The MBA is a generalist qualification in business administration open to first degree holders of any discipline. Its aim is to equip managers with sufficient knowledge and skills in the main functional areas in business without making them specialists in any of these areas. Most MBAs con- sist of core modules, elective modules, and a dissertation. The core modules generally include business statistics, economics, organisational behaviour, accounting, human resources management, marketing, operations management, and business strategy. Although the knowledge elements presented in the modules may be similar to those in an undergraduate course, the students are expected to show a critical ability commensurate with a postgraduate level.
Students usually have a choice of elective modules to suit their interests or field of work.
In the dissertation, students usually apply the knowledge learnt in the modules to aspects of their work. Occasionally, the dissertation could be entirely theoretical. Apart from these similarities, MBA programmes differ considerably from one another in other aspects such as time commitment, duration, reputation, choice of elective modules, styles of teaching, and profiles of fellow students. The qualification would certainly add weight to their career progression if they aspire to positions with more management responsibilities in the health services. One example might be to enter management consultancy training after an MBA, with a view to offering management consultancy advice to health organisations in future.