MBA Prospectus 2025
Creating responsible leaders together
Creating leaders for the future
The next generation of leaders need to be adaptable and resilient. On the Newcastle University MBA, you’ll learn to think and behave differently. You’ll question established norms and search for new answers.
The Newcastle University MBA programme offers purposeful transformation in an immersive experience, designed to equip you to challenge and change the world around you. In our supportive and collaborative learning environment, we prepare you for future jobs, emerging technologies, and unforeseen opportunities.
With our MBA, you will develop the capabilities needed to excel in any industry or entrepreneurial venture, enhancing your leadership, critical thinking and communication skills.
Push boundaries, seek new answers, and transform your business thinking with the Newcastle University MBA
The Newcastle University MBA
12-month programme
Study on a 12-month, full-time, AMBA-accredited programme. We’ve been professionally accredited by AMBA for over 35 years and the Newcastle University MBA consistently meets and exceeds the rigorous international standards for MBA education.
Immersive business experiences
Apply your learning through immersive business experiences including our:
• Business in Action module
• Boardroom Challenge
• Personal and Professional Transformation module
Global opportunities
Take part in insightful lectures, meet with global businesses, take part in international business competitions, and learn another language outside of your degree.
A richness of perspectives
You will learn from, and engage with, world-leading researchers and practitioners from across the globe; a superb intellectual resource for you to take advantage of.
We have over 200 staff in the School working across a range of disciplines.
Diverse, friendly and personal
Each year, we curate a cohort of students who are carefully selected at interview for their diversity of experience and potential contribution to the programme. In this environment, facilitated by our friendly and accessible academic community, you will benefit from increased engagement and opportunities for collaboration and networking.
Leadership development
Inclusive and responsible leadership development is at the heart of our programme. Through our Personal and Professional Transformation module, you will sharpen your skills in relational leadership, critical thinking and communication, significantly improving your leadership performance.
Consultancy projects
Make a difference to an organisation while developing your consultancy skills by working on live projects sourced from a diverse range of industries and sectors.
These projects give you the opportunity to explore first-hand inpractice challenges and opportunities experienced by organisations. You will work in a team to complete a Management Consultancy Project and have the chance to be selected to complete an individual Corporate Consultancy Project for your final capstone module.
Digital transformation
It’s important that you, as a future leader, understand the challenges and opportunities digital innovation poses and the key role the North East of England plays in evolving the global digital landscape. You will discover the ways technology is reshaping businesses and learn how to capture the value of innovations in this field.
Business start-up
Develop your own ideas with our Entrepreneurship and Innovation modules, our new ventures living lab with experienced entrepreneurs, or by developing a business plan for your Individual Project.
Newcastle University MBA scholarships
Access Newcastle University MBA scholarship funds to support your tuition fee payment. Scholarships range in value and have differing eligibility criteria.
Explore our MBA programme
11 nationalities* represented in our student body
Gender split of cohort*
42% female
58% male 7 years average managerial work experience*
*data from 2023-24 cohort
Why choose Newcastle?
We are a founding member of the research-intensive Russell Group with a proud history of academic excellence.
We are regionally rooted and globally networked. Our roots are firmly placed in the North East – and we’re proud of our place in the region –and we have connections and partnerships across the globe.
We are a hub of academic excellence and our work and world-leading research addresses the most pressing issues facing society today to support future generations.
From Newcastle. For the world.
42% of the University’s research is classified as 4* world-leading (Research Excellence Framework 2021)
The School has more than 3,600 learners from over 75 countries
We are here
We hold triple accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. Only 1% of business schools worldwide hold this triple crown Top 130 Global University (QS World University Rankings 2025)
Advancing knowledge and education to meet future needs.
Creating a welcoming environment and a collaborative approach.
Shaping responsible business practice for the benefit of all.
The University has been awarded 5 QS Stars for Teaching (2023)
AMBA-accredited MBA Programme since 1988
Top 50 best universities for work experience (Newcastle University, RateMyPlace 2024–25)
The School has strong employer links, working with 300+ businesses each year including HSBC, PwC, Bazaar Group, Jacobs and Lloyds Banking Group
The University has been awarded 5 QS Stars for Inclusiveness (2023)
We are fully committed to actively supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals The University is ranked joint 30th in the world and 10th in the UK for Sustainability (QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024)
Access our global alumni community to gain valuable knowledge and connections
High-profile alumni make a significant contribution to the development of our MBA cohort each year
We run an annual Sustainability Forum – a series of activities to enhance and internationalise your learning experience and to raise awareness of sustainable practices and developments
Our inspiring city
Newcastle is a special place that offers something for everyone. The North East – a region steeped with history and beautiful coastlines –is our proud home and we look forward to welcoming you.
Newcastle is an exciting city. Local people, born in Newcastle, are known as ‘Geordies’ – renowned for their friendly nature. The city is vibrant and welcoming with a multicultural population so you’ll feel like you belong. One in six people here is a student so you’ll have lots of peers to connect with. We’re a compact city, offering a range of opportunities and activities right on your doorstep.
You’ll be well connected
Getting around the city is simple. There’s a great bus and cycle network, a Metro rail system and E-scooters in the city centre, making it easy to see what the city has to offer.
There are fast road and rail links that connect the city with the rest of the UK. Newcastle also has an international airport and ferry terminal, so home will never feel far away. Even the capital London is just a one-hour flight or a three-hour train ride.
Adventure and culture on your doorstep
Newcastle boasts world-class sport, music, shopping and arts, plus an exciting theatre scene, so you can soak up the atmosphere.
Newcastle University Business School is directly opposite St. James’ Park – home to Newcastle United Football Club. Chinatown, for great food and culture, and Leazes Park, for outdoor leisure, are less than a five-minute walk from the School. Just a short stroll will take you to the Quayside – a hub of music, food, nightlife and a weekly Sunday market loved by students. Here you can also see the seven bridges Newcastle is famous for, including the iconic Tyne Bridge. For an historic touch, you can visit Grainger Town which offers 19th century architecture and an indoor market. Creative quarter, Ouseburn, is another must-see with its thriving arts scene and great places to eat and explore on foot.
It’s not hard to see why so many students affectionately refer to the city as their second home.
World top 40 and UK top 5 student city
(QS Best Student Cities 2024)
Your leadership journey
Your Newcastle University MBA is much more than a management programme. It’s a journey of self-discovery and transformation.
It’s an opportunity to:
• enhance your self-awareness
• integrate and apply your learning
• develop your consulting skills
• contribute to, and lead, multicultural teams.
Phase one
Develop your core skills
Start your journey by developing the comprehensive understanding of business and management that makes an MBA the preferred route to success for the leaders and entrepreneurs of the future.
You will study:
• Accounting and Finance
• Organisations and People Management
• Digital Transformation
• Marketing
• Strategic Management
• Transitions in the Global Political Economy
Business in Action
Discover the practical challenges in business through a series of immersive, time-bound activities that provide deep learning opportunities. Develop your consultancy, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills by investigating and analysing real-life challenges faced by business leaders and devising practical solutions to solve them.
Companies that have hosted sessions in the past include HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Aqua Consultants, RBC Brewin Dolphin, Jacobs, Bazaar Group, PwC, Northumbrian Water Ltd, SAGE Plc and EssenceMediacom.
Running throughout your programme, these modules focus on providing experiential learning that integrates your knowledge, develops your self-awareness, and enhances your personal management style.
Phase two
Prepare for global business
Prepare for the key challenges of business in the 21st century and the changing landscape of the future. Choose two electives to develop your skill set and knowledge of emerging business trends and thinking.
You will study:
• Business Analysis for Decision-Making
• Entrepreneurship
• Corporate Social Responsibility and the Challenge of Ethical Business
And choose two electives, one from each of the below groups, to suit your interests:
Group A
• Emerging Economies: Challenges and Opportunities
• Managing for Innovation
• Leading Organisational Change
Group B
• Finance and Investment
• Digital Marketing
• Strategic Human Resource Management
Personal Development Experience
Participate in our unique Personal Development Experience and embrace new challenges that will lead to real personal growth, learning from constructive feedback provided by practitioners, industry experts, academics and your fellow students.
You will study:
• Personal and Professional Transformation
• MBA Integration and Consolidation (non-credit bearing)
Phase three
Demonstrate your impact
Apply your MBA learning through a range of projects, enabling you to investigate and make an original contribution to issues of current concern to business.
Boardroom Challenge
Leverage your new knowledge and leadership skills from the Business Analysis for Decision-Making module and take this opportunity to start thinking like a director.
Gain an understanding of what it means to present a thorough business case to corporate executives. It’s more than education and training, it’s about developing the language, positioning, value and confidence that makes you ‘boardroom ready’.
Management Consultancy Project
Work with a live client on this team-based consultancy project. Undertake a project with a team of fellow Newcastle University MBA students, working on a brief offered by a live client addressing a current business issue.
Individual Project
Apply your learning to a corporate consultancy project, an entrepreneurial business plan or a research project.
Throughout the programme, business professionals are invited to contribute to the teaching and learning experience. You’ll be invited to attend industry-led events and participate in intensive leadership and personal development challenges.
Core modules
Develop your core skills, prepare for global business and integrate your learning with our 13 core modules.
Accounting and Finance
Develop your understanding and critical appreciation of the financial tools of business management. Learn the techniques of financial statement analysis and investment appraisal to ensure you can efficiently and effectively manage the finances of an organisation.
Business Analysis for Decision-Making
Identify key business problems, investigate potential solutions and then make and present recommendations for effective business decisions. Develop the skills and approaches needed to research, analyse and present a compelling business case.
Business in Action
Discover the practical challenges in business through a series of immersive, time-bound activities that provide deep learning opportunities. Develop your consultancy, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills by investigating and analysing real-life challenges faced by business leaders and devising practical solutions to solve them.
Corporate Social Responsibility and the Challenge of Ethical Business
Develop a critical appreciation of the debates concerning business’s involvement in, and impact on, major issues facing society today. Explore how you can respond to society’s evolving expectations of responsible and ethical business leaders.
Digital Transformation
Develop an understanding of how information systems, internet-based innovations, artificial intelligence and other technologies are changing the business models and growth strategies of organisations. Learn how to take a value-led approach to capitalise on the transformation opportunities and challenges created by digital technologies.
Entrepreneurship
Explore the mindsets, methods and activities that support the entrepreneurial process. Experience how to think entrepreneurially and make use of your unique set of circumstances to mobilise and motivate key resources to create value, capturing and developing viable business opportunities.
Individual Project
Complete the Newcastle University MBA with a significant individual project. Applying the knowledge and skills you have learnt in the programme, tackle problems facing modern businesses to make a real impact. Choose one of three pathways:
• Corporate Consultancy Project
• Entrepreneurial Business Plan
• Research Project
Management Consultancy Project
Learn through practice, as you relate practical management theory and consultancy techniques in a team to deliver a live consultancy project for a selected organisation.
Marketing
Learn how customer value and customer engagement drive a good marketing strategy. Bring modern marketing to life through an appreciation of relevant case studies, and explore a practical marketing management approach that engages with key marketing concepts.
Organisations and People Management
Integrate a range of practical theories and approaches from the social sciences to develop an in-depth understanding of organisational behaviour theory, research and practice, enabling you to analyse and assess human behaviour in organisational contexts.
Personal and Professional Transformation
Advance your knowledge and understanding of yourself and your professional development objectives. Build your own effective leadership style by exploring the challenges that crosscultural and cross-disciplinary working bring to collaboration and team building.
Strategic Management
Enhance your knowledge of the formulation and implementation of business strategy, with regard to the context in which companies operate, so you can critically evaluate the corporate and business-level strategies of an organisation.
Transitions in the Global Political Economy
Develop an in-depth understanding of the complex and crisis-prone international environment in which organisations operate, enabling you to identify and analyse the macroeconomic and institutional forces influencing transitions of the global economy.
Elective modules
Personalise your Newcastle University MBA and choose two from six electives during phase two of your leadership journey, to align your learning experience with your individual career objectives.
Digital Marketing
Develop digital marketing skills to hit the ground running in your chosen industry. Develop the ability to make strategic decisions that consider not only organisations and their stakeholders but also society and the planet.
Finance and Investment
Develop a more advanced theoretical framework for the study of finance and financial markets, building on a sound theoretical foundation by studying several finance topics in greater detail, such as portfolio optimisation and the risk-return trade-off, and the evaluation of investment and fund performance.
Strategic Human Resource Management
Explore the key concepts and practical challenges arising in the field of strategic management of people in organisations, situating these firmly in the broader global socio-economic context. Learn how the multifaceted role of Human Resource Management (HRM) shapes the employment relationship, aligning HR strategies with organisational goals, and integrating HR functions with line management.
Emerging Economies: Challenges and Opportunities
Compare the political economy of emerging markets and developing, fast-growing economies, identifying the strategies these economies have adopted to promote development. Explore the very latest thinking and cutting-edge knowledge of the role emerging economies play in our globalised world.
Managing for Innovation
Focus on the management of creativity and innovation, as you examine the development of creativity at the individual, group, organisational and inter-organisational levels. Learn how to develop and transform a business idea and opportunity into a feasible new business development.
Leading Organisational Change
Develop a critical understanding of the complexities and challenges of change management, evaluating alternative approaches to leading successful and sustainable organisational change. Understand change as a social, psychological and political process and the nature of the changing roles and behaviours of managers and employees.
Immersive business experiences
Contextualise, develop and integrate your knowledge from across your MBA through various intensive, immersive, experiential and applied live learning activities.
Immersive modules
Business in Action
Business in Action links semesters one and two of the Newcastle MBA programme. It offers you an innovative approach to management education. Take part in a range of real-time challenges and experiences, and consolidate your skills and learning by applying them to operational and strategic issues within a constrained timeframe.
Gain valuable knowledge from business leaders, worldwide alumni and academic mentors, learning and practising consulting skills as you go.
Practise and consolidate your understanding of core business skills in a series of intensive workshops, meetings and challenges.
Apply your learning and experience, working in project teams, to explore and develop solutions to challenges in a variety of industries and organisations.
Past challenges have included:
• ethical decision-making and risk management in the banking and financial services industry
• complex stakeholder perspectives surrounding innovation in global payment systems
• data analysis and trends underpinning successful marketing campaigns
• challenges in developing sustainable solutions in the water industry
Compete in your project team at the culmination of this module and be judged by a panel of industry experts.
Business Analysis for Decision-Making
Today’s business leaders need to be able to identify key business problems, investigate potential solutions and then make and present recommendations that lead to effective business decisions. Become a self-directed learner able to identify root causes to business problems, lead and work in teams researching and analysing those problems, and then identify, evaluate and recommend potential solutions.
As part of the module, you will research, develop, present and defend a robust and thorough business case to corporate executives in the Boardroom Challenge.
Personal and Professional Transformation
Develop your understanding of your career values and drivers, through a structured series of skills enhancement workshops, personality testing, leadership development activities and career development planning sessions.
Develop and implement a personal and professional development plan.
Participate in our unique Personal Development Experience and embrace new challenges that will lead to real personal growth, learning from constructive feedback provided by practitioners, industry experts, academics and your fellow students.
“Northumbrian Water Limited are delighted to be partnering once again with the MBA programme, setting students a real-life business challenge and gaining their insight, perspective and recommendations on how we could tackle that challenge. Working with such a diverse range of students who are not from the water industry adds a huge amount of value to this challenge and the calibre of recommendations delivered by the students was outstanding. Our hope following this challenge project is that the students also gain a wider awareness of the work Northumbrian Water Limited undertakes and what we stand for, which centres around protecting our environment for generations to come.”
Erin Price Head of HR Operations at Northumbrian Water Limited
Additional opportunities
Sustainability Forum
The forum offers a series of activities to enhance and internationalise your learning experience and help you develop international networks. Designed to raise awareness of sustainable practices and developments within organisations and society, you will become a global systemic thinker and leader.
Mentoring
Our International Advisory Board and high-profile alumni make a significant contribution to the development of the Newcastle University MBA cohort each year. Benefit from an Alumni mentor to support you through your MBA journey.
Our International Advisory Board and MBA Advisory Board together with our global alumni community of over 34,000 –1,200+ MBA alumni – offer a wealth of expertise and knowledge for you to take advantage of.
Corporate projects
The Newcastle University MBA allows you to apply cutting-edge academic theories, exploring in practice the challenges and opportunities experienced by organisations, which you can integrate into real-world situations. Projects throughout the programme are sourced across a diverse range of organisations and industries to give you exposure at a regional, national and international scale.
Management Consultancy Project
This core module enables you to build on the consultancy and business skills you have learned, developing your experience by applying your learning to make an impact in a live business.
Working as part of a consulting team, you will respond to an organisation’s project brief, applying your problem-solving and consulting skills. With access to senior members of staff and business leaders in these organisations, you will present a series of recommendations in response to the organisation’s objectives and deliverables.
Previous projects have included:
• an environmental, social and governance strategy review for a global technology company
• advising one of the UK’s largest food retailers on a strategy to target a new consumer market
• a marketing and internationalisation strategy for an environmental product manufacturer
• a social media-led sales and marketing strategy for a healthcare organisation
• a business-growth model for a social enterprise
Individual Project
The Newcastle University MBA culminates in a significant final project that draws together your learning and integrates your knowledge. You can choose from three project options.
One: Corporate Consultancy Project
Analyse and evaluate a live management issue with an external organisation. You will develop an executive summary and a set of credible recommendations derived from your research, pitched appropriately for your audience.
We source a collection of challenging projects from selected corporate partners, which are distributed to learners in a competitive process. We ensure a range of clients to match your interests, with recent projects including FTSE 100 companies, biotech start-ups and government agencies.
Two: Entrepreneurial Business Plan
Write a comprehensive business plan to kick-start your plans to create a new venture. Showcase your skills in market analysis, financial projection, marketing strategy and operational planning, integrating knowledge from the key business disciplines and evidencing your creativity and strategic thinking.
Three: Research Project
Apply your knowledge and explore a single business issue in detail, taking the opportunity to enhance your expertise in your chosen subject to develop yourself and enhance your value to future employers. Research and analyse a business issue of interest and relevance to you, then offer an in-depth report of your findings.
“The Personal and Professional Transformation module developed me in both personal and professional aspects. It was a crucial part of my MBA, as it simplified and articulated my thought processes, enabling me to better understand my “Why.”
This module is fascinating because it involves psychology in every sense. Every class throughout the year helped me acknowledge both new and old aspects of myself—my strengths and weaknesses, as well as hidden strengths that could be more valuable to both my personal and professional life. It improved my leadership and teamwork qualities, which became evident in other modular exercises.
This module is unique because it encompasses every other module. Without personal and professional transformation through aspects such as emotional intelligence, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, and reflection, any expertise or professionalism that an individual may possess may not be sufficient. My experience in this diverse MBA group exposed me to cultural intelligence, teamwork, leadership, as well as being a follower and collaborator. This experience prepares you for global achievement and development.”
Ayodeji Adeniyi Newcastle University MBA student 2023/24
Global opportunities
In an increasingly competitive marketplace, employers are looking for leaders with the knowledge, ability and ambition to shape the future of global organisations. The Newcastle University MBA enables you to develop a global perspective with a range of international opportunities.
Business networking
Develop your business networking skills and practise in a supportive environment with our valued business partners. On average, 60% of jobs are not advertised, so networking is an essential skill.
Learning expeditions
Take part in international experiences comprising insights and learning from global businesses, topical lectures and cultural immersion opportunities. Appreciate the challenges of global business and apply your MBA learning in international environments.
Business competitions
Work virtually across time zones and continents by collaborating with learners from our global partner institutions in global business competitions. Compete in teams with peers from other high-ranking universities to solve live business challenges, with the opportunity to meet virtually with corporate clients. Benefit from academic mentors in the participating partner institutions.
Leadership insights
Add additional value to your learning experience with inspiring keynote speakers, interactive workshops and networking opportunities with prominent global leaders as part of our School-wide employability programme.
Learn a language
All eligible students are offered in-programme English language teaching tailored to the Newcastle University MBA learning requirements. In addition, the University’s award-winning Language Resource Centre offers free language learning via self-study materials in over 150 languages.
Alumni connections
Tap into our extensive Global Alumni Network and reap the benefits throughout your study as well as exclusive benefits and services once you graduate. Gain insights from alumni supporting the programme through guest lectures, mentoring and company visits.
Please note that these opportunities change from year to year, as we take advantage of new opportunities. The above shows a selection of opportunities from recent years.
Globally connect with our 1,200+ MBA alumni shaping business in 69 countries
Your career development
We recognise that your MBA is part of a wider plan of personal growth. We’ll support you to consider and develop your career plan as well as ensure you have the necessary skills and knowledge to realise your ambition.
The Newcastle University MBA careers package pulls together a range of information and resources which work hand in hand with the academic content, networking and one-to-one support from our MBA Careers Consultant – all included as part of your programme.
Phase one
Formulate your career strategy
We work with you to help you clarify and understand your skills, aptitudes, and motivations – and use this intelligence to formulate your career development strategy.
• Personal and Professional Transformation module
• Extracurricular career development sessions
• Career insights and personal profiling tools
• Developing a clear value proposition to enhance personal brand and employability skills
• One-to-one career guidance
• Mentoring programme
• Your CV added to our annual School MBA Talent Book
Phase two
Develop your plan of action
Whether you need to research industry sectors and employers, develop a business plan or build your connections, we’ll support you to progress your career action plan.
• Dedicated industry sector insights delivered through specialist events, including recruitment fairs and employer presentations
• Specialist online resources, including GoinGlobal and MBA-Exchange
• Business networking, LinkedIn skills sessions, and access to a wide alumni network
• Informed overview of the MBA hiring market in the UK and overseas
• Business start-up support
Phase three
Secure your next career move
We will support you through your studies and beyond as you take your next steps in developing a global career, with extended careers support from our MBA Careers Consultant.
• Long-term careers guidance and interview coaching post-graduation
• Access to our global alumni network, with over 34,000 from the Business School
• Leadership development activities
• Support to identify part-time employment, local internships and full-time career opportunities
• Application, CV and cover letter feedback and development support
• One-to-one interview coaching
• Recruitment fairs and online events
• Dedicated MBA vacancy resources
Meet Ifeanyi Anthony Okonkwo
Ifeanyi Anthony (Tony) is currently Business Manager to the CEO of FirstBank UK in London. Prior to the MBA programme, he completed a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Statistics and built 12 years of expertise as a strategy and execution professional within the financial services industry.
Tony explains how the MBA changed the course of his career:
“My goal was to move into consulting after the MBA programme. With the guidance of the careers team in the School, I decided to leverage my banking experience to foster my career in the UK. Being open to opportunities is a crucial mindset for any aspiring MBA student.
“When I started the MBA, my confidence was at an all-time low. It was a make-or-break move for me. By the time I left the programme, I was roaring like a lion, looking for global problems to solve. In fact, this mindset begun while I was still on the programme as I had participated in most of the case competitions, eager to start applying the learnings.
“The overarching theme across all the modules on the MBA was ‘responsible leadership’. There was a strong focus on teaching soft skills such as critical thinking, reflective practices and sustainability. I’ve found these skills to be invaluable in my career post-MBA and in my current role at FirstBank UK.”
Ifeanyi Anthony Okonkwo Business Manager – Office of the CEO, FirstBank UK Limited MBA graduate, 2022
Newcastle University MBA
An MBA can be used in a variety of different way to help progress your career. Below is an overview of the class of 2022/23 and how their industries changed after they graduated.
Employment sectors pre-MBA*
Employment
Career direction
Newcastle University MBA graduates typically work in a variety of roles and sectors following graduation. Some graduates choose to advance in their previous areas and others change career direction.
*Please note that these figures are based on the most recent cohort (2022/23) and based on self-reporting data from graduating students who declared
destination.
graduate employment
MBA graduate destinations**
Examples of recent recruiters:
• Amazon
• Nissan
• Sage
• TfLTransport for London
• Harper Adams University
• Irwin Mitchel
• Accenture
• Version 1
• Greggs
**Examples of employers who have recruited from both 2022 graduating class and 2023 graduating class
Job roles secured by recent Newcastle University MBA graduates:***
• Director of Web and Digital Services
• Associate Director Risk Management
• Finance Manager
• Financial Planning Analyst
• General Manager
• Produce Manager
***data from the 2022-23 cohort
• Change Consultant
• Content Quality Assurance Specialist
• Business Change Manager
• IT Analyst
• Mechanical Engineer
• International Officer
Meet Silvia Schmid
Silvia studied law in Germany, working as a solicitor for a law firm in Stuttgart, before joining the public sector to become head of the German Federal Police’s HR department at Frankfurt Airport. After moving to Newcastle, Silvia wanted a better understanding of economic and business relations and knew the MBA would give her the wealth of knowledge she had been missing.
Silvia reflects on how the MBA broadened her perspective:
“Cohort diversity enhances the MBA experience. Peer-to-peer learning was as important as the subject content. My peers came from a variety of professions, sectors and countries, and offered a wealth of real-life experiences and perspectives. This insight was invaluable and changed the way I think about and approach business problems.”
Silvia Schmid
Data Protection Officer, Berner Fachhochschule BFH
(University of Applied Sciences Berne)
MBA graduate, 2017
Applying for our MBA Entry requirements
We are looking for learners who can demonstrate professional success, a strong academic track record, a passion for global and sustainable business and the potential for transformational personal and professional development.
If you meet our entry requirements, we will support and guide you throughout our admissions process, not only with your MBA application, but with one-to-one consultations and online information sessions.
For entry onto the Newcastle MBA programme we require:
• A 2:1 degree
• A minimum of three years’ work experience
• Proficiency in the English language
More details of these requirements are set out below.
Academic requirements
Our minimum entry requirement is a 2:1 honours degree from a recognised higher education institution, or international equivalent. Exceptional candidates who do not meet this requirement may also be considered if they can demonstrate relevant and extensive work experience and career progression.
Whilst we do not require a GMAT score, we recognise it as a rigorous and challenging assessment of analytical, numerical and verbal reasoning skills. If you have taken GMAT and wish to submit your scores, then we will consider these alongside your other qualifications and relevant work experience.
Guidance on the international academic equivalencies for most countries can be found online.
Work experience
In your application, you will need to demonstrate a minimum of three years of relevant post-graduation work experience with appropriate managerial responsibilities
This could include the management of budgets, products, projects or people. We accept applicants from a range of industry backgrounds, including experience in large corporations, small businesses, voluntary and social sector organisations as well as owners and business founders.
English language
To study on the Newcastle University MBA, you also need to meet our Band 6 English language requirements:
Direct Entry: IELTS 6.5 overall (with a minimum of 6.0 in all sub-skills).
Alongside the IELTS test, we also accept a range of other English language qualifications.
Pre-sessional English courses
If you already hold a conditional offer but need to improve your language skills, our academic and English language learning centre, INTO Newcastle University, provides online options and start dates in June and July.
Funding and scholarships
The tuition fee for our MBA programme is £32,600 for 2025 entry. Each year, we offer a range of scholarships to exceptional applicants.
Full details of the Newcastle University MBA scholarships can be found online.
View entry requirements on course page
Applying for our MBA Admissions process
To apply for September 2025 visit the course page. The programme code is 5823F.
Use our applicant portal to create, edit and submit your application. You also need to attach and update your supporting documents including:
• your CV
• Certified transcripts with certified translations
• Certified certificates (if applicable) with certified translations
• a personal statement
• details of two referees
• English language test results (if applicable, can be supplied post-offer)
• a copy of the photograph page of your passport (international students only)
Our admissions process is highly competitive, and places on the Newcastle University MBA are limited. We recommend you submit your application early to avoid disappointment.
Your interview
Our admissions team will review your application and if you meet our entry criteria, we will invite you to attend an interview with a member of the MBA programme team. Interviews are held primarily by Zoom, but we can arrange to use an alternative online platform if required. In-person interviews are also available. The interview is your opportunity to share your career success to date, your personal and professional development areas and why the Newcastle University MBA is a good fit for you at this point in your professional life. During your interview, you will also be assessed for our Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship awards.
Your offer
Once we have considered your application and interview performance, a formal letter will be sent to you by email informing you of our admissions decision. If you receive an offer, it will be either “conditional” or “unconditional”.
A conditional offer
This means we would like to offer you a place on the programme, but first you will need to meet the conditions of your offer. This might be, for example, further proof of English language proficiency. You can scan and upload the necessary, additional documents to meet the conditions of your offer online via your applicant portal as soon as they are available.
An unconditional offer
This means you have met all the necessary entry criteria and we would like to offer you a place on the programme. You may need to pay a deposit or provide proof of sponsorship to secure your place. You can pay online via your applicant portal.
Accepting your offer
Congratulations! Having received your offer, you need to formally accept it, making any required payments at this stage, to secure your place. You can do this online via your applicant portal.
Confirmation of your place on the Newcastle University MBA
When you have met all the conditions of your offer (and paid your deposit, if required), you will receive a ‘Confirmation of Place’ (COP) letter.
If you are an international student and need to apply for a Tier 4 visa, you will receive a draft Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) letter. You should check and confirm that the details are correct or provide amends. Once this feedback has been received by us, a full CAS will be issued to you so that you can apply for your visa.
This now completes all stages of your application.
What’s next
Further information about what to do next can be found on our website. Our website also contains information such as advice on applying for a visa and accommodation, how to register as a student of Newcastle University, and what to expect when you arrive in Newcastle. We will also send you regular email updates throughout the process, so please ensure you check the inbox of the email address you use in your application.
Acknowledgements
Editing: Newcastle University Business School
Design: Sterling Creative
Photography: Chris Bishop, John Donoghue
Stock photography: iStock
Disclaimer
Although great care is taken in compiling this MBA Prospectus, it is for the general guidance of prospective students only. This publication is intended for those who are interested in applying for admission to the University in 2025 and is intended as advance publicity for information and guidance purposes only. The content of this publication does not form a contract between the University and a prospective student.
Details included are correct at the time of publication in August 2024. The most up-to-date and detailed source of information at any time is the MBA web pages: ncl.ac.uk/business/study/mba
The matters covered by this publication are subject to change from time to time, both before and after a candidate’s admission. The University reserves the right to make changes as reasonably necessary and unavoidable changes may on occasion have to be made, affecting the availability of degree programmes, subjects, modules and options within degree programmes, and of additional opportunities such as placements, field trips and exchange visits. The reasons for change could include, but are not limited to, timetabling issues, changes in staff, requirements of programme -accrediting bodies, academic changes within subject areas, or due to minimum student numbers on a course.
The University makes all reasonable efforts to deliver the programmes of study and other services and facilities as described in its marketing material. However, it may be necessary to make changes to its provision in response to significant disruption.
The University is committed to delivering learning outcomes notwithstanding any necessary changes to mode of delivery. For the latest information go to: ncl.ac.uk/study/experience
The University is not responsible for the content of any websites which do not form part of the Newcastle University domain (www.ncl.ac.uk ) and whose addresses are given in this publication.
Created August 2024
Alternative formats
For information in alternative formats on any of our courses and on student life in Newcastle, please contact Student Services: ncl.ac.uk/enquiries