The syllabus

While syllabi vary between courses, they usually have a number of core components in common.

For example, a typical syllabus will include training in a broad range of areas, including: accounting and financial reporting, business economics and strategy, human resources, operations, information management and marketing; as well as governance and organisational behaviour.

Components focusing on the nature of the challenges of doing business in the modern global environment will often also be included.

Alongside such core components, there will be a broad range of electives, which go deeper into different specialisms. Examples might include corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, business dynamics, knowledge management, branding, advertising, entrepreneurship, forecasting, strategy, etc. In short, they cover a breadth of areas as varied as business itself.

The mix of work tasks

MBA courses usually involve a large component of classroom training, as well as group discussions, and lots of private study. There will also be practical exercises and often a full-length dissertation.

A significant component on most courses is an intensive business or consulting project, perhaps sponsored by a business firm; perhaps even involving carrying out a real work exercise for the firm.