For those seeking to undertake an MBA, deciding where to go or what type to do can sometimes feel overwhelming. Here we’ve provided a round-up of MBA course programmes on offer in Ireland today.
Dublin City University
The DCU Executive MBA is a two-year, part-time programme, delivered in a blended format with approximately two-thirds of lectures taking place face to face at DCU. Lectures are held on Thursdays from 2pm to 9pm during each of the four 12-week semesters, with typically three additional Saturday sessions per semester.
The programme is AMBA-accredited, and benefits hugely from the scale and depth of professional experience among participants, who come from a variety of sectors across finance, tech, pharma, professional services and public sector bodies. The programme has also evolved through repeated reviews of the curriculum – most recently in 2023 – to align the content with the ever-changing needs of executives.
Fees: €12,750 a year
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Web: business.dcu.ie/course/executive-mba/
Trinity College Dublin
Trinity Business School’s MBA offering contains three distinct delivery modes: the one-year full-time MBA, an executive MBA (part-time) and the flexible executive MBA, which is distance learning delivered through the Matrix Room, a purpose-built lecture theatre, and Canvas, a virtual learning platform.
The full-time MBA rose 21 places in the 2024 year’s Global MBA Ranking, published by the Financial Times, placing 66th globally, and 1st in Ireland.
The full-time MBA is offered over 12 months, while the part-time MBA is held over two years. The flexible executive is also held over two years, though is 80 per cent online and 20 per cent live synchronous content.
The programme includes three different live company projects, through which MBA candidates critically inform the strategy of big industry players, of social enterprises or companies aiming to scale
Trinity’s offerings break away from the traditional approach, and focus on live-action learning: getting participants inside real companies with real issues. Students gain experience in new industries and organisations, solving real-world business problems.
There are two optional week-long international residency electives in South Africa and Belgium for the full-time and executive MBA candidates.
Fees: Full-time – €36,600; part-time and flexible – €18,300 a year;
Web: tcd.ie/business/programmes/mba/
University of Limerick
With triple accreditation by AMBA, Equis and AACSB, UL’s MBA is in the top 1 per cent of business schools globally.
The programme is shaped by five key themes: internationalisation, managerial vision and competencies, strategic thinking, entrepreneurship and innovation, and leadership. As a result, it seeks to develop confident, strategic and internationally focused leaders.
Specialist elective modules further tailor the course to participants’ career goals. Challenging content, high-calibre lecturers and accomplished peers combine to help tomorrow’s leaders to learn, reflect, debate and grow.
The two-year, part-time course is structured to challenge strategic thinking processes, improve critical thinking, and enhance communication skills. Due to its format of monthly three-day blocks, which are scheduled in advance, it is a popular choice among busy professionals.
Web: ul.ie/mba
Fees: €15,062 a year
University College Cork
The UCC CUBS Executive MBA is an AMBA-accredited, two-year, part-time executive MBA for working managers and professionals. It is delivered by the Cork University Business School at UCC (CUBS).
Participants will understand how all aspects of a complex organisation interconnect, while also developing their decision-making, self-leadership and ability to lead others in organisational change and transformation settings.
By the end of the programme, participants become organisational managers, innovators, and leaders.
Furthermore, the executive MBA also benefits a person’s organisation through the transformation in their personal effectiveness and judgment.
Professional growth is a key element in leadership development. Over the two years, students explore the scope and nature of their strategic thinking, defining learning patterns that they will use throughout their career, becoming innovative leaders who are adaptive to change.
Fees: €27,260 (€13,630 a year)
Web: cubsucc.com/executive-mba/
University College Dublin
The Smurfit MBA has two models of delivery: the full-time Smurfit MBA and the modular executive MBA, which is part-time and delivered over two years.
The globally ranked Smurfit MBA is structured over three semesters and focuses on developing practical skills in emerging business topics, finance, strategy, marketing, accounting, economics, human resources and leadership, among other disciplines.
The UCD Executive MBA is a part-time programme, delivered one day a week over two years, across four semesters. The programme is AMBA-accredited and since its inception more than 20 years ago, it has continually evolved to meet the changing demands of executive leadership.
This MBA offers a leadership development programme that focuses on building the necessary skills to communicate effectively, helping students understand themselves better and lead diverse teams and organisations around the globe.
Candidates will be challenged and stimulated by an academic curriculum including global case studies, action-learning via global collaboration and international study trips and exchanges.
This MBA offers a leadership development programme that focuses on building the necessary skills to communicate effectively, helping students understand themselves better and lead diverse teams and organisations around the globe.
Fees: €36,990 full-time; €18,490 per year for the modular executive MBA
Web: smurfitschool.ie/programmes/thesmurfitmba/
University of Galway
The University of Galway MBA integrates an academically rigorous and challenging real-world business education with industry engagement and global learning.
The AMBA-accredited course is a two-year, part-time programme delivered in a block release format. Blocks will be of two or three days’ duration and generally occur at intervals of every three weeks during the semester.
The course is structured around three pillars: transformational leadership, innovating success and business for society.
It provides graduates with the knowledge, transferable skills and leadership acumen required to lead innovative success and graduates have a proven track record of accelerated career progression.
Students are also provided with real-world learning opportunities through company-based consultancy projects and community-based learning in charitable and voluntary organisations.
Some of the areas studied include marketing, business analytics, financial management, business negotiations and business consulting.
Key highlights of this programme include an international leadership gateway programme, career coaching, leadership lessons and access to the MBA alumni network.
Fees: €15,500 per year
Web: universityofgalway.ie/mba/
TU Dublin
The AMBA-accredited MBA programme delivered by TU Dublin Graduate Business School is a transformational leadership experience designed to help students transition into senior leadership roles, change career direction or establish their own business.
It is offered in three different ways: the executive MBA, spread over two years; the life sciences leadership MBA (two years, part-time); and the flexible MBA (three years).
The dedicated life sciences leadership MBA programme seeks to enhance leadership capability in the thriving pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors.
The programme is developed in consultation with industry and updated to reflect current business trends and conditions.
It covers various topics from entrepreneurship to additional specialisms such as innovation, sustainable enterprise, sales strategy and project management.
Students will benefit from a highly connected, applied learning experience where participants engage in deep peer learning and discussions with experienced faculty members, complete consultancy projects with organisations and embed the learning in their own organisation.
The business school also offers a leadership development programme, which spans the duration of the course and helps participants shape their own leadership style.
Web: tudublin.ie/mba
Fees: €21,000
SETU Waterford
The executive MBA is targeted at experienced managers working in industry. Delivered through a blended-learning approach, it is a two-year part-time course, with each semester comprising 12 weeks.
In terms of content covered throughout the course, it focuses on personal accomplishment, new insights and framework for thinking, strengthening skills, good governance practices and leadership in a corporate environment.
Participants will develop skills and learn concepts that will accelerate careers and serve them throughout their professional life.
Across the two years, students will undertake modules across all of the functional areas of business, majoring on a particular area such as leadership, research and decision-making.
There is an international trip experience as part of this programme, with the trip to Boston being a mix of academic presentations, company visits and cultural events.
Fees: €8,950 a year
Web: wit.ie/courses/executive_mba_part_time
MTU Cork
The MBA in strategy is a part-time course that runs on Wednesday and Friday evenings, delivered online and on campus.
A two-year programme, the aim of the MBA in strategy is to enable learners to develop their leadership and strategic management skills.
Participants will be able to review their leadership and management style and identify how they can improve on that. It also teaches learners about the interconnectedness of all aspects of an organisation and an appreciation of the role each function plays in delivering its goals.
The programme incorporates lectures, expert guest speakers, site visits and live case studies, ensuring it is directly applicable to industry and immediately relevant to the business leaders of the future.
It explores a range of modules, such as corporate strategy, applied business finance, leadership and organisational behaviour, economics of global markets, international business strategy, contemporary issues in marketing, data analytics, strategic corporate finance, organisational change management, research methods and research dissertation, together with an international business field trip, which is usually to Leuven and Brussels.
Fees: €12,500
Dublin Business School
Offered as a full-time or two-year part-time option, this MBA programme educates and prepares participants with the academic knowledge, analytical ability and innovative management perspectives and skills needed to manage organisations.
The programme allows students to study the pure, traditional MBA, or to choose a specialist route for an MBA award within the following programmes: human resource management; project management; finance; information systems; cloud computing; or marketing.
The course includes lectures and assessment methods that apply the business knowledge required for students to perform as an effective manager in any organisation, alongside acquiring knowledge and understanding of global business.
The programme encourages learners to commence or strengthen their career in business, as well as achieving excellence at an executive level in their chosen profession.
Fees: €12,750 full-time and €6,375 (a year) part-time
Web: dbs.ie/courses/business-management
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