The MBM gets a refresh

The AUT Master of Business Management of Programme’s emphasis on practical application and experiential learning is a popular addition to the postgraduate landscape.

The Master of Business Management (MBM) is an extension of AUT’s portfolio of postgraduate programmes. Developed to complement the MBA by providing a broad, research-backed understanding of business management for those students without the work experience required of the MBA, it has been received positively in academic and business communities.
Professor Bill Doolin, Associate Dean Postgraduate at AUT Business School, says this year’s refreshed MBM programme focuses on practical application and experiential learning. He says these changes have been well-received by students and employers alike.

“We were finding that students in our master ’s programmes were increasingly requesting the opportunity to take more of
what they perceive as ‘cutting edge’ courses, rather than general business courses,” Bill says. “The refresh shifts the MBM from a more prescriptive focus on building general business management knowledge to one that allows students the flexibility to deepen their knowledge on, and ability to address, the complex issues around sustainability, innovation and digital technology that businesses are increasingly facing in a changing world.”

The enhanced MBM has gained approval from employers, too. Richard Catherall, Head of Performance and Change at Auckland Council, says studying sustainability, digital business, and innovation and entrepreneurship is a crucial step in contributing to partnerships and collective leadership – in other words, providing the skills needed to navigate today’s complex business challenges.

“The programme not only equips graduates with hands-on skills but also fosters a mindset of continuous learning, improvement and innovation, meaning AUT MBM graduates are highly valued in their chosen industry and sector,” says Richard.

Bill Doolin says the practical component of the MBM is a highlight and plays a pivotal role in shaping students into industry-ready professionals.

“Students engage with companies from a range of industries to integrate the evidence-based knowledge they have gained during the earlier parts of the programme and apply relevant theory to issues and problems posed by those organisations.
“The varied nature of the projects introduces fresh insights and challenges to each new cohort.

“Business clients who sponsor the projects are very impressed with the hands-on skills, problem-solving abilities and industry-specific expertise that MBM students bring to their organisations.”
Bill says 2024’s refreshed MBM programme will be flexible enough to benefit graduates from a variety of disciplines, as well as professionals already working in industry.

“The MBM also offers the opportunity for business graduates to broaden their understanding of emerging issues to complement their undergraduate major in a specialised business subject.”

THE MBM’S TRIPLE FOCUS
There is a growing awareness in both business and wider society that we must align business with the rapidly changing global context and address a series of major challenges that have potentially serious consequences for our socioeconomic and environmental future, says Bill.

“These include the environmental and social sustainability of business organisations, the role of data and digital technology in transforming business models and driving productivity, and the increasing importance of innovation, including social enterprise, in developing solutions that cocreate value with consumers, employees and other internal and external
stakeholders.”

For this reason, AUT has created three focus areas for the refreshed MBM programme based around sustainable business, digital business and business innovation.

A compulsory one-third of the programme will ensure that students will cover core material in all three of these areas. These required areas of study comprise people and organisation management, ethical leadership and sustainable business practices, data-driven strategic performance management, and digital technology-enabled change and transformation, in both national and international business environments.

Another one-third of the MBM will allow students to customise a programme of study which, depending on their needs and goals, allows them to expand their coverage across the three focus areas or deepen their knowledge in one of the three areas.
“For example, students could grow their understanding and skills to develop sustainable organisations, analyse and visualise
data for decision making, utilise innovative approaches to compete internationally, or develop innovative and sustainable change solutions for lasting social impact,” says Bill.

The final one-third of the programme consists of a practical, industrydriven ‘capstone’ experience based around an applied business project. There are many sound reasons for seriously considering the MBM, explains Bill, not least of which is the opportunity to learn from the best, in an internationally accredited business school that ranks in the top five percent globally.

“AUT Business School has been awarded the prestigious EQUIS accreditation and AACSB international accreditation, which puts us among an elite group of business schools around the world.”

www.aut.ac.nz/mbm

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