MBA International Business
To transpose Calvin Coolidge’s reflection on American society to Ireland, the business of Ireland is International Business. Since the 1960s the consistent policy ambition of opening up the Irish economy has led to Ireland having a global reputation for the attraction and retention of the best of foreign direct investment. On the back of those policies, Ireland has punched above its weight in the internationalisation of indigenous enterprise. To excel at the top of enterprise, ambitious managers need to build upon their functional skills to become international leaders. The MBA in IB, an aggressive year long full time programme, builds on WIT’s School of Business successful Executive MBA programme.
Flexible Structure
The MBA in International Business is a two-year programme, with multiple entry and exit points. Suitably qualified applicants may enter the second year of the programme directly. For those who do not meet the criteria for entry directly to the second year, a preliminary year may be offered to provide candidates with the opportunity to fill any perceived gaps in theory, awareness and/or experience of international business issues. The year consists mainly of work placement in an international environment and/or academic studies in international business or a combination of both depending on the profile of each individual candidate. A Learning Agreement will identify the academic and career profile gaps of the applicant and on this basis, the candidate will pursue the year in an academic or work setting as appropriate.
Teaching methods, while innovative and varied, emphasise self-learning and the demonstration of initiative by participants. There are two exam sittings each year: semester one exams take place in January while semester two exams take place in May. Each subject is assessed by either end of semester exam or continuous assessment.
Dissertation
The capstone of this programme is the dissertation, as independent piece of research undertaken with supervision in the third semester. There is considerable scope in the choice of subject areas by the candidate and the research method employed. This is a major element of the course, accounting for one third of the total marks. The Research Methods module supports the dissertation process. Each student is allocated a supervisor who guides them through the dissertation. In addition to developing the participant’s ability to undertake independent research, the dissertation aims to integrate the theoretical and practical elements of the programme’s learning. The dissertation will enable candidates to acquire an extensive set of transferable skills through the critical thinking and independent thought processes that will enhance their own self-awareness and capacity to appreciate learning as a constantly recurring cyclical process.
| Career OpportunitiesMBAs make a difference wherever they go. The potential career paths for those graduating from the MBA in International Business are many and diverse including opportunities in both the private and public sectors namely in business development, financial services, international marketing, brand management, analysts’ roles and in the educational sector. The career path chosen by course participants can be enhanced by the research focus adopted for their dissertation. |
Application Process
Each applicant brings a unique set of experiences, and each application is assessed individually. We look for strong academic qualifications and work experience. For those who do not meet the criteria for entry, a preliminary year may be offered to provide candidates with the opportunity to fill any perceived gaps in theory, awareness and/or experience of international business issues.
Specifically we look for
- Degree or professional qualification or equivalent to be in a business-related field
- Three years or more relevant business experience, with an international dimension
- A satisfactory score in the GMAT score
- Satisfactory performance at the admission interview
- For non native English speakers, evidence of fluency in written and spoken English
Where applicants do not meet one of the above criteria, they may be offered the opportunity to proceed through the Preliminary Year of the Programme.
For Further Information
| Course Leader | Dr. Ray Griffin e. rgriffin@wit.ie t. +353-51-302221 |
| Head of Graduate Business | Dr. Denis Harrington |
