsLive and via two residential weeks at either Warwick or London, depending on the programme format you have chosen.

Skills from this degree

  • Gain a comprehensive understanding of the global business environment
  • Gain an understanding of different leadership skills and develop your own leadership style
  • Gain an appreciation of different perspectives and viewpoints by learning with and from a diverse cohort
  • Practical application - take new ideas straight from the classroom into your day-to-day work
  • You will benefit from being part of a global cohort, allowing you to develop your professional network and understand different cultures and work practices.

Entry requirements header Entry requirements header

You must have at least four years' postgraduate managerial work experience. We are seeking evidence of consistent progression including increased people management, budgetary and/or project management responsibilities.

You must have a 2:i at undergraduate level from a UK university or the equivalent from an overseas university. However, we also welcome applications from candidates who do not have the academic qualifications but are exceptional, with a proven ability to achieve.


English Language requirements header
  • Band B
  • IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.

International requirements header
Additional requirements header

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Required modules

The required modules for the May 2022 intake include:

  • Organisational Behaviour
  • Strategic Advantage
  • Operations Management
  • Corporate Reporting and Decision Making
  • Financial Management
  • Marketing
  • Leadership
  • Innovation and Strategic Entrepreneurship

Elective modules

You will choose four elective modules from a wide choice to customise your MBA and achieve your aims. One of your four elective modules will be a required face-to-face module. You will have a range of face-to-face modules to select from which may be based at our Warwick campus, WBS London, The Shard, or at an international location.

Face-to-face elective modules

You may select your face-to-face module from elective modules offered to our Executive MBA students at our Warwick campus or at WBS London, The Shard.

Examples of the kind of modules that may be available are:

  • Behavioural Sciences for the Manager
  • Entrepreneurial Finance
  • Financial Analysis
  • Leadership and the Art of Judgement
  • Project Management
  • Strategy and Practice

Alternatively, you can choose to complete your face-to-face elective module overseas, including five international modules that are offered primarily to our Distance Learning MBA participants.

Examples of these include:

  • Luxury Industries and Brand Management - Bocconi, Italy
  • Leading Global Organisations - Dubai
  • Strategic Cyber Security and Cloud Management - Michigan Ross, USA
  • Managing Sustainable Energy Transitions - New York, USA
  • Design Thinking - Aalto University, Finland.

Online elective modules

  • Corporate Finance
  • Creating Sustainable Organisations
  • The Economics of Wellbeing
  • Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation
  • Leading and Managing Change
  • Management Accounting
  • Modelling and Analytics for Management
  • Human Resource Management
  • International Business
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Strategic Marketing
  • Strategy and Practice

Read the module descriptions for this course on the Warwick Business School website.Link opens in a new window

Teaching header

Our cutting edge technology will ensure you feel fully connected and that you never miss anything, regardless of your schedule. Teaching primarily takes place via our bespoke online learning environment, my.wbs, which houses our teaching materials, interactive spaces and our online classroom: wbsLive. Easy to use, my.wbs enables interaction in lectures, discussions and syndicate groups. It also allows you to test yourself, to access lessons and lecture recordings, submit assignments and to connect with other students and academics.

Face-to-face interaction is an essential element of our course, so you will join us on campus in Warwick or WBS London, The Shard, depending on which variant of the programme you have enrolled on, for two residential weeks (Warwick Weeks). These intensive face-to-face periods of study will embed your learning, enrich your studies and allow you to grow your network. In addition to the Warwick Week attendance, included in your tuition fee is one optional face-to-face module. You may also opt to take an additional face-to-face module for an additional cost.


Class size header

At Warwick our Distance Learning class sizes comprise of around 180 students, whilst in London Distance Learning class sizes comprise of approximately 60 students.


Contact hours header

This course is taught online, with 2 weeks face-to-face teaching in the first year. Each module should take approximately 100 hours, which typically includes a minimum of 27 hours of structured teaching (live teaching and online learning/support) and the remainder made up of guided online study and independent self-study.


Assessment header

Module assessment is a mix of individual assignments, exams, group work and class tests.

Strategic consulting project or dissertation

You will have the choice to undertake either a strategic consulting project or traditional dissertation.

The strategic consulting project focuses on practice and is based in an employment setting. You will work as part of a group on the project with 10% of your assessment being based on group work and 90% based on an individual consulting report. This is your opportunity to consolidate everything you have learnt and apply it to a real business. Academically, it tests your ability to apply your learning to real management issues. Professionally, it may well open the door to your next career move.

If you choose to undertake the dissertation option, although more academic with a focus on theory, it is still highly relevant in the world of business. It will demonstrate that you can assimilate your learning, take multiple perspectives on a business issue and explore your subject thoroughly.

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