Graduate programmes in business and economics focused on creating agile leaders with real-world experience

With advances in today’s technologies and ever-changing economic landscapes, it is important for leaders to offer more than just intelligent solutions to complex business issues — they need tech know-how, soft skills, and vision too. 

The right postgraduate business degree can equip one with these. It can boost credentials and prepare one to become an agile leader capable of navigating and transforming a company in the increasingly challenging business world. Many universities have innovated the traditional on-campus business degree to incorporate the latest work trends. 

As such, today’s students can expect to specialise in their desired electives, participate in immersive projects and expand their horizons in different university campuses, or even countries. With such a degree, students will be more prepared to thrive professionally.

The four universities below have a track record of success in producing such graduates. They are all well-known for their high quality research-oriented programmes, teaching staff with extensive industry experience, and numerous opportunities to bring what students learn in classrooms to life.  

The Australian National University (ANU) College of Business and Economics

The ANU College of Business and Economics (CBE) attracts the top students interested in studying business and economics through its reputation for programmes that provide world-class academic excellence.

CBE research focuses on six highly respected disciplines: Accounting, Actuarial Studies, Economics, Finance, Management and Statistics. The College offers credentials in related areas, which can be completed via either a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma or Master degree.

With academic staff well-versed in the global issues and scholarship in the subjects of business and economics, CBE’s students benefit from an education that mixes research-led learning with practical knowledge. This goal is accomplished through strategic partnerships with the alumni community, as well as business, government, and not-for-profit organisations.

The College takes great pride in the way it enhances the teaching experience. A suite of experiential learning opportunities empowers students to take the next steps in their academic and professional careers with confidence.

Industry-linked study at CBE caters to a full spectrum of needs and aspirations. Examples of credit-bearing initiatives include the internationally recognised semester-long internships, the Student Managed Fund and the ANU Tax Clinic. In addition, extracurricular offerings comprise the three-week group-based virtual internship experience and MomentuM, which facilitates the participants’ professional development journey through industry mentoring and training around five key themes: Leadership, Communication, Personal Brand and Career Development, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, and Teamwork.

CBE students also have exclusive access to the College’s award-winning Careers and Student Employability team for industry placements, career preparation and employment options. The team runs regular networking events and workshops, featuring alumni and employers in Australia and around the world.

Click here to find out more about your pathway to ANU in 2022.

University of California, Berkeley: Haas School of Business

Berkeley Haas student in graduation robes. Source: University of California, Berkeley: Haas School of Business

Haas School of Business is part of the esteemed University of California, Berkeley, a top US public university. It is the second-oldest business school in the US with 15 institutes and centres and one of the only two US schools in the Global Network for Advanced Management.

Students here can choose to pursue six degree programmes including the full-time and evening MBA; the 22-month MBA programme for Executives is ranked first throughout the US.

Experiential learning is the trademark of the Berkeley MBA; students can customise their studies according to their personal career paths. With numerous elective coursework that make up 60% of the Berkeley curriculum, they can explore subjects like Decision-Making with Big Data, Strategic Brand Management and Venture Capital. If their choice is not on the electives list, they can partner with faculty members or classmates to create a new course. Students also have the option to combine their MBA with other degree programmes such as law, public health and engineering.

With solid training in business and general management fundamentals such as accounting and marketing, finance and strategy that teach them to recognise human needs and behaviours, Berkeley Haas students become fluent and bold leaders who are able to understand how to ask the right questions, work efficiently in teams and provide innovative solutions to problems. 

Graduates earn an average of US$171,000, making the Berkeley school one of the top 10 in terms of Return on Investment.

Nanyang Business School (NBS)

NTU students on campus. Source: Nanyang Business School, Facebook

Considered one of the best business schools in the world, Nanyang Business School’s integration with world-renowned research-intensive Nanyang Technological University means all students can take advantage of the best resources at hand to enhance their learning. With world-esteemed faculty staff known for superb teaching skills and deep industry knowledge, students can look forward to engaging learning that shapes them into innovative and successful leaders, the very kind that can adapt to the ever-changing business world with confidence and ease.

The world-class curriculum here includes team-based projects, presentations, business simulations, case studies and industry-based projects.

The 11 research centres at Nanyang Business School, home to both academic staff and industry experts, allow students to sharpen their research skills for more relevant impact; this in turn trains students to be highly analytical and creative thinkers.

Strategic partnerships with world-class institutions provide NBS students priceless opportunities to expose themselves to global business cultures; evidenced by NBS being the first business school in Singapore to be accredited by the European Quality Improvement System and Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

The flagship Nanyang MBA programme is highly flexible and interdisciplinary, allowing the school to mould students into innovative and transformative leaders. 

The London School of Economics and Political Sciences

LSE students in one of the seminar rooms in the Centre Building (CBG). Source: London School of Economics and Political Sciences

With a #2 ranking for social sciences and management, and an unbeatable location in one of the world’s best capital cities, London, it is easy to see why The London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE) is a popular choice for students wishing to pursue postgraduate programmes. 

Highly interactive, intellectually engaging, and applicable to real-world problem-solving, these programmes are designed to encourage critical thinking and impart research analysis skills so as to produce intelligent leaders. 

LSE ranks highly in national research rankings for research excellence — this will be an attractive reason for students to choose LSE if they wish to work with esteemed professors with a deep knowledge of their respective subject matter.

LSE is the only UK institution to offer the two-year Global Master’s in Management programme that has an option to be pursued together with the Master’s in International Management as a CEMS double degree within 31 partner business schools; students can also spend one exchange term in any of nine European and Asian partner institutions. 

The intensive one-year Master’s in Management, with a foundation in people and organisation management, includes core courses like leadership and strategy, and students can opt to immerse themselves in a business project as well as an international field trip.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International