Stuck in a career rut? A part-time MBA could transform your future

The MBA course is the perfect option to fit around your current career

If you’re thinking of a change of direction in your career or eyeing the prospect of promotion, you might already have thought of doing an MBA – the Master of Business Administration. Google ‘MBA’ and you’ll find plenty of articles extolling its many benefits. It’s a postgraduate qualification that can undoubtedly be a career game-changer.

However, giving up work for a year to complete an MBA might seem risky in a competitive jobs market – and studying full-time just doesn’t suit everyone. While for many, taking a year out to study full-time may be the best option, it isn’t the only way to gain the benefits which come with this prestigious qualification.

Strathclyde Business School offers an MBA which can be studied via part-time or flexible options, as well as full-time, allowing students to gain a valuable degree as well as continuing in their current career. What’s more, studying the MBA part- time or flexibly allows participants to implement their learning straight away, providing benefits to employers and employees alike.

Laura Boyd: "It has already opened doors to new experiences and opportunities "

Students who choose Strathclyde’s MBA programme can opt for full-time, part-time or flexible learning study options. The full-time programme is studied over 12 months in Glasgow amongst a group of international peers and involves nine months of participation in classes, group work and personal development processes and three months for the MBA project.

The part-time programme is ideal for anyone who wants to fit the MBA programme around their career, and this option is offered through twice-weekly evening classes, with four compulsory weekend schools spread over the period of study. Typically, part-timers complete their degree in around three years.

The business school offers a flexible learning option which allows individuals to direct the pace of their own studies while providing the level of support that an internationally recognised school can offer. The Flexible Learning MBA offers a balance between self-study and group interaction, and we encourage peer interaction and group learning through workshops and seminars which give those on the programme the opportunity to meet with their peers.

Current MBA student Laura Boyd is a project management analyst who opted for the part-time route: “I chose to study part-time as I wanted to put the theory of what I learnt from the MBA into practice in the workplace. I knew that to make the impact I want to in business, I would need to study my MBA through one of the best business schools with triple accreditation. I would definitely recommend the MBA programme – it has already opened doors to new experiences and opportunities and I believe it will set me up for the career I want.”

Networking is also an important consideration for part-time or flexible learning students – but all Strathclyde MBA routes are structured in such a way that they allow for group work and opportunities to meet with students not just on their own MBA route but across the Strathclyde MBA world. SBS has put a Spring School event in place where MBA students can take elective modules and work with participants from across all routes and across all eight of its international centres.

As a triple accredited business school – one of only 74 in the world (2016) - to be accredited by AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS, the three international accrediting bodies, Strathclyde offers a highly-regarded MBA, one which it has been honing since it first introduced the part-time MBA format to the UK in 1976, and the full-time MBA before that in 1966.

Strathclyde Business School also works in partnership with business to produce a range of bespoke MBA programmes to suit corporate needs.

To find out more about the MBA programme and the study options available, Strathclyde are hosting a series of MBA information sessions over the summer months, visit www.strath.ac.uk/business