MBA Master of Business Administration (Islamic Finance)

• You should have both of the following: significant work experience in a business or management capacity; and a UK honours degree/postgraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject.
• We’ll consider your application if you don’t possess the above qualifications but have substantial managerial experience.
• We'll also consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
• You'll be required to attend an interview as part of the application process.
• When applying you must include a reference from your current employer. The reference should clearly state how long you have been employed by them and give a breakdown of your job content and roles and responsibilities.
• Your application form must be accompanied by a reflective overview of the managerial responsibilities you have undertaken to date.
• If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

This postgraduate qualification is designed to help you develop the knowledge required to work in the growing and sophisticated Islamic finance sector, including a more in-depth look at the industry, products, performance and risk management issues.

You’ll have the opportunity to gain skills in being effective, in working independently and as part of a team, while critically evaluating and developing good practice in key areas of business management and in the planning and management of general, commercial and Islamic finance products and services.

Islamic finance has developed into a solid industry that complements conventional banking. The Islamic market demands specific expertise that combines solid financial knowledge with that of Islamic finance. A deeper knowledge of Islamic finance can improve the competitiveness of MBA students on the international financial market stage.

What can I do with this qualification?

On completing the programme, you’ll be qualified to pursue a career in a wide range of management roles in the Islamic finance sector or regulatory agencies, and in the public, private and voluntary sectors. A wide range of employers – financial institutions, technology companies, blue-chip companies, and SMEs – recruit MBA Islamic Finance graduates. The universal appeal stems from the MBA's focus on collective business principles.

An MBA in Islamic Finance is also highly respected around the world, so if you're interested in a global business career then it could be beneficial, particularly as qualifications from UK business schools are so well regarded. It can also help you to specialise in your current sector, or a new industry that you want to move into. If you want to continue your study then you could opt for a research degree (MPhil, DBA or PhD).

Alternative career options

Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping-stone to enter a range of other careers. For some of these roles, relevant experience or postgraduate study may be required. Some of these careers include:

• Supply chain
• Product management
• Banking
• Accountancy
• Law
• Auditing and quality assurance
• Financial management
• Consultancy
• Teaching and education
• Hotel and leisure management
• Public relations
• Information systems
• Market research analysis
• Advertising
• Risk and insurance
• Purchasing
• Logistics
• Marketing
• Human resources
• Global investment

Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £6,480 for the academic year 2024/25.

Overseas students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Overseas fee of £15,950 for the academic year 2024/25.

Useful information

Home students starting this course in 2023/24 will be required to pay a total fee of £9,000. As this is an 18-month course, the fee charged for year one in the academic year 2023/24 will be £6,000, and the fee for the final semester taken in the academic year 2024/25 will be £3,000. Overseas students starting this course in 2023/24 will be required to pay a total fee of £14,450.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

Additional costs

There may be some additional or optional costs associated with this course. These will be published after approval of the programme.

As well as lectures, seminars and tutorials, your learning will benefit from guest speakers, case studies and visits. In addition to short periods spent with a tutor, you’ll spend a lot of time in guided independent study. This involves, for example, engaging in general background reading, preparing for seminar activities and working on assignments.

The University of Bolton's virtual learning environment (VLE) supports your learning, with course materials and links to key resources available online. The VLE will also allow you to engage in other learning activities and take part in discussions remotely.

The assessment strategy for the programme is designed to make sure you achieve the overall aims of the programme, as well as the learning outcomes for individual modules. As well as being a way to assess your achievement, assessment helps you to organise and develop your learning. Assessment feedback can help you develop your skills and an understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses. The assessments you’ll be required to complete fall into two general categories: formative and summative. Formative assessments don’t contribute to your overall module grade, but they are a part of the learning strategy for a module and you are required to complete them. Summative assessments do contribute to your overall module grade. You’ll also receive feedback on these assessments, so you’ll know what you have done well and where you can improve. Many different forms of assessment are used. The major ones are coursework (usually essays), reports/case studies, oral presentations, examinations, research proposal, and the dissertation.

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.