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Master of Business Administration (MBAL) - MBAdmin

 Online
Fees:Domestic full fee paying place
International full fee paying place
Standard duration:6 teaching periods (1 year) full-time, up to 6 years part-time 
Program articulation:

From: ; Graduate Certificate of Business Administration ; Graduate Diploma of Business Administration

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Contact us

Future Australian and New Zealand students  Future International students  Current students 

Freecall (within Australia): 1800 269 500
Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 5315
Email: study@usq.edu.au  

Phone: +61 7 4631 5543
Email: international@usq.edu.au 

Freecall (within Australia): 1800 007 252
Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 2285
Email usq.support@usq.edu.au 

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Program aims

The USQ Master of Business Administration program will transform the managers of today into the leaders of tomorrow. Future organisational success depends on executives who not only thrive in dynamic and disruptive environments but who can rise above the noise, face uncomfortable truths, crack the code and get things done. The problem-based learning design of the USQ MBA provides opportunities to develop the skills and capabilities to convert thinking from the operational to the strategic providing a platform from which to jump into executive roles in regional, national or international organisations. The program is offered in intensive 8-week blocks of study with 6 teaching periods per year. This delivery mode will allow students who elect to study full time, to complete this program in 12 months.

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Program objectives

On completion of this program students will be able to:

  1. Synthesise contemporary and advanced bodies of knowledge to transform business.

  2. Critically analyse complex data to drive innovative and sustainable business performance.

  3. Communicate with impact to influence internal and external stakeholders, both locally and globally.

  4. Leverage personal attributes and skills to respond creatively to business challenges.

  5. Exercise professional judgement informed by reflection and responsible ethical practice to make evidence-based decisions.

  6. Mobilise complex networks of people, systems and/or resources to respond to challenges and capitalise on emergent local and global opportunities.

  7. Apply the research process to address complex business problems.


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Australian Qualifications Framework

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a single national, comprehensive system of qualifications offered by higher education institutions (including universities), vocational education and training institutions and secondary schools. Each AQF qualification has a set of descriptors which define the type and complexity of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills that a graduate who has been awarded that qualification has attained, and the typical volume of learning associated with that qualification type.

This program is at AQF Qualification Level 09. Graduates at this level will have specialised knowledge and skills for research, and/or professional practice and/or further learning.

The full set of levels criteria and qualification type descriptors can be found by visiting .

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Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

  • Completion of an Australian university three (3) year Bachelor degree with a GPA of at least 4.0 out of 7.0, and a minimum of three years' professional work experience in business with at least one years’ management or supervisory level experience, or equivalent; or

  • Completion of an Australian university Graduate Certificate (or other AQF 8 qualification) with a GPA of at least 4.0 out of 7.0, and a minimum of one years’ management or supervisory level experience, or equivalent.

  • English Language Proficiency requirements for Category 3.


For candidates who do not meet the above Admission requirements, USQ’s Graduate Diploma of Business Administration provides an articulation pathway into the Master of Business Administration.

All students are required to satisfy the applicable .

If students do not meet the English language requirements they may apply to study a ¾«¶«´«Ã½app-approved . On successful completion of the English language program, students may be admitted to an award program.

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Program fees

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the

Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.

Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for .

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

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Program structure

The Master of Business Administration consists of 12 compulsory courses, each of one unit. Courses are offered in intensive teaching periods of 8 weeks with 6 teaching periods per year. Students can commence their studies in any teaching period.

MBA8001 Leveraging Your Leadership Identity and MBA8002 Approaching Decision-Making Strategically must be taken in the first or second Teaching Period of study. MBA8012 Dreaming Big (Capstone) must be taken in the final Teaching Period of study. MBA8011 Driving Growth and Innovation and MBA8012 Dreaming Big (Capstone) must be taken in the final two Teaching Periods of study. Students can elect to take the middle 8 courses in any order with the choice of course dependant on the period of teaching a student wishes to enrol in.

Course:  Teaching period of offer: 
MBA8001 Leveraging Your Leadership Identity  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 
MBA8002 Making Decisions Strategically  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 
MBA8003 Analysing Business Data   3, 5 
MBA8004 Leading a High-Performance Culture  4, 6 
MBA8005 Shaping Organisational Policy   1, 5 
MBA8006 Balancing Drivers of Business Performance   2, 6 
MBA8007 Designing Systems for Impact  1, 3 
MBA8008 Communicating Strategically  2, 5 
MBA8009 Mobilising Your People  3, 4 
MBA8010 Leading Through a Crisis   4, 6 
MBA8011 Driving Growth and Innovation  1, 3, 5, 6 
MBA8012 Dreaming Big (Capstone)   2, 4, 6 

** For further information on Teaching Periods please see the (see Apply section).

Please refer to the current for further information surrounding particular courses.

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Required time limits

Students have a maximum of six years to complete this program.

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IT requirements

For information technology requirements please refer to the minimum computing standards.

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Other program requirements

Students must maintain good standing in this program. Please refer to the Academic Standing, Progression and Exclusion Procedure.

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Articulation

Students who complete the Master of Business Administration are eligible to apply for the Doctor of Business Administration, provided that they meet all of the admission requirements for that program. Please refer to the Doctor of Business Administration for further information, or contact the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts.

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Exit points

A student who chooses not to complete or who does not maintain good standing in this program may be permitted to exit with a lesser qualification as set out below:

  • A student who successfully completes MBA8001 Leveraging your Leadership Identity, MBA8002 Making Decisions Strategically and any six other Master of Business Administration courses (with the exception of MBA8011 Driving Growth and Innovation and MBA8012 Capstone: Dream Big) may, upon application, exit with a Graduate Diploma of Business Administration.

  • A student who successfully completes MBA8001 Leveraging your Leadership Identity, MBA8002 Making Decisions Strategically and any two other Master of Business Administration courses (with the exception of MBA8011 Driving Growth and Innovation and MBA8012 Capstone: Dream Big) may, upon application, exit with a Graduate Certificate of Business Administration.


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Credit

Credit may be granted on the basis of completed equivalent postgraduate study from a recognised university. In order for credit to be granted, the claim must meet the following specific requirements:

  • The course was passed within five years prior to the application (courses up to 10 years old may be considered if evidence is provided that the applicant has been employed in that field) the course passed is sufficiently equivalent in objectives, content and weightings to a course prescribed in the Master of Business Administration, or alternatively, the course is suitable as an elective.

  • Where the student has taken out an award from a recognised tertiary institution, and is claiming credit on the basis of courses completed to meet the requirements of that program, the maximum credit on the basis of such courses shall be no greater than 6 courses for the Master of Business Administration.

  • Credit approved in this program will not automatically apply to other programs offered by the USQ.


Claims for credit should be submitted prior to or at the time of enrolment in a course. Each claim will be assessed on individual merit in line with USQ policy. Credit approved in this program will not automatically apply to other programs offered by USQ. Please contact the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts for further information.

Recommended enrolment pattern

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Teaching Period 1 recommended enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

Course:  Requisite required:  Recommended enrolment pattern: 
MBA8001 Leveraging Your Leadership Identity    Teaching Period 1 
MBA8002 Making Decisions Strategically  MBA8001  Teaching Period 2 
MBA8003 Analysing Business Data  MBA8001 & MBA8002  Teaching Period 3 
MBA8004 Leading a High-Performance Culture  MBA8001 & MBA8002  Teaching Period 4 
MBA8005 Shaping Organisational Policy  MBA8001 & MBA8002  Teaching Period 5 
MBA8006 Balancing Drivers of Business Performance   MBA8001 & MBA8002  Teaching Period 6 
MBA8007 Designing Systems for Impact  MBA8001 & MBA8002  Teaching Period 1 
MBA8008 Communicating Strategically  MBA8001 & MBA8002  Teaching Period 2 
MBA8009 Mobilising Your People  MBA8001 & MBA8002  Teaching Period 3 
MBA8010 Leading Through a Crisis  MBA8001 & MBA8002  Teaching Period 4 
MBA8011 Driving Growth and Innovation  Pre-requisite: MBA8001 and MBA8002 and MBA8003 and MBA8004 and MBA8005 and MBA8006 and MBA8007 and MBA8008 and MBA8009 and MBA8010 and Students must be enrolled in the following Program: MBAL  Teaching Period 5 
MBA8012 Dreaming Big (Capstone)  Pre-requisite: MBA8001 and MBA8002 and MBA8003 and MBA8004 and MBA8005 and MBA8006 and MBA8007 and MBA8008 and MBA8009 and MBA8010 and Students must be enrolled in the following Program: MBAL Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: MBA8011  Teaching Period 6