Recognised qualification. Around the world, over 1000 educational institutions offer the MBA degree. It has developed an international identity with MBA graduates working in and managing organisations on every continent. The MBA qualification remains the most recognised graduate-level business degree within businesses, worldwide.


What do MBA degree students learn?

This is a complex question and the answer is dependent on several factors. One of the most critical factors is the student and how prepared and motivated he or she is for learning. MBA programmes provide an opportunity for individuals to learn. In order to take advantage of the opportunity, students need to be willing and ready to learn. For those who are prepared, learning often exceeds the boundaries of what is formally taught and may change forever how they perceive themselves and others.

As this personal learning is so dependent on the individual student's readiness, I will focus on what is formally taught within most MBA programmes.

From my experience, the MBA degree should assist an individual in understanding and being able to analyse how organisations, the people in them and the environments in which they exist, function. It should provide insight into organisations that are performing extremely well, thus teaching aspects of 'current best practice'. Most programmes will also include futuristic views on business and management trends to assist students in understanding what organisations may look like in the future.

The content of an MBA degree, is segmented into four reasonably identifiable components – 1) personal skill development, 2) internal organisational issues, 3) people, and 4) organisational boundary and external issues.

Personal skill development. For participants to be able to understand and analyse requires that MBA programmes include topics such as quantitative, qualitative, statistical and research methods.

It is also beneficial if individuals are exposed to their own biases and personal belief systems so that they may better understand how and potentially why they view issues as they do. Some programmes will include topics based in psychology, philosophy, sociology and business ethics to assist in increasing students' self-awareness and understanding.

By the very nature of most MBA programmes, students are expected to develop their personal and interpersonal skills of communicating. Assignments must be written and in many cases orally presented to other members of one's MBA class. Several programmes will require that students work in teams where they will be expected to learn about communicating and working with others. Some but not all programmes offer workshops or other opportunities for students to learn about these skills and their ability to use them.