Executive MBA

Course Outline

The Cork University Business School (CUBS) Executive MBA at UCC is designed to prepare our participants to become organisational managers, innovators, and leaders.



Our aim is to not only provide a strong understanding of core organisational functions and disciplines but to move beyond that to facilitate an integrative, critical understanding of the foundations and practice of management and leadership.



Accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) our MBA provides you with an internationally recognised qualification on graduation.



Our MBA participants develop an understanding of the core disciplines by exploring:



Organisational decision-making and strategy

Operations management

Human resource management

Financial analysis and performance

Business innovation and transformation

Sustainability and governance

Leadership development



On this programme you will develop an appreciation of how all aspects of a complex organisation interconnect, and an appreciation of the role each function must play in delivering on organisational goals; this often requires an understanding of functions and disciplines outside of your existing professional competence and our MBA will help you formalise this learning.



Central to the development of this understanding of the complexity of organisations is our careful approach to class composition, intended to ensure that class participants are exposed to a variety of professional expertise and career backgrounds. To this end, we place considerable emphasis on creating an environment that is conducive to the peer-to-peer learning that we believe is vital to the UCC CUBS Executive MBA experience.

The Leadership Development Framework

We deliver the programme via a Leadership Development Framework across all four parts of the MBA.



Part 1

In Part 1, Year 1 students attend a Leadership Development Framework (Introduction) workshop.



Part 2

In Part 2, Year 1 students attend a Leadership Development Framework (Business Research Methods & Consultancy Skills) workshop.



Leadership Development Framework learning in Year 1 is captured through a 50-mark, individual Reflective Learning Log assessment in the 10-credit module BU6511 Managing Change in an International Context.



Parts 3 & 4



In Part 3, Year 2 students attend a Leadership Development Framework (Sustainable Leadership) workshop. Thematics from the workshop will also be covered in the Part 4, Year 2, 10-credit module BU6504 Leadership Project.



Leadership Development Framework learning in Year 2 is captured through a 50-mark, individual Reflective Learning Log assessment in the 10-credit module BU6504 Leadership Project.



Modules

Part 1 (20 credits)

AC6505 Managerial Control and Performance (5 credits)

EC6505 Economics for Strategic Business Development (5 credits)

MG6508 Organisational Behaviour (5 credits)

MG6509 Managing Human Resources (5 credits)



Part 2 (25 credits)

AC6506 Financial Investment and Analysis (5 credits)

BU6500 Operations and Supply Chain Management (5 credits)

BU6511 Managing Change in an International Context (10 credits)

BU6515 Strategic Decision Making and Governance (5 credits)



Part 3 (20 credits)

BU6516 Ethics and Sustainability (5 credits)

EC6506 Economics & Competitiveness for Global Business (5 credits)

IS6502 Leading Responsible Innovation & Digital Transformation (5 credits)

MG6510 Strategic Marketing (5 credits)



Part 4 (25 credits)

BU6504 Leadership Project (10 credits)

MG6504 Integrated Strategy Project (10 credits)



And choose one elective module from the following:

BU6505 People and Talent Management (5 credits)

GV6503 Public Sector Elective (5 credits)

To apply for this course, you will have:



A primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8), or

A primary ordinary degree + a minimum GMAT score of 600* or

An appropriate professional qualification



And



At least three years of significant managerial experience/responsibility** or

Significant senior managerial/professional work experience + a minimum GMAT score of 600*

Plus two referees’ reports.



Note applicants may be required to attend an interview.



*If you feel the skills covered by the GMAT can be demonstrated elsewhere in your application then you may request a waiver – this may be granted at the discretion of the Director of the Executive MBA.



** If you feel that you possess significant managerial experience/responsibility, achieved in a period of fewer than 3 years, and this can be demonstrated elsewhere in your application, then you may request a waiver - this may be granted at the discretion of the Director of the Executive MBA.



The GMAT test can be taken at any time and the results generally are valid for three years. To arrange a test contact the Graduate Management Admissions Test at www.mba.com



For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland

Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.



International/Non-EU Applicants

For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.



In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.



Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.



English Language Requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

Closing Date: Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.

2 years part time.

Start Date: 11th September 2025.

Many of our MBA students come from specific professional backgrounds – engineering, sciences, ICT, and finance, to name but a few. Their education and professional expertise have brought them to an advanced level in their organizations.



However, to take the next step up the managerial ladder, they need to develop their knowledge of how the wider organisation operates and what strategic and operational frameworks are used by top-level management teams.



The UCC CUBS Executive MBA provides our participants with the required learning and knowledge, allowing our graduates to progress in their careers.



In addition, the UCC Career Services, and our team at the UCC CUBS Executive MBA Programme Office, cooperate in delivering relevant and appropriate career support advice and tools to our students.