Entry Requirements

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Entry Requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

A good honours degree (minimum 2:1) or the overseas equivalent. An initial qualification in teaching, or at least one year’s professional experience in a public or private educational organisation, are desirable but not essential requirements.

Please provide two satisfactory professional or academic references and a copy of your CV detailing your full work experience. You will also need to provide a personal statement (approx. 500 words) detailing why you’re interested in studying on the course.

English language

In the case of non-native speakers of English an IELTS profile of 6.5 overall with no less that 6.5 in the writing component and no other subsection below 6.0

Or

TOEFL internet-based score of 90 or more overall, with a minimum writing score of 22 and no other section below 20.

Or

Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) overall score of 176 or above, with 176 in writing and no sub-section below 169

Or

Grade C if taken before January 2015 (the Cambridge First Certificate in English is not acceptable).

Or

Pearson test of English score of 59 or more overall, with a minimum writing score of 59 and no other subsection below 51

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Part time Global MBA entry requirements

1. Intellectual ability / achievement

The MBA programme is intellectually demanding and requires you to quickly absorb and analyse new material and apply it in a fast-moving environment. We need to be confident that you have the ability to rise to the intellectual challenges the programme presents.

 

Candidates for the Global MBA programmes are required to have:

 

  • A strong undergraduate degree result (UK bachelor’s degree or international equivalent as recognised by UK NARIC http://www.naric.org.uk/naric) from a recognised university, or a higher level degree.
  • Postgraduate, specialisation and professional qualifications can strengthen an application and compensate for a weaker performance in the bachelor’s degree.

Exceptionally, mature and experienced managers with the potential to meet the learning requirements of the MBA may also be considered as candidates (see below: MBA Admission route for applicants who do not have a degree).

 

Grade Required
Degree qualifications vary by country and university, however for the Bachelor degree we normally look for the equivalent of a first class or upper second class honours result in the UK system. We normally expect candidates to be in the top 25% of their class.

 

Degree Subject
We consider candidates from any subject discipline however you should be numerate with the ability to think critically, logically and integrate ideas, and have a good awareness of economic and international affairs.

 

Professional Qualifications

A professional accountancy qualification is required to be considered for the Global Finance Accelerated MBA route.

 

Examples of Professional Accountancy Qualifications: Accountancy: ACA, FCA or CA (Chartered Accountant), ACCA or FCCA (Chartered Certified Accountant), ACMA or FCMA (Chartered Management Accountant), CPFA (Chartered Public Finance Accountant), AAIA or FAIA (International Accountant), AFA or FFA (Incorporated Financial Accountant). AICPA or FCPA (Certified Public Accountant), CPA (Certified Public Accountant).

 

It may be possible to gain a place without the specified formal academic qualifications. If you do not have a degree your application can be considered through the accreditation of prior learning (APL), which may be certificated or experiential. Credit is allocated for evidence of achieving appropriate and assessed learning outcomes, rather than for experience itself.

 

You will need to:

 

  • Demonstrate high levels of achievement, exceptional career progression and significant management experience in a leadership position or, have an excellent track record as a successful entrepreneur.
  • Show alternative evidence of intellectual ability e.g. strong school results, professional training courses, non-degree business qualifications such as CIMA, ACCA etc.
  • Achieve a strong admissions test score.

All applicants to our MBA programmes are required to take an admissions test and we will not normally assess your application until we have your result. You can choose to take the Manchester Admissions Test (MAT), GMAT® or GRE®.

 

When completing the application form you can select which test you prefer to take.

 

Most candidates for our Global MBA programmes will take the Manchester Admissions Test (MAT), which is designed and delivered by Talent Q.

 

  • The MAT is completed online and you can take it at your convenience in your home or office or anywhere where you have a good internet connection.
  • There are three short assessments (verbal, numerical and logical) that do not require preparation and take around 45 minutes to complete.
  • We will provide you with a login and password to take the test after you submit your MBA application. The invitation will come from notifications@talentqgroup.com. Please save this email to your contacts so that the invitation does not get delivered to your junk email.

We will not assess your MBA application until we have received your admissions test result, therefore once you receive the MAT invitation you should take the test straightaway, as we are keen to give you a decision about your admission to the MBA as soon as possible.


GMAT and GRE require dedicated preparation to optimise your performance and you will need to register to take the test on a particular date in an official test centre. If you have already completed the GMAT or GRE you will be asked to enter your scores in the application form. If you are intending to take GMAT or GRE you will need to put your intended test date to be able to submit the MBA application form.

 

How will we use your result in our admissions decision?

 

The admissions test is only one of our admission criteria – we are looking for candidates with the ‘right fit’ for the unique Manchester MBA. We take a holistic view when evaluating applications, considering the ‘person’ rather than a score and place more emphasis on your professional, academic and personal achievements; and your leadership and team-working skills. A very good result does not necessarily give a better chance of admission and a less strong result does not mean you cannot be admitted.

 

For further information about Admissions Tests for our Global MBA programmes please click here.
2. Professional experience

The part-time Global MBA involves the development of strategic business knowledge and international perspective, combined with training in leadership and managerial skills. The part-time Global MBA is designed to build on previous experience gained from having worked within organisations, therefore it is important that our MBA students have good relevant professional experience in order to fully contribute and benefit from the programme.

 

We normally require at least three years full-time work experience after graduation (from completion of your undergraduate degree to commencing the MBA).

 

  • Current class work experience (range): 6-10 years. Average age: 34 years

Entry is competitive – when assessing your suitability to benefit from the Manchester MBA and your aptitude/potential as a future business leader, we are looking for the following:

 

  • A strong CV/resume showing; a good level of responsibility, consistent and ideally fast-track career progression, strong achievements for the length of your career to date demonstrating impact in your organisation and higher than average performance in your industry sector or function compared to your peers.
  • Leadership/management experience and potential including some or all of the following:
    • Management/leadership of teams/colleagues
    • Client relationship management
    • Financial/budgetary responsibility
    • Project management/leadership
    • Managing across different parts of an organisation
    • Decision making, contribution to strategy

The majority of candidates come from business, finance, engineering or entrepreneurial backgrounds, however we are interested in candidates from any sector. We have admitted successful MBA students from many non-traditional business sectors, including military, healthcare, legal, leisure/sports, and the creative arts and have alumni working in successful careers in many non-traditional business sectors.

Success in the part-time Global MBA programme and your future career also depends on other work related skills and competencies e.g. analytical skills, numeracy, negotiation, presentation, problem-solving, reasoning, creativity, ability to generate ideas etc. Good knowledge of MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint are also essential. We look for evidence that you have, or can develop these competencies.

Although not an essential requirement, international exposure can add a competitive edge to your application. Our MBA has a strong international focus and we are looking for people with an international outlook. We look favourably on candidates who have experience of living and working in other countries, working in international teams, or working in international environments. International exposure is also valued by post-MBA employers. The part-time Global MBA provides considerable advantages if you are seeking an international career.

Entrepreneurial experience and creativity (within your own business or corporate environment) are highly valued in candidates. Candidates with the ability to innovate are often strong contributors during the MBA programme and alumni involved in entrepreneurship can contribute significantly to society and communities. We look to admit candidates with the ability to perceive opportunities and contribute ideas to the MBA class, thereby enhancing the stimulating learning environment of the MBA.
3. Soft skills

Team working skills are essential for success on the MBA. We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate the qualities of a team player and are innovative and effective contributors with the ability to work constructively and collaboratively in international teams. We expect you to be able to communicate opinions and ideas clearly and honestly with respect for others and be motivated to work in the best interests of your MBA teams and project clients.

Communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills are also essential for success on the MBA programme and in senior level business careers. We therefore place a strong emphasis on these key requirements in selecting the right candidates. We expect you to be highly articulate, with strong communication skills in English (see English requirements below) with the ability to share your experience and express your ideas in the classroom and student groups, and in written reports and presentations.

We look for candidates who are mature, motivated, energetic, ambitious and enthusiastic, with strong personal values, social awareness, sense of community and integrity.

In addition to intellectual ability, experience, team working and communication skills, key requirements are; leadership characteristics, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, self-management, openness to change and personal growth. We are looking for people who are open to share and learn from the experience and ideas of others and are able to accept and value constructive feedback from MBA colleagues, project supervisors and company representatives.

Candidates for the Global MBA are not automatically required to take an English Language test. If you have taken an English test please provide the details of your score in the application form and email a copy of your score report. English competence is assessed throughout the admissions process through:

 

  • The application form and essays
  • Admissions Test (verbal reasoning)
  • An interview (if further proof of English is required)

If further evidence is needed of English language proficiency, we may ask you to take an official English language test to prove your competency.
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