Manchester Global Part-time MBA

Good Academic Qualifications

The MBA programme is intellectually demanding and requires you to quickly absorb and analyse new material and apply it in a fast-moving environment. We need to be confident that you have the ability to rise to the intellectual challenges the programme presents.

Candidates for the Global MBA programmes are required to have:

• A strong undergraduate degree result (UK bachelor’s degree or international equivalent as recognised by UK NARIC) from a recognised university, or a higher level degree. 
• Postgraduate, specialisation and professional qualifications can strengthen an application and compensate for a weaker performance in the bachelor’s degree. 

Grade Required
Degree qualifications vary by country and university, however for the Bachelor degree we normally look for the equivalent of a first class or upper second class honours result in the UK system. We normally expect candidates to be in the top 25% of their class.  

Degree Subject
We consider candidates from any subject discipline however you should be numerate with the ability to think critically, logically and integrate ideas, and have a good awareness of economic and international affairs. 

Professional Qualifications 
A professional accountancy qualification is required to be considered for the Global Finance Accelerated MBA route. Examples of Professional Accountancy Qualifications:  Accountancy: ACA, FCA or CA (Chartered Accountant), ACCA or FCCA (Chartered Certified Accountant), ACMA or FCMA (Chartered Management Accountant), CPFA (Chartered Public Finance Accountant), AAIA or FAIA (International Accountant), AFA or FFA (Incorporated Financial Accountant). AICPA or FCPA (Certified Public Accountant), CPA (Certified Public Accountant).

Minimum of three years post-graduate work experience with strong consistent career progression and achievement

The part-time Global MBA involves the development of strategic business knowledge and international perspective, combined with training in leadership and managerial skills. The part-time Global MBA is designed to build on previous experience gained from having worked within organisations, therefore it is important that our MBA students have good relevant professional experience in order to fully contribute and benefit from the programme.

We normally require at least three years of full-time work experience after graduation (from completion of your undergraduate degree to commencing the MBA).

• Current class work experience (range): 6-10 years. Average age: 34 years

Entry is competitive - when assessing your suitability to benefit from the Manchester MBA and your aptitude/potential as a future business leader, we are looking for the following:

• A strong CV/resume showing; a good level of responsibility, consistent and ideally fast-track career progression, strong achievements for the length of your career to date demonstrating impact in your organisation and higher than average performance in your industry sector or function compared to your peers.
• Leadership/management experience and potential including some or all of the following:
  • Management/leadership of teams/colleagues
  • Client relationship management
  • Financial/budgetary responsibility
  • Project management/leadership
  • Managing across different parts of an organisation
  • Decision making, contribution to strategy

The majority of candidates come from business, finance, engineering or entrepreneurial backgrounds, however we are interested in candidates from any sector. We have admitted successful MBA students from many non-traditional business sectors, including military, healthcare, legal, leisure/sports, and the creative arts and have alumni working in successful careers in many non-traditional business sectors.

Professional skills and competencies

Success in the part-time Global MBA programme and your future career also depends on other work-related skills and competencies e.g. analytical skills, numeracy, negotiation, presentation, problem-solving, reasoning, creativity, ability to generate ideas, etc. Good knowledge of MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are also essential. We look for evidence that you have or can develop these competencies.

International exposure (desirable)

Although not an essential requirement, international exposure can add a competitive edge to your application. Our MBA has a strong international focus and we are looking for people with an international outlook. We look favourably on candidates who have experience of living and working in other countries, working in international teams, or working in international environments. International exposure is also valued by post-MBA employers.

Entrepreneurial experience (valued)

Entrepreneurial experience and creativity (within your own business or corporate environment) are highly valued in candidates. Candidates with the ability to innovate are often strong contributors during the MBA programme and alumni involved in entrepreneurship can contribute significantly to society and communities. We look to admit candidates with the ability to perceive opportunities and contribute ideas to the MBA class, thereby enhancing the stimulating learning environment of the MBA.

• You are required to submit two professional references and your application is not complete until they are received.
• You will be asked to include the contact details for your referees in the MBA application form. When your application has been submitted we will email your referees with a link complete our official online MBA reference.
• We prefer one of your referees to be the person you report to in your current company. If you do not wish to inform your current employer that you are applying for the MBA you can use a referee from your previous company. We do not require academic references.

You will need to upload your CV/résumé to be able to submit your application. It is an important part of our assessment. Your CV/résumé should ideally be no more than two pages in length and should include the following information:

Professional Experience

• Each job you have taken since graduating from your undergraduate degree (if you have one) in reverse chronological order, starting with your current position.
• Include the month/year start and end date, job title, company name, and salary for each position undertaken.
• If you have worked in more than one position for the same company please show each position separately to highlight your career progression.
• For each position, include bullet points of your key responsibilities and achievements.

Academic Credentials

• Details of all your qualifications; including your Bachelor’s degree, any Master's degree, postgraduate diplomas/specialisations, and professional qualifications.
• Any academic distinctions, honours or awards.

Essay 1: Your Professional Experience and Achievements (approx. 500 words)

Please describe your professional experience and career progression to date including the dates of any promotions and salary increases.

We would like to learn about the companies you have worked for, the breadth and depth of the knowledge you have acquired in the workplace, your key achievements, your management and international business experiences and the impact you have made in your different roles.

Particularly highlight the parts of your career that demonstrate any of the following:

Essay 2: Your aspirations (300 words)

To address the following questions:

What are your professional and personal aspirations and why is an MBA important in your plans? Why have you chosen to apply for the Manchester MBA? How do you think your current experience combined with the Alliance Manchester Business School MBA will help you to achieve your aspirations?

• The application form includes two short essays (see below)
• You can prepare your essays off line and cut and paste them into the application form when you are ready.

• Managing people (team, business area, department, company)
• Managing client relationships
• Leading significant projects
• Managing budgets, resources or processes
• Defining/influencing strategy
• International exposure
• Entrepreneurial experience

Degree Transcript & Certificate

Please submit a scanned copy of your official Bachelor’s degree transcript and certificate (or Master’s if you do not have a Bachelor’s). You will need to show us your original transcript/certificate when you register for the Full-time MBA programme. All documents must be submitted in English. If the original document is not in English please provide a translation from a certified translator.

Your transcript should show:

• the type of degree awarded
• date of enrollment and date of graduation
• the courses you took; the marks you achieved
• your final result, GPA or average grade
• If your transcript states that you have successfully completed and graduated and includes your final result, you do not need to also provide a certificate. If you have graduated from a UK institution we only require a copy of your certificate showing your final result (e.g. second class upper).

We reserve the right to contact your degree awarding institutions for further information in connection with your application if required.

Professional Qualification Certificate and Membership

A professional accountancy qualification is required to be considered for the Global Finance Accelerated MBA route. If you have a professional qualification, please submit:

• a copy of your certificate proving you have the qualification
• Proof of your membership of the professional body/organisation

Examples of Professional Accountancy Qualifications: Accountancy: ACA, FCA or CA (Chartered Accountant), ACCA or FCCA (Chartered Certified Accountant), ACMA or FCMA (Chartered Management Accountant), CPFA (Chartered Public Finance Accountant), AAIA or FAIA (International Accountant), AFA or FFA (Incorporated Financial Accountant). AICPA or FCPA (Certified Public Accountant), CPA (Certified Public Accountant).

We reserve the right to contact your professional associations for further information in connection with your application if required.

Candidates for the Global MBA are not automatically required to take an English Language test. If you have taken an English test please provide the details of your score in the application form and email a copy of your score report. English competence is assessed throughout the admissions process through:

• The application form and essays
• Admissions Test (verbal reasoning)
• An interview (if further proof of English is required)

If further evidence is needed of English language proficiency, we may ask you to take an official English language test to prove your competency.

All applicants to our MBA programmes are required to take an admissions test and we will not normally assess your application until we have your result. You can choose to take the Manchester Admissions Test (MAT), GMAT® or GRE®.

When completing the application form you can select which test you prefer to take.

Most candidates for our Global MBA programmes will take the Manchester Admissions Test (MAT), which is designed and delivered by Talent Q.

• The MAT is completed online and you can take it at your convenience in your home or office or anywhere where you have a good internet connection.
• There are three short assessments (verbal, numerical and logical) that do not require preparation and take around 45 minutes to complete.
• We will provide you with a login and password to take the test after you submit your MBA application. The invitation will come from notifications@talentqgroup.com. Please save this email to your contacts so that the invitation does not get delivered to your junk email.

GMAT and GRE require dedicated preparation to optimise your performance and you will need to register to take the test on a particular date in an official test centre. If you have already completed the GMAT or GRE you will be asked to enter your scores in the application form. If you are intending to take GMAT or GRE you will need to put your intended test date to be able to submit the MBA application form.

How will we use your result in our admissions decision?

The admissions test is only one of our admission criteria - we are looking for candidates with the 'right fit' for the unique Manchester MBA. We take a holistic view when evaluating applications, considering the ‘person’ rather than a score, and place more emphasis on your professional, academic, and personal achievements; and your leadership and team-working skills. A very good result does not necessarily give a better chance of admission and a less strong result does not mean you cannot be admitted.

For further information about Admissions Tests for our Global MBA programmes please click below.

Further Details PDF

The test is normally taken after you complete and submit the application form.