Program Requirements

The Master of Business Administration requires completion of 48 units which must consist of:

MGMT8101 - Critical Thinking and Organisational Decision-Making (3 units)

MGMT8102 - Evidence-based Decision Making (3 units)

MGMT8103 - Forward Thinking and Australia’s Contemporary Outlook (3 units)

MGMT8104 - Responsible Management and Stewardship (3 units)

MGMT8105 - Shared Purpose and Strategic Leadership Processes (3 units)

MGMT8106 - Public Sector Resources Management (3 units)

MGMT8107 - Portfolio Management: Insights from Implementation and Integrations Sciences (3 units)

MGMT8108 - Organisational Learning and Behavioural Change (3 units)

MGMT8109 - Empowering People and Teams in Climates of Respect and Psychological Safety (3 units)

MGMT8110 - Creating Sustainable Value (3 units)

MGMT8111 - Dynamic Capabilities and Innovation in the Public Sector Ecosystem (3 units)

MGMT8112 - Business Skills, Sustainable and Responsible Procurement Processes (3 units)

MGMT8113 - Diversity, Inclusion, and Closing Gaps Capstone (12 units)

Capstone Courses

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have:

• a minimum of 5 years of documented professional experience in a managerial role(s)

and one of the following qualifications:

• Enrolment in a sponsored ANU Program offered by the College of Business & Economics with a partner organisation in the Australian Public Service, with employment in at least an APS EL1 position or equivalent level of responsibilities and written support from SES-level Manager (or alternative position as appropriate); or
• A Bachelor degree or international equivalent in a cognate discipline with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0; or
• A Bachelor (Honours) degree or international equivalent in a cognate discipline with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0; or
• A Graduate Certificate or international equivalent in a cognate discipline with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0; or
• A Graduate Diploma or international equivalent in a cognate discipline with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0; or
• A Master degree or international equivalent in a cognate discipline with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0; or
• 48 units of postgraduate courses in a cognate discipline with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0; or
• GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), completed no more than 5 years before the time of application, with a minimum score of 550 (minimum 5.0 in Analytical Writing) and a minimum total of 8 years of full-time equivalent years of professional experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program; or
• GRE General test, completed no more than 5 years before the time of application, with a minimum score of 155 for Verbal Reasoning, 155 for Quantitative Reasoning and 4.0 in Analytical Writing, and a minimum total of 8 years of full-time equivalent years of professional experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program; or
• A minimum total of 15 years of full-time equivalent years of professional experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program.

The GPA for a Bachelor program will be calculated from (i) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades and/or (ii) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades other than those from the last semester (or equivalent study period) of the Bachelor degree. The higher of the two calculations will be used as the basis for admission.

Ranking and English Language Proficiency: At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry. 

In line with the University's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. Applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of:

• a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or
• demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency

Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.

Further information: English language admission requirements and post-admission support

Diversity factors: As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe.

Assessment of qualifications: Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met.

Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au.

Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.

ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications. 

In addition, all applicants must provide a completed ANU MBA Program CV template containing:

• Responses to application questions;
• Curriculum vitae clearly identifying periods of full-time and part-time employment experience;
• Names and contact details of two professional referees who can verify the experience.

The Master of Business Administration program is highly competitive and has a limit on the number of enrolments in each academic year. Applicants will be initially assessed on the minimum criteria detailed above. Where an applicant meets the minimum criteria, they will then also be ranked based on the merit of their relative work experience, academic and/or GMAT/GRE results.

Cognate Disciplines

For the purposes of admission ‘cognate’ is to be defined as any of the following Fields of Education:

06 Health

08 Management and Commerce

09 Society and Culture

For more information, please refer to Fields of Education or contact the ANU College of Business & Economics.

Fee Information

All students are required to pay the Services and amenities fee (SA Fee)

The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.

For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

Employment Opportunities

This distinctive program equips leaders with evidence-based leadership and management capabilities, techniques, transdisciplinary knowledge and inquiry skills to bolster the quality and integrity of their decisions. It also provides leaders with the following mutually reinforcing evidence-based leadership and management tools and capabilities:

1. The capabilities to empower individuals and teams with purpose and impact whilst ensuring psychological safety;
2. The critical thinking skills to foster “outside the box” thinking, to actively mitigate biases and error, and identify misinformation in decision-making and judgment processes,
3. The cognitive agility to switch modes of thinking and analysis to solve complex problems and navigate paradox in context;
4. The innovation and dynamic capabilities to efficiently and effectively address future uncertainty, paradoxical outcomes, unintended consequences, and organisational and environmental disruptions;
5. Evidence-based decision-making skills, including the application and integration of multiple sources of information and perspectives to improve both people-centred and human-technology-centred policy and service delivery outcomes; and
6. Employing a purpose-driven approach to planning and strategic public sector resources management.

Students enrolled in the Master of Business Administration will be:

• Managers seeking promotion or appointment pathways to senior executive positions in private or public sectors, or non-government organisations
• Managers in the private or public sectors who are challenged by the complexity of modern organisations and seek benefits from using business knowledge within government
• Managers who want to move between sectors (i.e. from private to public or public to private )
• Entrepreneurs from a range of industries
• Professionals from diverse backgrounds that need management knowledge and skills to enhance their career prospects
• Management consultants seeking leading-edge thinking on management practice policy advisers designing, implementing or evaluating policies
• Management, leadership, consultant, coordination or administration positions in sales, advertising, marketing, corporate services, tourism, hospitality, health, welfare, social services, administration, public relations, policy, planning, production, education services, customer services, facilities and construction.

Graduates complete their studies having demonstrated all the attributes of being;

• An evidence-based decision-maker
• A transdisciplinary critical thinker with cognitive agility
• A responsible leader and steward of sustainable and ethical practice 
• A decision-maker with integrity
• Purpose-driven
• A dynamic innovator
• An empowerer of people and teams
• A public sector ecosystem (PSE) practitioner with values and professional standards

Who go on to become:

• Chief Executive Officers in the public or private sectors
• SES (Senior Executive Service) in the Australian Public Service
• Company Directors
• Executives
• Senior Managers
• Business Consultants
• Entrepreneurs
• and leaders in many other influential roles.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify problems, opportunities, suitable solutions and evidence based practices from multiple discipline to support the well-being of internal and external stakeholders;
2. Articulate the ways in which the UN's Principles of Responsible Management can be enacted through people-centered policy and practice at different levels of organisation in the public sector ecosystem;
3. Gauge complex problems and challenges the public sector ecosystem face at both organisational and national levels by using critical and analytical thinking skills;
4. Integrate in evidence-based decisions Indigenous ways of knowing, thinking, learning and perceiving in decision making;
5. Generate innovations and creative solutions to address complex problems and opportunities and adapt to changes in environments with plans to mitigate risks and uncertainty;
   
6. Use communication, negotiation, and contracting skills to work more effectively with the commercial sector, across industries and with universities; and
7. Create climates for teams and individuals to help them thrive, and organisations for psychological safety that enable dual purpose and organisational effectiveness.

Further Information

Program Highlights

• Study an exclusive program in Canberra, the capital of Australia and seat of government, at a highly-ranked Australian university (QS World University Rankings 2023).
• Be taught by world-renowned scholars in evidence-based management, operational management, strategy, project management, information systems, change management, innovation and entrepreneurship, leadership and marketing. The Research School of Management is ranked 36th in the World in the area of “social science and management” in the 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject, Top 5  in Australia for “business and economics” in 2023 THE Subject Rankings, and was rated equal best in Australia and “well above world standard” again in the 2018 Excellence in Research Australia results.
• Experience the next iteration of the world’s first Evidence-Based management MBA program. All courses in the MBA have been redesigned to equip students with the skills to identify, evaluate and apply the best available evidence to inform more effective decision-making in the context of the business of government.
• Study as a cohort with one November intake a year, with classes ranging between 20 and 50 students, to ensure quality interaction is possible.
• Complete your studies in as little as 1 year (full-time), with a course schedule built around the parliamentary sitting calendar.
• Classes are offered as a mix of self-paced online study and Friday-Sunday intensive face-to-face sessions to support full-time employment while studying.

Application Materials

A personal interview (in person or phone) may be required to confirm work experience and referees may be contacted. Please provide the completed CV template and two referee reports/letters as one PDF and upload it with your application.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. If the CV template does not detail your employment history clearly, especially with respect to professional and managerial experience, your application will be deemed incomplete.

For those students without the necessary years of work experience required but who are interested in Masters-level Management studies, please consider the following highly attractive alternatives:

• Master of Management : a 1-year (48 unit) program that focuses on Management and related discipline studies
• Master of Philosophy : a 2-year (96 unit) program that focuses on Business and related Management discipline studies, with integrated research training and research thesis coursework.
• Master of International Management : a 2-year (96 unit) program that focuses on Management and International Business discipline studies

Employers who are seeking career advancement opportunities for their middle to senior-level managers are invited to discuss their organisational needs by contacting the Research School of Management at mba@anu.edu.au for further information.