MBA (Graduate Pathway) (MBA)
Introduction
Accelerate your progression from a business-related Masters to a globally recognised MBA. Designed for ambitious professionals, the MBA (Graduate Pathway) builds on your existing qualifications to help you advance your career more quickly.
Study Information
Study Options
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- MBA
- Duration
- 9 months or 12 months
- Study Mode
- Part Time
- Start Month
- September or January
- Location of Study
- Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen MBA is a globally recognised qualification designed to develop your leadership skills, underpinned by practical and theoretical knowledge. The Graduate Pathway formally acknowledges the business-related postgraduate qualifications you have already earned, building on these to enable you to progress in your career more quickly.
In this accelerated programme you will challenge conventional business models, explore innovative and disruptive approaches to business, and join a diverse cohort of professionals from around the world.
Because many of our academic experts come from the commercial world as well as academia, and because we’re constantly engaging with industry, we’re able to offer the focused knowledge and real world insights you’ll need to pursue a stimulating and rewarding career in business.
The MBA (Graduate Pathway) is suitable for professionals who already hold a Masters degree in business or management, and who have at least two years of professional experience - preferably within a managerial or leadership capacity.
If you have at least two years of professional experience, but have not completed a Masters degree in business or management, our on-campus MBA, on-campus MBA (Business Analytics), or MBA (Online) programmes may be of interest to you.
Available Programmes of Study
The MBA (Graduate Pathway) programme is flexible, allowing students to complete their studies alongside other pre-existing commitments.
This programme will take between 9 and 48 months to complete depending on the number of credit points students choose to take each term. Students may choose to take up to 45 credit points per term.
All students must take the required courses (45 credit points total) noted below. Students will also choose from a range of optional courses to complete 45 further credit points.
All students must take BU5026 Accounting and Finance for Managers (15 credit points).
Students must also choose one of the following (15 credit points each) to fulfil the OB & Leadership Course requirement:
- BU555A Managing Change
- BU5584 The Leadership Challenge
and
Students must also choose one of the following (15 credit points each) to fulfil the Strategy-related Course requirement.
- BU5048 Business Strategy
- BU5553 Strategic Marketing
Please note: not all optional courses may be available each year. If you have any questions on whether a course of interest will be available for your academic year of choice, please contact pgadmissions@abdn.ac.uk
- MBA
-
MBA (Graduate Pathway)
- Qualification
- MBA
- Duration
- 9 months
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Study Mode
- Part Time
- Start Month
- September
- Location
- Aberdeen
- Qualification
- MBA
- Duration
- 12 months
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Study Mode
- Part Time
- Start Month
- January
- Location
- Aberdeen
Programme Fees
Please refer to our Tuition Fees page for fee information for this programme, or contact us via the Enquire Now form.
Semester 1
Semester 1: Compulsory Courses
All students must choose one of the following (15 credit points each) to fulfil the OB & Leadership Course requirement.
- BU555A Managing Change
- BU5584 The Leadership Challenge
- Managing Change (BU555A)
-
15 Credit Points
The concepts of change and innovation have never been more topical, especially given the commercial context of fierce business competition, shorter product life cycles and more demanding customers. Increasingly, long-term commercial success is based on an ability to manage change, to act creatively and to promote innovation; These processes interconnect and overlap and often present major challenges to modern organizations; We address these issues through providing detailed case illustrations ranging from the workplace to the wider business market. Learning is encouraged through interaction, reading, investigation, video and case analysis, and critical discussion.
- The Leadership Challenge (BU5584)
-
15 Credit Points
This course provides an opportunity to explore and develop an understanding of your own leadership behaviour. Through workshops, group activities and discussions we investigate how personality, past experience, current situations and culture shape the way each of us behave in a leadership role. Using this information as a starting point we then explore how different leadership theories and approaches can be used as frameworks for developing a deeper understanding of leadership behaviour. You will also have an opportunity to try out a range of practical tools and techniques to assist you in the development of your own approach to leadership.
Semester 1: Optional Courses
Students may choose to take BU5553 Strategic Marketing to fulfil the Strategy-related Course requirement.
In addition, students may choose from the following to contribute towards the completion of the total credit point requirement for the programme.
- Strategic Marketing (BU5553)
-
15 Credit Points
The course aims to provide participants with a critical understanding of the nature and articulation of the marketing function within modern organisations, and an appreciation of the relative contribution of specific marketing tools to the development of a market orientation.
On completion of the course students will be able to:
1. Critique the key principles and concepts of marketing.
2. Evaluate the role of marketing to modern organisations in private and public sectors.
3. Understand the integration of the marketing function with other organisational functions.
4. Assess the role of identified marketing techniques
- The Leadership Challenge (BU5584)
-
15 Credit Points
This course provides an opportunity to explore and develop an understanding of your own leadership behaviour. Through workshops, group activities and discussions we investigate how personality, past experience, current situations and culture shape the way each of us behave in a leadership role. Using this information as a starting point we then explore how different leadership theories and approaches can be used as frameworks for developing a deeper understanding of leadership behaviour. You will also have an opportunity to try out a range of practical tools and techniques to assist you in the development of your own approach to leadership.
- Managing Change (BU555A)
-
15 Credit Points
The concepts of change and innovation have never been more topical, especially given the commercial context of fierce business competition, shorter product life cycles and more demanding customers. Increasingly, long-term commercial success is based on an ability to manage change, to act creatively and to promote innovation; These processes interconnect and overlap and often present major challenges to modern organizations; We address these issues through providing detailed case illustrations ranging from the workplace to the wider business market. Learning is encouraged through interaction, reading, investigation, video and case analysis, and critical discussion.
- Digital Marketing (BU556E)
-
15 Credit Points
The course provides both a strategic orientation and tactical orientation:
Strategic:
§ How to align digital strategy with a wider business strategy
§ The value that (internal and external) research and analytics can bring to digital marketing decisions
Tactical:
§ Assess the quality of any website based on a range of important measures
§ Benchmark a website’s performance against online competitors
§ Investigate the potential of a business idea for a given market sector
§ Present digital marketing research and advice to a generalist audience
§ Understand the potential commercial value of social media
§ Interpret onsite analytics in support of business objectives
- Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Forecasting (BU553C)
-
15 Credit Points
This course will introduce machine learning, artificial intelligence and forecasting with applications in finance and management.
The course will explore recent trends in FINTECH, which are based on data analytics and recent advances in machine learning. The course will provide an introduction to Python, which has become the dominant general-purpose programming language in data analytics and machine learning. To be clear, students are not expected to have any prior knowledge of Python or any other programming language.
- Issues in Corporate Governance and Ethics (BU552G)
-
15 Credit Points
Corporate governance has become one of the most significant challenges for organisations and for the managers who work within them. The reasons for this include high-profile corporate scandals, conflict of interests, manipulations of financial statements, ethical dilemmas, crises like the global financial crisis credit crunch or even pandemic, and a growing need to demonstrate corporate accountability, transparency and ethical practices. The “Issues in Corporate Governance and Ethics” course will deepen students understanding and stimulate critical thinking in these areas. Students will study and critique theory and practices of corporate governance models and ethics guidelines as well as its relation to boards, professional bodies (accounting/audit firms), investors and wider stakeholder groups.
- Sustainable Development (BU557B)
-
15 Credit Points
This course provides a comprehensive understanding of the principles, challenges, and opportunities associated with achieving sustainability and development objectives. Students will develop an understanding of urbanization and rural issues in the context of sustainable development, explore the challenges faced by global food systems and biodiversity, analyse the link between pollution, income, and health, and apply environmental concepts to understand just policy making, ensuring equitable access to natural resources and clean environment.
Semester 2
Semester 2: Optional Courses
Students may choose from the following to contribute towards the completion of the total credit point requirement for the programme.
- Supply Chain Management (BU596L)
-
30 Credit Points
The Supply Chain Management course aims to provide a broad understanding of supply chain management and how it relates to logistics and different business operations. The course further enables students to solve a variety of complex supply chain problems, ultimately, optimising business performance interlinked with many operational aspects.
- Business Venture Project (BU597G)
-
30 Credit Points
This course is for people who believe organisations operate in a constantly evolving world, where they are either introducing and / or being pulled along by change. Whether motivated to launch a start-up, be part of a team expanding an existing enterprise into a new market, or support the release of a new product line, we shall focus on developing the transferable skills and knowledge central to them all.
- Applied Data Analytics and Visualisation (BU596J)
-
30 Credit Points
This module introduces students to big data, analytics and visualisation linked to business applications. The module also enables students to solve a variety of complex data-driven business problems using computer software tools, examples R and Gephi. The focus of the module thus is twofold: 1) building relative theoretical understandings, 2) and practice analytics for data-driven decision making for business operations and problems.
- Data, Evidence and Managerial Decisions (BU596K)
-
30 Credit Points
This course provides an introduction to evidence-based decision making. It is designed based on the premise that executives can make better decisions when they believe in evidence and have the skill to use it. The course helps students to make better personal and professional decisions. In particular, the aim of this course is to enable students to solve real-world business problems or to discover new business opportunities using the available data and evidence.
Semester 3
Semester 3: Compulsory Courses
- Accounting and Finance for Managers (BU5026)
-
15 Credit Points
The fact that money (and understanding money) really matters in business and all managers need to understand issues like cashflow and profit might depress you, but it is true. Financial viability of customers? Deciding on the likely financial viability of a project? Reporting to shareholders about performance? Does the word “sustainable” appear in a finance dictionary? All questions we will try and address.
Semester 3: Optional Courses
Students may choose to take BU5048 Business Strategy to fulfil the Strategy-related Course requirement.
In addition, students may choose from the following to contribute towards the completion of the total credit point requirement for the programme.
- Business Strategy (BU5048)
-
15 Credit Points
Business Strategy covers a broad range of topics that come under the general heading of “Business Strategy” / “Strategic Management”. The course introduces participants to concepts, frameworks and models that are useful in providing explanations of how companies operate with respect to goal setting, understanding their competitive landscape, assessing opportunities, managing own capabilities, coordinating their activities with other companies, and competing to create value for customers. The course is interactive in nature, applying a learning-by-doing method involving students taking on roles as part of a series of simulation exercises.
- Business Economics (BU5021)
-
15 Credit Points
This course focuses on the economics of business allowing students to understand the economics that underlie a whole host of business issues. The course will cover the functioning of markets, consumer behaviour, pricing, production and costing problems, monopoly and the business implications of inflation, economic growth and economic policy.
- Operations and Project Management (BU5064)
-
15 Credit Points
The focus of this course is not people but processes, not outside the organisation but within. Operations transform materials, information and customers to create goods and services using staff and facilities. We study process types and focus particularly on projects. We see how capacity and inventory reconcile demand and output and explore location, supply chains, quality, risk and resilience. About 40% of the course is on projects and project-management techniques. Prepare for both critical discussion of theory and application (operationalisation), including calculation.
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page. In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips.
Funding Opportunities
Alumni Discount Scheme - we are pleased to offer a 20% discount for postgraduate tuition fees to all alumni who have an undergraduate degree from University of Aberdeen.
Please note that the Aberdeen Alumni Discount cannot be claimed in conjunction with any other scholarship award.
Scholarships
All eligible self-funded international Postgraduate Masters students will receive an £8,000 scholarship. Learn more about this Aberdeen Global Scholarship here.
To see our full range of scholarships, visit our Funding Database.
How You'll Study
You’ll study in a contemporary university environment and experience innovative teaching methods that give you the chance to interact with industry. You will learn through a combination of theory and practice, taking the knowledge from the classroom to the workplace. A stimulating mix of lectures, tutorials, seminars, case studies, exams, field work and business simulations will be further supported by on-line forums and additional learning materials and frameworks.
Learning Methods
- Field Work
- Group Projects
- Individual Projects
- Lectures
- Research
- Seminars
- Tutorials
Assessment Methods
You’ll attend a variety of stimulating lectures, seminars and tutorials, with your skills and competency assessed by a portfolio of coursework, as prescribed for each course.
Why Study MBA (Graduate Pathway)?
- The Business School is EQUIS accredited, placing it among a select group of globally recognised institutions. Out of over 15,000 business schools worldwide, less than 300 schools across 45 countries have attained this distinction.
- The University of Aberdeen was ranked 18th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2026.
- Ranked 15th in the UK for Business Management (Guardian University Guide 2026) and 1st in the UK for Student Positivity in Business Studies (National Student Survey 2025).
- Explore the strategic, practical, and theoretical aspects of business; broaden your knowledge; and focus on powerful business insights, including newly emerging business models such as Disruptive Thinking that will shape tomorrow.
- The University of Aberdeen MBA is a globally recognised qualification that goes beyond traditional business theory, developing your leadership and management skills for advancing your career. It is underpinned by practical and theoretical knowledge, with networking opportunities locally and internationally.
- The MBA (Graduate Pathway) builds on your existing business postgraduate qualifications, allowing you to further your expertise and advance your career.
- Alongside our core modules you will have the opportunity to choose from a range of optional modules. This allows you to tailor your studies to your areas of interest or career goals.
- In a recent Harvard Business Report, 76% of respondents identified skills such as communication, conflict management, and empathy as essential skills for the modern workforce. All of our postgraduate Business students develop these soft skills, valued by employers across sectors, with our Soft Skills Development Programme.
- With a community of over 130 nationalities at the University of Aberdeen, students are immersed in an environment that enables international discourse creating truly global exchanges, generating deep insights that stimulate innovative change
Interested in this programme?
Entry Requirements
Qualifications
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
This top-up MBA programme is for those who already hold a qualification in business or management at postgraduate level.
The minimum entry requirements for this degree are a Master of Science or equivalent postgraduate degree in a business or management-related discipline, and two or more years of professional experience, preferably in a managerial or leadership capacity.
If you do not meet these requirements you may be interested in our on-campus MBA or on-campus MBA (Business Analytics) programmes. You can also apply to study our MBA (Online).
Visa information for international students
Students on a Skilled Worker visa are eligible for this programme, as long as they provide a note from their employer confirming they are happy for them to study while working for them.
Other types of visa holders (e.g dependants or global talent) may also be eligible, so eligibility should be assessed depending on the visa category, including whether the category allows for study and the length of the visa.
Unfortunately, Graduate Route Visa and Student Visa holders are not eligible for this programme.
For more information about visa restrictions in relation to this programme please contact immigration@abdn.ac.uk.
Please enter your country or territory to view relevant entry requirements.
English Language Requirements
To study for a Postgraduate Taught degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
Document Requirements
You will be required to supply the following documentation with your application as proof you meet the entry requirements of this degree programme. If you have not yet completed your current programme of study, then you can still apply and you can provide your Degree Certificate at a later date.
- CV
- an up-to-date CV/Resumé
- Degree Certificate
- a degree certificate showing your qualifications
- Degree Transcript
- a full transcript showing all the subjects you studied and the marks you have achieved in your degree(s) (original & official English translation)
- Personal Statement
- a detailed personal statement explaining your motivation for this particular programme
- Reference
- a reference letter from your university discussing your academic ability. If you have been out of education for a long time you may wish to use your current or most recent employer, or another professional person
Careers
The MBA (Graduate Pathway) is designed for professionals who have already earned a business-related postgraduate qualification, and who are looking to expand on this with a Masters of Business Administration.
MBA graduates are in high demand worldwide; a 2022 Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) survey found that 87% of MBA graduates increased their employability. A 2025 article from Forbes Advisor noted that the projected median salary for MBA graduates is approximately $125,000 - more than $25,000 higher than other business-related Masters degrees.
Our alumni have enjoyed much success after earning their MBA with us; 80% of our alumni hold senior manager or director positions globally. Some of our recent graduates have gone on to work in organisations such as Accenture, Bank of Scotland, Centrica, KPMG, Shell and Standard Chartered Bank.
Career Opportunities
- Business Consultant
- Data Analytics Manager
- Financial Manager
- International Risk Management
- Investment Advisor
- Investment Banking
- Management Consultant
- Senior Manager
- Supply Chain Management
Accreditation
The Business School is EQUIS accredited, placing it among a select group of globally recognised institutions. Out of over 15,000 business schools worldwide, less than 300 schools across 45 countries have attained this distinction.
Our Experts
- Programme Leader
- John Storm
Information About Staff Changes
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
Features
Get in Touch
Contact Details
- Address
-
Student Recruitment & Admissions
University of Aberdeen
University Office
Regent Walk
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX