MBA Master of Business Administration
- Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Online
Master degree
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 26,500 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for international and UK
Key Summary
In a world demanding ethical leadership, global awareness and bold thinking, today’s leaders need more than technical expertise - they need perspective, purpose and the ability to navigate complexity.
This is not just about gaining tools - it’s about transforming how you think, lead and influence.
Through immersive projects, personal coaching and a truly global learning environment, you’ll build the confidence, skills and clarity to shape your next chapter - and make it count.
So, if who you become is as important to you as what you will learn, then our MBA programme is for you.
Scholarship value
The award covers tuition fees, return airfares and living costs for a one-year taught Master's programme.
Deadline
Deadline for Commonwealth application: - 12 December 2024.
Hold an unconditional offer (with the only outstanding condition, international fee deposit) of a programme of study from the University of Kent - 31 January 2025
Criteria
To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, candidates must:
- Hold an undergraduate degree at UK first-class level equivalent.
- Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by one of the eligible Commonwealth countries listed or be a British Protected Person.
- Be a permanent resident in one of the eligible Commonwealth countries listed above.
- To be committed to the University of Kent, you can apply for more than one course and/or to more than one University, but you may only accept one offer of a Shared Scholarship.
- Not have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a high-income country.
- Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
- Return to their home country as soon as their period of study is complete. In some circumstances, a student may be permitted to remain in the UK if seeing doctoral study and satisfy certain strict conditions.
- Hold an offer by the deadline for a full-time postgraduate taught degree on one of the eligible courses at the University of Kent:
- MSc Artificial Intelligence
- MSc Infectious Diseases
- MSc Cyber Security
- MA International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
- MSc Applied Actuarial Science
- MSc Conservation Science
- MA English and American Literature
Further details
Commonwealth Shared Scholarships, set up by DFID in 1986, represent a unique partnership between the United Kingdom government and UK Universities.
Funded by the UK Department of International Development (DFID), Commonwealth Shared Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development. They are aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.
These scholarships are offered under six themes:
- Science and technology for development
- Strengthening health systems and capacity
- Promoting global prosperity
- Strengthening global peace, security and governance
- Strengthening resilience and response to crises - Access, inclusion and opportunity.
How to apply
To be considered for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship you must:
- Make a formal application for a postgraduate degree at the University of Kent commencing September 2025/26. This can be done online here.
- Complete the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) online application process. For information on how to do that and full details of the application process please go directly to the Commonwealth Scholarships webpages.
- Applications will be considered based on Academic Excellence and a completed application.
- The Commonwealth will accept applications until 12th December 2024 (closing at 16:00 GMT).
Stage 1
Compulsory modules currently include the following
- Responsible Leadership and Ethics
- Operations and Project Management
- Strategic and Digital Marketing
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Business Strategy in the Global Economy
- Sustainable Financial Management
- Business Analytics
- MBA Challenge
Embedded employability: developing career-enhancing skills
Whatever your ambitions, an MBA from Kent Business School equips you with an impressive portfolio of skills, specialist knowledge and practical experience to help you progress in a competitive job market.
In today’s business climate employers are increasingly demanding more from new employees, we are therefore proud that they continually target our graduates for their organisations across the globe. Employers respect our robust teaching and reputation for delivering international business expertise, leading global research and an outstanding international learning experience.
From the outset, we work with you to identify the soft skills you need to focus on alongside your main academic studies. We provide an extensive skills development programme.
- Specialist workshops, seminars and talks to support your career progression run throughout the year.
- One-to-one executive coaching sessions offer advice on how to maximise opportunities that match your career aspirations.
- The Global Skills Award (run by the Graduate and Researcher College) consolidates your awareness of global issues, opening up business and career opportunities worldwide.
- Our graduates go on to become progressive business leaders; you’ll hear from them and become a part of this worldwide network.
- Networking, group projects, live case studies and the Consultancy Challenge enhance your current experience. You’ll discover innovative ways to develop businesses and individuals, becoming a more effective leader, able to drive and respond to change.
Our careers and employability support at Kent Business School is designed to make sure you are ready to hit the ground running when you graduate, when you study with us you can expect:
- 1-2-1 personalised Career Coaching with qualified and experienced coaches.
- Pre-arrival guidance for international students to support navigating the UK labour market
- Mentoring opportunities through professional bodies, business leaders and Kent alumni
- Workshops and events designed to support your career planning, finding and securing work and work experience, and professional development, including insights from industry.
- Access to career fairs, live projects/competitions with employers and networking opportunities
- Plus access to extracurricular professional development and skills courses run by industry professionals
Additionally, the Postgraduate Employability Edge programme, available to postgraduate students at Kent Business School takes place from Welcome Week until the end of your studies and is designed to enhance your career prospects further. Our qualified career practitioners provide support for up to three years after graduation.
Successful KBS graduates: graduate destinations
Our MBA graduates become senior managers in a variety of industry sectors or go on to launch their successful business start-ups. They also find work as entrepreneurs in the public and private sectors or for charities.
Graduates of this course have gone on to work for:
- Cummins
- NHS
- Glassdoor
- United Nations
- Porsche
- ExxonMobil
- CISCO
- Bank of Uganda
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
- National Bank of Malawi
- Kent Enterprise Trust
Professional Recognition
The MBA programme is accredited by The Association of MBAs (AMBA), the international impartial authority on postgraduate business education. An accreditation with AMBA is a global standard for MBA programmes worldwide.
We are updating all of our modules on this course to ensure we provide you with the tools you need to make a real impact after you graduate. We are currently working with CMI to make sure these modules meet industry standards and retain this course's accreditations.
Teaching and assessment
Immersive learning that fits your life
Kent’s MBA is delivered through immersive block teaching. This consists of one or two-week intensive sessions that allow you to focus deeply on each subject without distraction.
This structure is ideal for working professionals, enabling both full-time and part-time students to progress together, share insights, and build a connected, collaborative cohort.
Between blocks, you’ll continue to build on your learning through guided independent study and applied assessments that mirror real-world tasks.
Real-world teaching with practical application
You’ll learn through a variety of formats, including but not limited to:
- interactive lectures
- student and tutor-led seminars
- business simulations
- case studies and live business briefs
- business visits and networking opportunities
- guest speaker sessions
- independent study.
Our teaching is designed to reflect the dynamic nature of modern business. Many modules involve live business briefs, giving you the chance to tackle real challenges and deliver actionable recommendations to industry partners.
Teaching is enriched by Kent’s diverse faculty, active in global research and industry practice, and supported by a virtual learning environment that makes study flexible and accessible wherever you are.
Authentic assessment
Assessment methods mirror the challenges you’ll face in your career. You’ll tackle case analyses, consultancy reports, business plans, data-driven presentations, and reflective diaries. \
You’ll benefit from a wide variety of assessments - individual and group-based, written and oral, creative and analytical. This includes exams, open-book tests, essays, recorded presentations, and interactive simulations.
The MBA Challenge
The MBA Challenge is at the heart of your journey - an integrated, multi-part module that transforms theory into experience.
It begins with the Personal Development Challenge, combining coaching, mentoring, and skills workshops to help you reflect, grow, and lead with confidence.
You’ll also take on the International Challenge, an overseas consultancy project that builds cross-cultural competence and business acumen in a global setting.
Then, you’ll choose two further challenges from:
- The Consultancy Challenge: solve a real business issue for a local organisation.
- The Business Start-Up Challenge: develop a venture idea with ASPIRE’s support.
- The TechGenius Challenge: explore how AI and emerging technologies shape leadership decisions.
Your MBA culminates in a final applied report - tailored to your goals and written as a consultancy report, analyst overview or business plan. Your consultancy report is designed to be something you can use the moment you graduate.
A reflective, supported journey
From your initial interview through to your final project, the KBS MBA is shaped by self-awareness, individual attention, and a strong sense of community. Executive coaching, mentoring, and the continuity of peer support help you evolve as both a professional and a person.
Connected cohorts
Students that choose either the full-time or part-time paths tend to bring different perspectives, experience and qualities to the programmes. We intentionally bring the two cohorts together so that they can gain maximum benefit from peer support and insights from the broadest range of perspectives possible.