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26. Master of Business Administration (MBA)

The Dubai Business School (DBS) uses research-based class material, thoughtfully designed courses and exemplary faculty to provide one of the highest quality degree programs anywhere. One reason the DBS is able to reach these high standards is because the College is internationally accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). This AACSB accreditation puts the DBS in an elite group in which only 5% of the world’s business schools are a part.

The MBA Program is designed to prepare business leaders and professionals for successful careers in organizations as it enhances critical thinking, increases oral and written communication skills, builds appreciation for diverse cultural perspectives, improves decision making in a rapidly changing global environment and reinforces the application of knowledge and skills in problem solving. Ethics and corporate social responsibility are woven throughout the curriculum.

The major objective of UD MBA is to offer high quality graduate business education to the residents of Dubai, UAE and other MENA countries. The MBA program offered by UD differs from existing MBA programs offered by other institutions in the following ways:

  • The UD MBA has been designed to prepare graduates for successful careers in organizations. The program will enhance critical thinking, increase oral and written communication skills, build appreciation for diverse cultural perspectives, improve decision making in a rapidly changing global environment, and reinforce the application of knowledge and skills in problem solving. Ethics and corporate social responsibility is woven throughout the curriculum.
  • The instructional process is based on a cohort format and includes a combination of classroom, virtual business simulations and contextualized real-world case-based learning to provide value added hands-on experience and help students use their time effectively. The on-line portion of the learning is enhanced by using the MOODLE platform.
  • The UD MBA has four concentrations in order to meet the need for professionals in these areas, especially in Dubai, UAE and other countries in MEA region. In addition, the program has been designed to allow students with any undergraduate degree from an accredited University with no work experience who meet admission criteria to be admitted to the General MBA program.
  • The UD MBA specialization curriculum is of high quality and integrated with emphasis on applied learning, mapped to professional qualifications such as the USA’s SHRM, CFM & CFA Level 1 and the UK’s CIPS, CILT, ILM & CIM. MBA graduates can sit for these examinations for earning professional certification which adds value to their career
  • The Work-Based Project for working students is a unique requirement at the UDDBS which is tailored to the empirical aspect of learning in the respective concentrations. This requirement together with Capstone course and a set of 5-6 business simulations in core and concentration courses significantly add to the practical and applied learning aspects of MBA in the UAE/MEA region.
  • The restructured program structure being offered from Fall 2016 have two parallel streams of MBA program a) General MBA and b) Two Concentrations MBA. The General MBA is for non-working fresh graduates, and Specialized MBA with Two Concentrations is for working professionals with at least 2 years’ experience at the time of entry to MBA. There are four (4) two concentrations in MBA such as Leadership and Human Resource Management; Finance and Accounting; Logistics and Operations and International Business & Marketing.
  • The General MBA is a 30 CH course (with 8 courses) + 1 internship of 6 CH, specifically designed for fresh undergraduates from the domestic and international market. As part of this one year General MBA program, there will also be 4 months’ internship spread over 2 terms (in terms 3 and 4).
  • The Specialized MBA is a 48 CH course with eight (8) management courses + 6 two concentrations course of 18 CH + work based project of 6 CH or two electives of 6 CH in other two concentrations. This is specifically designed for management professionals who possess at least 2 years of work experience in the respective management domain and would further like to enrich their domain knowledge and become specialists. In this regard, the working students are expected to complete the courses pertaining to General MBA during the first year and to pursue the two concentrations courses in the second year. These courses can be taken at the rate of 2 courses per term. These students have the option of either completing their Work-based Project course or instead, take two additional courses from paired electives in other concentrations.
  • By the virtue of taking the specialized courses at UD which are already aligned to the global professional certifications, the corresponding professional program exemptions will be provided for these specialized concentration candidates to take the certification courses. This unique feature however is not available for the General MBA graduates.
  • The classroom sessions are geared to develop critical thinking skills through sets of scenarios and professors pose the question “Why?” at every possible juncture. Or perhaps, “What will happen next?” or “What difference does this make?” or “How does this change the situation?” Professors push students to provide their own speculations, and then force the students to defend the underlying logic. This is to provide necessary skills in the real world, which require MBA students to support their assertions.