Master of Business Administration

Why choose Herts?

Complete your MBA in one year or two years by studying full-time at the University of Hertfordshire.
Engage with an innovative approach to management learning and access cutting-edge research that will challenge your assumptions about management practice.
Start your transformational journey to change the way you think and work.

An honours degree (at least 2:2 or equivalent) in any discipline, a degree equivalent professional qualification or appropriate work experience.

All students from non-majority English-speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency. The following qualifications and grades will be considered:

GCSE English language grade A-C
IELTS 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in any band)
Other English language tests are accepted including some local qualifications such as Standard XII, WAEC and NECO. Please contact the International Office for details.


Institution code	H36
Course length	Full Time, 1 Years
Location	University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Employability

Careers

We’ve embedded career development into every part of our MBA. The programme provides cutting-edge theory-based learning, delivered through real business problems. You’ll also benefit from guest lectures networking opportunities delivered by business practitioners and MBA Alumni.

You’ll also have access to our career coach; boost your career with sessions on topics including personal branding, personal impact, and difficult conversations. Our Business School careers team will invite you to join our vibrant alumni network and attend regular career-focused events.

During your MBA, you’ll be involved in a Young Enterprise (YE) Start-up Programme, distinct from a traditional work placement. You’ll participate in a live ‘business incubator’, establishing and managing your own business or social enterprise, from the company name and defining your product or service, to mastering the finances.

Alumni success stories

See what some of our previous graduates have gone on to achieve and how their time at the university helped shaped their careers.

Jackson Cyprian Padmavathi Valluri

Alumni Stories

Jackson Cyprian

Meet Jackson, whose passion for digital marketing led him to the UK to study an MBA.

Current job role	Freelance digital marketer and blogger
Year of graduation	2022
Course of study	MBA Digital Marketing

Challenged beyond my expectations

International student Jackson travelled from Nigeria to study the MBA in Digital Marketing. Jackson says, ‘I love marketing, especially the digital aspect. My marketing blog Elitescontent provides industry news and insights to help businesses grow online. The MBA Digital Marketing course provided me with industry-focused knowledge that will help develop my career. I really enjoyed the blend of real-world case studies and thought-provoking assignments as they challenged me to stretch my thinking beyond my expectations.’

‘I have loads of favourite memories from my studies at Herts, including interacting with my lecturers, especially after class. I enjoyed the fact that staff encouraged debate, allowing me to tell them my thoughts and then discuss other ideas in a way that provided new insights.’

‘In addition, the Academic English for Business programme staff were amazing and gave me good advice when tackling assignments.’

‘At Herts I have made friends and built good relationships with people that turned from strangers to partners. I became a student representative and got involved with student life and activities on campus. The party times, the groupwork meetings and collaboration with lots of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures has taught me some great lessons. I also liked living in London while studying.’

Thinking about undertaking an MBA?

‘My advice for others who are thinking of doing an MBA is to stop thinking about it and start doing it! The MBA, especially at Herts, is a journey that is set to change your perspective and create huge opportunities for career advancement. Be open-minded when starting an MBA and choose a university like Herts that has a good support system to aid your personal learning and development.'

'To achieve my goals and keep abreast of current trends in the digital marketing space, I am always consuming new materials and ideas through videos, articles and by attending professional conferences and courses. I also make sure I keep active on social media, especially LinkedIn, where I can network with others.’

Alumni Stories

Padmavathi Valluri

Meet Padmavathi, who’s Journey at Herts led to becoming a Flare Success with her healthcare business.

Current job role	Founder of Nutribox
Year of graduation	2024
Course of study	Master of Business Administration (Healthcare)

Life at Herts

Whilst working as a nurse in India during the COVID-19 pandemic, Padmavathi noticed that there was a lack of focus on holistic health in country’s healthcare system. This motivated her to pursue an MBA in Healthcare, which helped her develop key skills in analysis and decision-making. These skills eventually led to the creation of Nutribox—an initiative aimed at educating people about how good nutrition can improve overall health.

‘I chose to study at the University of Hertfordshire because of its reputation for providing high-quality education, particularly in healthcare management. The University’s commitment to academic excellence and its focus on practical, real-world learning were major factors in my decision,’ she explains.

While studying for her MBA (healthcare) at Herts, Padmavathi also worked as an International Student Officer for Hertfordshire Students’ Union and joined their board of trustees in this role, she supported students from diverse backgrounds and cultures, helping them navigate both academic and personal challenges. She also organised events and fostered a sense of community and inclusivity on campus.

'The experience not only enhanced my leadership and communication skills but also gave me a deep sense of fulfilment, as I contributed to making the University a welcoming place for everyone. The friendships I formed and the impact I was able to make are memories I will always cherish.'

Aspirational success

Padmavathi won the University’s Flare Award for Healthcare and Wellbeing in 2024, and she hopes her success will inspire young girls to break free from societal norms. ‘By pursuing my education and career aspirations, I’ve demonstrated that women can excel in any field they choose.’

Advice for future students

‘Be open to learning new things and embrace every opportunity that comes your way. Whether it’s participating in extracurricular activities, attending workshops, or engaging in campus events, these experiences can offer personal growth and professional development.’

About the course

The Master of Business Administration programme will equip you with a critical understanding of business and management essentials, covering areas such as people management, strategic marketing, and financial proficiency. You’ll develop strategic leadership skills crucial for success in the professional world, and the ability to assess organisational strategic positioning.

We offer a choice of 11 one-year pathways and two two-year options, each offering you the opportunity to tailor your studies to align with your career goals and focus on specific subject areas and business fields in greater depth (these are offered subject to student numbers):

To apply for the General MBA (without a pathway), please use the links provided in the "How to Apply" section below. If you are interested in an MBA with a specific pathway, follow the relevant links above.

As a University of Hertfordshire MBA student, you’ll be supported by first-class facilities, including our virtual learning environment, StudyNet, which provides access to other students, lecture notes and over 100,000 e-books and e-journals.

Additionally, you’ll benefit from teaching and supervision by our expert research-active staff, several of whom are world leaders in their field and act as consultants with leading organisations such as Roche, Camelot and BDO Hayward.

Why choose this course?

Make a powerful difference to your organisation by developing a strategic, global outlook and experience in everything from accounting to marketing.
Expand your career opportunities by earning a highly respected Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Take a life-changing professional journey and expand your mind, skills, career potential and professional network.
Challenge your assumptions and gain a critical, reflexive approach to strategic leadership and management.
Focus on industry best practices through live consultancy, underpinned by cutting-edge research.

Our postgraduate courses are sector-leading amongst over 100 Higher Education Institutions in the UK, as evidenced by our extraordinary achievement:

6th in Business and Management in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES, 2024)
1st for Skills Development, 2nd for Support, Resources, Community and Assessment (Advance HE, 2023)
Business and Management Studies ranked in the top 25% of UK universities for research impact (Research Excellence Framework, 2021).

What will I study?

Our teaching and learning methods ensure you are able to actively engage with your own development. You’ll benefit from a blended learning approach which utilises web-based activities and reading, reflective writing, discussions and live enterprise projects.

All teaching resources have been designed in a highly structured way and complementary way to take you progressively through business concepts and to give you confidence, enhance your skills and expertise when completing specific tasks.

A participative style is used throughout to enable you to learn from your fellow students, as well as from teaching staff. Experiential learning is central to our teaching philosophy.

There is a considerable emphasis on the utilisation of theory and knowledge to make sense of your own and fellow participants' experiences at work. Case study material is widely used alongside case histories developed by fellow participants.  

Level 7

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
People Management	30 Credits	Compulsory
The module is designed to equip students with a critical understanding of the main principles of people management including practices and processes, contextual influences and their impact on individuals and organisations. By examining various perspectives and approaches to people management, whether within teams or as individuals, students will prepare for a people management role through the development of their own personal 'toolkit'. Additionally, the module provides students with practical insights on how effective people management contributes to both organisational and personal success.
Marketing and Entrepreneurship	30 Credits	Compulsory
This module equips students with a critical understanding of strategic marketing, encouraging the exploration of innovative methods to identify and capitalize on emerging market opportunities for both established businesses and startups. Through projects focused on product/service development, students learn to leverage digital business models, marketing communications and transformation strategies. Furthermore, entrepreneurial skills are cultivated in this module through a variety of approaches. The module is structured into two parts: initially emphasizing on marketing comprehension and then shifting to practical marketing and entrepreneurial skill development.
Financial Principles and Practice	30 Credits	Compulsory
This module is designed to enhance your understanding and application of financial information, which is crucial for effective interaction with both financial and non-financial management. You will learn to evaluate financial statements for external stakeholders and internal management reports, vital for decision-making. This module also explores methods for evaluating investment decisions and their financing options and combines theoretical knowledge with practical application through a blend of lectures, case studies and exercises to equip you with crucial skills for dynamic financial management in contemporary business contexts.
Executive Career Development	30 Credits	Compulsory
The module content focuses on career development within the context of the contemporary workplace and preparation for life beyond the MBA. Students will be enabled to evaluate the skills, knowledge, and behaviours required to achieve their professional career goals. Through research, reflection, self-evaluation, and engagement with industry practitioners from relevant career focus contexts, learners will consider their own career development needs and produce a personal development plan to aid them in their employability.
Strategic Management Research	30 Credits	Compulsory
Students will undertake strategic analysis and decision making in the context of real businesses and organisations, exploring the role of unpredictability, rapidly evolving industry architecture and dynamic processes of organisation. Students engage in a range of strategic debates impacting modern organisations, developing their skills as a manager and leader through the exploration of complex business challenges. Creativity, innovation and collaboration are critical success factors within the context of strategic decision making.
Human Resource Strategy and Practice	30 Credits	Optional
The module examines the development of contemporary people management with reference to relevant HRM theory and strategy models. It considers the benefits and challenges of aligning people strategy with the organisational strategy, taking into consideration both external factors and contextual issues. Additionally, the module considers the key issues and debates within people management and how the purpose and positioning of the HR function, the integration of different components of HRM practice, can add value and help achieve the organisation's objectives, through ethical and systematic thinking.
Digital Marketing	30 Credits	Optional
The module explores Digital Marketing's three pillars: Tools and Channels, Strategy and Planning, and Management. Students engage with tools like email marketing, SEO, paid search, and emerging technologies, refining proficiency. Strategic elements cover market analysis, target audience identification, and channel integration. Topics include a digital marketing audit, objective setting, strategy crafting, and plan development. Management addresses campaign optimization, performance analysis, and resource allocation. The course combines theory, case studies, and practical exercises, providing a holistic understanding of the dynamic Digital Marketing landscape.
Leading and Managing in Healthcare	30 Credits	Optional
Contemporary healthcare issues presented today require leaders and managers to think critically when making decisions. This module will develop students' understanding of theoretical and practical approaches to leading and managing healthcare services. With the demands placed on delivering healthcare services that are fit for the 21st century, students will be asked to discuss different types of leaders which are evident from case study materials. The module will draw together students learning to demonstrate skills and abilities to plan and use critical judgment and self-awareness.
Data Analytics for Business Leaders	30 Credits	Optional
This module allows students to explore data analytics in a business context, covering topics relating to data collection, presentation and analysis that are commonly applied by someone in a leadership role in business. The module includes discussions and applications of theoretical and practical cases, allowing students to develop a critical understanding of a variety of statistical/data science/machine learning methods for assessing changes and trends, and the relevant ethical and reputational issues associated with data analytics in business.
Project Management Methodologies	30 Credits	Optional
An effective project management methodology is essential to the project's success as it provides a structured approach to planning, executing, and completing projects. This module explores the various project management methodologies and frameworks for managing projects in a business or organisational setting. It provides students with an opportunity to evaluate and reflect on contemporary project management frameworks, understand their benefits and challenges and apply the appropriate project management methodology for effective project management and project delivery.
FinTech	30 Credits	Optional
The content covered in this module will typically include some or all of the following topics: Fintech Context: Understanding Financial Institutions and the Financial system; Fintech policy, regulation, ethics, and sustainability. Digital currencies, Blockchain technology in business, markets, and financial services, Crowdfunding-P2P-ICOs. Fintech business models and start-ups. Artificial intelligence and machine learning in business, markets, and financial services. Please note, due to the pace of development of the Fintech sector, topics may change without prior notice.
Artificial Intelligence in Business	30 Credits	Optional
This module is designed to develop students' understanding of AI for Business and its foundations, from machine learning to ethical considerations. The module content will typically include topics on foundational concepts, practicing machine learning models, natural language processing, computer vision and AI's alignment with business objectives. On this module, students will explore real-world applications across industries and develop strategic insights for business integration using AI tools and frameworks. Please note, due to the pace of development of AI, topics may change without prior notice.
Global Business Development	30 Credits	Optional
Ideal for those aspiring to thrive in a global business setting. This requires one's ability to work effectively in global settings; an awareness of the major trends of global change, the emerging issues arising from such changes; knowledge and understanding of global organisations and business activities. MBA students will understand challenges, complexities and opportunities in the global business landscape. Topics include but are not limited to globalisation, ethical decision-making, sustainable business development, global trade theories, finance and people management in a global context.
Logistics and Supply Chain Management	30 Credits	Optional
The module will take a case-based approach to synthesis the themes of Logistics and Supply Chain Management through responsiveness to support strategic decision-making techniques and approaches. For more details on content please refer to the module site.
Advertising and Brand Management	30 Credits	Optional
This module explores the challenges of the advertising planning process and brand leadership in contemporary situations, and how strategic brand stewardship and advertising campaign management help to achieve the organisational objectives. In this module, students will be guided to critically analyse elements of brand building and positioning and will use customer and media insights, academic research, and strategic thinking to appraise advertising campaigns and their role in the wider marketing communications activities, and how consumers and other stakeholders influence the message and the brand.
Risk Management and Investment	30 Credits	Optional
This module develops students' understanding of theoretical and practical aspects of financial management. The module familiarises students with the role of financial managers in making financing, investing and risk management decisions. It covers financing aspects like the sources of finance, cost of capital and capital structure and it explores the application of sophisticated investment appraisal methods aiding managerial investment decisions. Additionally, students will learn about capital markets, risk and return and the portfolio theory, alongside topics related to different types of risks and risk management.
PG CPD for Master of Business Administration (MBA)	0 Credits	Compulsory
Success at university requires a full understanding of institutional expectations as well as the development of key academic skills needed to enable students to fulfil their potential. This module will provide a structured step-by-step guide along the student journey to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to best achieve their goals. Using engaging and interactive content, this module aims to provide students with all the tools and a strong foundation upon which to build successful academic and professional experiences.

Key staff

Dr Ghayda Nawres
Deputy Programme Leader
Find out more about Dr Ghayda Nawres

Dr Ioannis Gkliatis
Programme Leader
Find out more about Dr Ioannis Gkliatis

Dr Konstantinos Athanasiadis
Deputy Programme Leader
Find out more about Dr Konstantinos Athanasiadis

Further course information

Programme specifications
Master of Business Administration - Full time, Sem A	Download
Master Of Business Administration - Full time, Sem C	Download
Master of Business Administration - Full Time, Sem B	Download
MBA Master Of Business Administration - Full time, Sem C	Download

Additional information
Sandwich placement or study abroad year	n/a
Applications open to international and EU students	Yes

Student experience

At the University of Hertfordshire, we want to make sure your time studying with us is as stress-free and rewarding as possible. We offer a range of support services including; student wellbeing, academic support, accommodation and childcare to ensure that you make the most of your time at Herts and can focus on studying and having fun.

Find out about how we support our students

Funding and fees
Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Fees 2026
UK Students
Full time
- £20950 for the 2026/2027 academic year
EU Students
Full time
- £21450 for the 2026/2027 academic year
International Students
Full time
- £21450 for the 2026/2027 academic year
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University's Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed "When tuition fees change"), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

View detailed information about tuition fees

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

Read more about additional fees in the Programme Specification.

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Apply through our international/EU application portal

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2026

Start Date	End Date	Year	Location	Link
23/09/2026	30/09/2027	1	UH Hatfield Campus	Apply online (Full Time)
20/01/2027	31/01/2028	1	UH Hatfield Campus	Apply online (Full Time)
11/05/2027	31/05/2028	1	UH Hatfield Campus	Apply online (Full Time)

2027

Start Date	End Date	Year	Location	Link
23/09/2027	30/09/2028	1	UH Hatfield Campus	Apply online (Full Time)
20/01/2028	31/01/2029	1	UH Hatfield Campus	Apply online (Full Time)
11/05/2028	31/05/2029	1	UH Hatfield Campus	Apply online (Full Time)

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Master of Business Administration

Why choose Herts?

Careers

Alumni success stories

Alumni Stories

Meet Jackson, whose passion for digital marketing led him to the UK to study an MBA.

Challenged beyond my expectations

Thinking about undertaking an MBA?

Alumni Stories

Meet Padmavathi, who’s Journey at Herts led to becoming a Flare Success with her healthcare business.

Life at Herts

Aspirational success

Advice for future students

About the course

Why choose this course?

What will I study?

Key staff

Further course information

Student experience

Other financial support

Fees 2026

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Living costs / accommodation

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2026

2027