University of Otago
School of Business/Graduate Programmes
Dunedin

Otago MBA

Start date: Jan                     Length: 16 months (FT)*

First offered: 1976

Fees, includes texts:           Domestic $27,844            Non domestic $36,000        

Objectives
  • academically rigorous programme, with a strong focus on managerial relevance, practical application and personal development.
  • to provide a forum for students to self-actualise and add value to their future careers. Some of these benefits include: enhancing team building skills, developing critical thinking and awareness, exposure to new business applications and processes, gaining valuable lifetime business contacts and becoming a member of an exclusive network.

Particular strengths or unique aspects
  • small class size (25 maximum) ensures a large degree of personal mentoring and guidance from staff and the syndicate structure fosters skills of peer management, collaboration, negotiation and argument.
  • diversity of the student mix ensures a wide variety of experience and culture.
  • only NZ MBA programme to be recognised internationally.
  • only NZ MBA programme to be ranked in top 100 in the world by Economist Intelligence Unit (2002 & 2005).

 

Teaching methods

  • curriculum is structured to provide a broad foundation across all aspects of the external business environment
  • then built upon through courses in the functional areas of management and strategy, progressing from the external to the internal environment
  • critical thinking and decision-making tools and techniques are developed and applied throughout
  • students are assigned to teams, which reflect the diversity of professional and educational backgrounds, demographics and work style preferences
  • teams work together on projects, presentations, and assignments and learn to understand better their own and other team members’ strengths and weaknesses as well as honing skills such as conflict resolution and problem solving
  • capstone course and central feature is the business project, where students act as consultants to the senior management of a client organization, identifying and resolving issues facing the organization

Participation of business and/or government sectors
  • the business sector and the MBA are inextricably linked, cooperating in mutually beneficial ways to ensure delivery of the best possible experience.
  • practitioners may teach courses or parts of courses or offer guest slots.
  • visits to organizations acting as Live Case Studies, help to hone students’ diagnostic and problem solving skills.
  • The willingness of business leaders and senior government officials to give up their time to address the MBA class or work with the students on issues of national and international importance is testament to the value placed on the relationships with the MBA
 

In 2007

      
Number of faculty teaching   19 Classroom hours   560
Entering students   13 Students enrolled    26
Graduating students     13 Total NZ Graduates     697

(*students may transfer from Diploma into the MBA making the length up to 48 months)

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