The University of Manchester Middle East Centre in Dubai has welcomed its latest cohort of students on to the Global Part-time MBA programme for working professionals. The University’s Alliance Manchester Business School enrolled 80 new students working in a range of public and private sector organisations in countries across the region on to the faculty-led blended learning programme, with one of the highest proportions of female students (over 25 per cent of the cohort) since the programme launched in the Middle East in 2006.
The new Global Part-time MBA cohort comprises 80 very experienced (the majority with more than 10 years’ experience) students of 29 nationalities residing in countries across the region, especially in the UAE and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. More than 10 per cent already hold a Master’s qualification. The vast majority are self-funded and hold various management positions and executive leadership roles in the public and private sectors. Around 30 per cent of the new cohort work in banking and financial services, engineering and manufacturing.
Notably, women professionals comprise over 25 per cent of the new cohort. This strong regional cohort of professional women reflects a similar experience with the University’s full-time MBA programme on campus, where a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion led to a 46 per cent female student ratio in the MBA Class of 2023, a very high ratio for a top business school.
The new Middle East students were welcomed and inducted by the faculty team from the University’s Alliance Manchester Business School and Middle East Centre in Dubai, during a hybrid (virtual and face to face) induction session in Dubai.
Commenting on the new MBA cohort, Randa Bessiso, Director – Middle East at The University of Manchester, said: “The University is delighted to welcome another exceptionally strong cohort of high calibre working professionals to the Global MBA. It is especially gratifying to welcome so many female working professionals who are taking the opportunity presented by a very flexible, high quality business programme to upgrade skills, knowledge and professional networks – all essential ingredients for female (and male) success in a fast-changing workplace. One of our aims is to support the development of a more equal and diverse working environment by creating a learning environment that supports and encourages everyone equally.”
The University of Manchester’s Global Part-time MBA is a two-year programme with options to accelerate study further, with as much face-to-face time with faculty as most full-time programmes. The programme is structured around four practical themes – Management in Practice; Value Creation in Business; Tailoring Your Journey; Professional Skills for Business; and with options to tailor further. An accelerated study route allows senior managers to complete the programme in 18 months. There is an 18-month Accelerated Finance Pathway option for candidates with professional accountancy qualifications.
The University enrols two intakes (January and July) per year for the Manchester Global Part-time MBA and all the students are experienced working professionals residing in the region, predominantly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Alliance Manchester Business School is currently ranked 30th in world, 4th in the UK and 10th in Europe, in the Financial Times MBA global ranking 2021. Demand for top MBA programmes continues to be strong, as executives position themselves for the career opportunities of global economic recovery.
The Middle East Centre has developed into the largest and fastest-growing centre in the University’s international network comprising five hubs in key business cities around the world. It is also the most diverse, with students of over 100 nationalities. The Middle East Centre has supported around 3,000 part-time MBA students based in the region and has graduated close to 2,000 MBA students since opening in 2006.
The University of Manchester has been named as the world’s 27th best university in the QS World University Rankings, sixth in the UK, and eighth in Europe. The University was named the most targeted institution by the UK’s top 100 graduate employers for the third year in a row by The Graduate Market in 2020. Manchester was also named the University of the Year for Graduate Employment by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020.
