Master of Business Administration

The Business Research specialisation can only be undertaken with the approval of the Master of Business Administration Course Director.

The specialisation is comprised of research method subjects and a Business research project that are designed to increase skills and competence in designing, conducting and analysing qualitative research projects using a variety of qualitative research techniques. The final subject in the specialisation, a double subject studied over two sessions, allows students to carry out a supervised business research project in their own workplace. The selection of the project will be jointly carried out by the academic supervisor, the student and the employer.

In this specialisation you will study subjects in the areas of research methods project management and also undertake a business research project. For specific subject listings, please view the course structure.

In recent times economic analysis has become firmly integrated into the decision making process of most, if not all, Commonwealth agencies, state government bodies, business organisations and not-for-profit entities and it has influenced issues ranging from nuclear power, politics and warfare to crime, health care and environmental regulation.

Economic analysis can be described as a systematic approach to determining the optimum use of scarce resources, involving comparison of two or more alternatives in achieving a specific objective under given assumptions and constraints. Changes in economic conditions affect and are affected by supply and demand, strength of buying power, the willingness to spend, and the intensity of competitive efforts. These changes propel fluctuations in the overall state of the economy and influence courses of action taken by both government and business. Economic analysis takes into account the costs of resources employed and attempts to measure in monetary terms the private and social costs and benefits of a project for the community and/or the economy.

In this specialisation you will study subjects in the areas of business economics, international economics and managerial economics as well as economic evaluation. For specific subject listings, please view the course structure.

Today’s educational leaders need to develop the conceptual tools in which to analyse the varying global, national and local contexts and forces which are impacting upon leadership in educational and training organisations. The specialisation in Educational Leadership provides students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the economic and social forces, internal and external to formal organisations, which impact upon contemporary educational and training organisations.

Topics include social justice, critical and postmodern approaches to educational leadership and training; policy development and implementation; organisational change and the politics of education in the 21st Century; the philosophical, ethical and historical strands which underpin educational leadership as a field; the nature of educational change and capabilities for planning, leading and managing the process of change; and education policy problems which can influence the lives of teachers, students, parents and educational leaders.

In this specialisation you will study subjects in the areas of mapping the field of educational leadership, educational leadership in contemporary organisations, leading educational change and education policy analysis. For specific subject listings, please view the course structure.

The Finance specialisation aims to produce graduates who understand the organisation and structure of the financial system, various financial markets and the instruments of these markets and display a thorough knowledge of the determinants of the level and structure of interest rates on money and capital markets, and key factors determining the exchange rate. Students also learn to apply the analytical skills needed to identify and interpret developments and changes in financial markets, develop the ability to explain the mechanisms by which various financial price variables are influenced and understand the scope and methodology of the finance function and its role in corporate management.

This specialisation offers an overview of practical aspects of corporate capital structure and management; the skills necessary to identify and manage financial risk; and emerging complexities in the Australian and global corporate sectors.

In this specialisation you will have a choice of subjects in the areas of corporate finance, international financial management, money and capital markets, investment analysis and financial planning. For specific subject listings, please view the course structure.

Human resource managers need to develop a strong portfolio of capabilities appropriate for business enhancement and managing change in an increasingly complex environment. Issues such as enterprise bargaining, multi-skilling, occupational health and safety, equal employment opportunities, casualisation of the workforce and increased employee involvement in decision-making are forcing practitioners to take an integrated, strategic view of Human Resource Management. Furthermore, regulatory and compliance issues are increasingly challenging the role of the human resource management professional in the workforce today.

This specialisation helps students understand from a variety of perspectives the strategic role that human resource management can fulfil in ensuring high levels of organisational and individual performance.

In this specialisation you will have a choice of subjects in the areas of human resource management, international human resource management, advanced studies in industrial relations, strategic human resource management and the human resource management context. For specific subject listings, please view the course structure.

In this specialisation students will learn how information systems can be used to achieve a company's strategic objectives. The need for information systems strategic planning is analysed within the modern environment of industry and commerce so that alignment and optimisation of technology investment can be achieved. Students will focus on examining and critically analysing a combination of technical and management issues in contemporary infrastructure management, with a strong focus on telecommunications. Students also study the role and value of information, information systems and information technology in modern organisations as well as the theory and practice of decision support systems for use in management, research and decision making.

In this specialisation you will have a choice of subjects in the areas of strategic management information, information technology infrastructure management, information technology for management, principles of information security, and e-systems infrastructure development. For specific subject listings, please view the course structure.

The aim of the Marketing specialisation is to provide opportunities for students who are looking to enhance their marketing knowledge and skills and respond to changes in the marketing environment. A range of marketing subjects is offered with some flexibility to enable students to tailor their course to suit their needs and interests. The program is designed to enable students to draw on their workplace experience and enhance their marketing practice by engagement with theoretical frameworks and debates in the marketing discipline.

Upon completion of this specialisation, graduates will be able to understand the nature of marketing and marketing management, detail the role of marketing within the wider business organisational context, undertake, analyse and interpret the outcomes of market research, formulate a marketing policy based on the outcomes of market research, understand the consumer decision process, and develop and implement an international marketing plan for products or markets for which they are responsible.

In this specialisation you will have a choice of subjects in the areas of marketing management, customer behaviour, managing product and service innovation, global marketing, marketing and organisational research and integrated marketing communications. For specific subject listings, please view the course structure.

The public sector and government agencies are charged with providing fair, equitable and efficient service to the public. It is managed in accordance with principles of access and equity and there is a requirement for clear and explicit delineation of the responsibilities and accountabilities of public employees, administrative units and territory instrumentalities.

This specialisation provides students with an overview of the knowledge and skills required in managing the public sector – financial accountability; business economics; administrative law; and the political, economic, legal and social contexts of management in the public sector. A range of specific areas of public sector management are studied such as the policy process and strategy, financial management, human resources management and employment relations as well as performance management, accountability and ethics, corporatisation and privatisation and the use of information technology in the public sector.

In this specialisation you will study subjects in the areas of financial accountability in the public sector, business economics, administrative law and public sector management. For specific subject listings, please view the course structure.