Our courses and subjects

The AIB MBA is made up of 12 subjects across three awards (Graduate Certificate in Management (CGM), Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) and the Master of Business Administration (MBA) with or without a specialisation. You can get an award along the way as you’ll be able to obtain your Graduate Certificate in Management (GCM) after successfully completing at least 4 core subjects and a Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) after successfully completing 8 subjects, as long as at least 4 of those subjects are core subjects. In addition to the online MBA, we also deliver a Graduate Certificate in Research Methodologies, DBA, PhD and MMgt online courses.

Subjects within the MBA are split between core and electives with core subjects predominantly at AQF (Australian Qualifications Framework) level 8 and electives at AQF level 9 Each subject is 7 weeks long, and you’ll be able to refresh and reset with an in-built break between your subjects. As most of our students are working professionals, we understand the value of effective time management and provide you with access to your full subject learning material two weeks before the start of each subject, so you can get a head-start and pre-plan your studies around your family life and work commitments.

What is AQF all about?

AQF stands for Australian Qualifications Framework. The AQF levels give you an indication of the relative complexity of the subject. The higher the AQF the more complex the subject is and the greater of level of autonomy is required. If you’d like more information on AQF levels, please head to the Australian Qualifications Framework website.

Flexibility is key!

We offer 12 start dates per year, so the next start date is never far away. You can study at your own pace and take a break whenever you need. If your schedule allows you can even opt to study our fast-tracked option and complete your AIB MBA in as little as 12 months* – the choice is yours!

*Only Direct-Entry applicants, who have attained an undergraduate degree, relevant 3 years’ work experience and are working part-time hours or less, are eligible to fast-track their studies by undertaking 2 subjects concurrently, in any given term (effective from Term 3, 2022). Please refer to concurrent study eligibility criteria for further details.

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1. What subjects does AIB offer? Where can I find the subject timetable?
2. Accelerating your studies. what you need to know.
3. How long will it take me to gain my qualification?
4. When will I gain access to my subject learning material?

Studying at AIB is a fully online learning experience that requires a computer PLUS a smartphone or tablet and reliable broadband Internet– see below for the technical specs required. In addition to the minimum computer requirements listed below, please also refer to the Acceptable Use of Information Technology Facilities Policy and Guidelines for Students document available on our website.

Computer requirements

At a minimum, ensure your computer meets the following requirements to support your learning, participate in webinars and complete your assessments:

Smartphone or Tablet Requirements

In addition to your computer, you will need either a smartphone or a tablet computer for secure access to AIB systems. Please ensure the device you are using is one that you will always have with you so that you can authorise any Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) prompts, required for secure access to AIB systems. You need to either have Wi-Fi or a data connection to be able to receive the MFA notifications.

Important: you will not be able to complete AIB assessments without a computer meeting the specifications above. A smartphone/tablet can be used to conveniently access content on the go, and facilitate MFA , but is not a replacement for a computer with reliable broadband internet.

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Key tech skills needed to be successful in your studies

To study successfully as an online student, you will need to be comfortable with navigating a web page and searching the internet to find information. You will also need to be comfortable with the following products:

1. Microsoft Word – your assessments will generally require you to submit a typed document that meets the necessary assessment requirements. Whilst you may be provided with a template, you will need to be comfortable with editing this, adding your text, including paragraphs, headings and sub-headings and adjusting a Table of Contents. You will also be required to calculate the word count of your document to ensure you are within the assessment allowance.
2. Microsoft PowerPoint – some subjects will require you to put together a presentation using PowerPoint. Whilst you may be provided with a template, it’s essential that you are comfortable editing, adding and presenting these slides.
3. Microsoft Excel – some of your subjects will require basic Excel knowledge including creating basic formulae
4. Zoom – as an AIB student, you will use Zoom to participate in Webinars and to record your audio presentation (showing your prepared PowerPoint presentation mentioned above). You will be provided with clear instructions on how to use Zoom for your presentation.

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As an online provider, are there any specific IT requirements?

A list of our current subjects can be found within the MBA subject guide, which is available on our website. This guide provides an overview of each subject and lists any pre-requisites which you will need to study prior to undertaking the latter subject. Alternatively, head to our MBA Master timetable for a list of subjects.

The important points:

• You will need to undertake all core subjects (unless you’re granted a subject exemption) before attempting any elective subjects; this will give you a well-rounded foundation on which to build.
• If you undertake a generalist MBA, you have the flexibility to choose any of the available elective subjects that suit your area of expertise or interest.
• If you undertake a specialised MBA, your subjects will be set for you, to ensure you have the widest breadth of study to meet the demands of that specialised area.
• Once you’ve selected your subjects, it’s really important to check your timetable thoroughly so that you graduate with your desired award.
• To ensure we keep up with industry trends, our subjects are regularly updated. If this happens, we will let you know well in advance what impact this will have on your study plans and if an alternative is appropriate.

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1. How is your course and subjects structured?
2. I have previous higher education experience; can I apply for credit towards my studies?
3. Can I gain recognition for my extensive industry experience?

You can complete your Master of Business Administration (MBA) in as little as 12 months or your Graduate Certificate in Management (GCM) in as little as 8 months. Our subjects are delivered over 7 weeks and you also get a week’s break between each subject to recharge and reset.

There are a few things to note that may affect how quickly you can complete your studies:

• Your entry pathway: only Direct-Entry applicants, who have attained an undergraduate degree, relevant 3 years’ work experience and are working part-time hours or less, are eligible to fast-track their studies by undertaking 2 subjects concurrently, in any given term (effective from Term 3, 2022).
• the subjects you choose and how regularly they are offered on the timetable,
• your ability to study concurrent subjects: please refer to concurrent study eligibility criteria for further details.
• any pre-requisites or prior assumed knowledge subjects that you will be required to complete,
• if you need to re-take or re-enrol into any subjects or
• if you have taken a break or withdraw from any subjects.

One of the perks of studying with AIB is that you can decide how fast or slow you want to complete your studies and you can also factor in breaks at specific times of the year like Christmas or during the summer – you have complete flexibility to plan your subjects to suit your situation.

If you’d like more information about how quickly you can complete your course, based on your personal circumstances, please contact a member of our team.

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1. Accelerating your studies. What you need to know.
2. How many subjects do I need to complete to be eligible for a Graduate Certificate in Management (GCM) or Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM)?
3. Are there any enrolment rules which will affect my subject choice or the order in which I can study subjects?
4. What is the maximum time allowed to complete the course?

You can change your specialisation at any time throughout the enrolment process; just select this option in the enrolment tracker.

Most students study a generalised MBA as this provides the flexibility to tailor your subjects according to your area of business or interest. However, we do offer several specialised MBA pathways where the optimal subjects have already been selected to ensure you walk away with in-depth knowledge and wide-ranging experience. If you study a specialised MBA, this will be noted on your award and parchment. Our specialisations are:

• MBA (Finance)
• MBA (Marketing Management)
• MBA (Logistics and Supply Chain Management)
• MBA (Human Resources Management)
• MBA (Entrepreneurial Management)

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1. What subjects does AIB offer? Where can I find the subject timetable?
2. How long will it take me to gain my qualification?

To obtain a Graduate Certificate in Management (GCM), you will need to have successfully completed at least 4 core subjects. To be eligible to obtain a Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) you will need to have successfully completed 8 subjects (which must include at least 4 core subjects).

Timing is everything!

If you are enrolled into the MBA and are applying for a Graduate Certificate of Management or Graduate Diploma of Management as a nested award (i.e. you will be continuing with the program), the timing of your request is crucial as you will only be issued with the award you are eligible for, at the time of the Award Approval cut-off date. This means that if you request your Graduate Certificate in Management (GCM) but as of the Award Approval cut-off date you are eligible for a higher award (Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM)), then you will be issued with that higher award (GDM).

All Award cut-off dates are listed within the AIB award approval cut-off dates document, available on our website.

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1. Are there any enrolment rules which will affect my subject choice or the order in which I can study subjects?
2. I would like to receive my Graduate Certificate in Management (GCM) or Graduate Diploma in Management (GCM) nested award, how do I go about this?
3. Is there a cost to apply for my parchment and academic transcript?

Your subject fee provides full access to your learning material, the learning portal and any associated multimedia for example videos and audio files. In general, the only cost you’ll need to consider in addition to the subject fee, is the cost of your subject specific textbooks. Otherwise, the only other items that carry an additional charge are as follows:

• A non-refundable application fee for all international, offshore applicants (effective for applications submitted on or after 1 January 2022). This fee is listed in the Application Terms and Conditions relevant to your area,
• Requesting a re-mark for an assessment if you’ve already passed that assessment, and
• Requesting a parchment and transcript for a nested award, where you are continuing with your course.

Keeping the additional study related costs low

It is useful to point out that not all subjects require you to purchase a textbook. Head to our textbook list for more details.

Many of our students and alumni also sell their textbooks, via the AIB MBA Textbook Marketplace Facebook group

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1. Prescribed textbooks. What you need to know.
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3. Finance and Payment Options