MBA International (Graduate Entry)
Course Overview
Our IMBA is an ideal pathway into a leadership role designed specifically for graduates with little or no managerial experience. By studying for your IMBA with the University of Bolton, you can develop the skills and knowledge required to tackle complex, strategic business challenges while experiencing life at our supportive, student-focused, multicultural campus.The IMBA is a postgraduate qualification that covers vital skills and knowledge that can be applied in almost any organisation. Our expert team will support you as you develop a keen awareness of management and leadership practices, consider how to apply creative and systematic approaches to underlying business issues, and learn how business and management practices can be improved. You'll explore key concepts and practices from an international perspective, gaining a sound understanding of how diverse cultures and business environments influence decision-making.
A range of authentic assessments, including projects and case studies, will allow you to develop and apply your problem-solving skills using creative and justified solutions. As a student of today and senior leader of the future, you'll need to be creative, flexible and innovative, so we'll also support you in developing lifelong learning skills so that you can take ownership of your professional development for the future, maximising your potential for success.
The Bolton IMBA offers exciting career opportunities to high-achieving students. We'll support you in developing academic and professional skills throughout the programme. You'll also have the opportunity to specialise in an area of business or management as you undertake your final professional project.
Highlights
- In an increasingly international business world, awareness of global management practices is desirable among employers. You'll have opportunities to build cross-cultural management skills valued in the international employment market.
- You can join the Greater Manchester Business School's well-established postgraduate community and study alongside fellow professionals aiming for a career in international business management.
- Teaching and supervision are delivered by a dedicated team of experienced and well-qualified staff drawn from business and academia.
- The University's excellent libraries, 24/7 IT facilities, WiFi and learning areas are freely available for your use.
- Our academic skills and professional practice module will support you in developing the academic skills required for study.
- You'll have opportunities to work with experienced academics to undertake your own research and develop your own areas of expertise.
- We aim to offer opportunities for you to engage directly with local and regional organisations, many with internationally significant presence, as part of the learning process.
Key Features
- This course aims to develop your critical knowledge of organisations, their management and the complex business issues they face, including the different national and cultural contexts in which companies operate.
- You'll have the chance to apply research and analysis skills, culminating in a capstone project.
- Teaching is conducted by a highly-dedicated team with specialist knowledge in a wide range of subject areas and close links to business and industry.
- Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work in advance, ensuring that in-class learning is highly interactive.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- Normally, you should have at least a lower second class honours degree (2.2) in any subject (or an equivalent professional qualification).
- We'll consider your application if you don't possess the academic qualifications listed above but have at least two years of work experience in a business or management capacity.
- You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- 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.
Career Opportunities
No matter what part of industry or commerce you aim to work in, the Bolton IMBA is designed to help you gain a critical understanding of the problems and challenges facing enterprises and organisations and equip you with the analytical and critical faculties to identify potential solutions. As a graduate, you'll possess an overview of key business practices and further skills in areas such as operations management, marketing, strategy and financial management.
If you're an ambitious graduate, this IMBA is an ideal springboard to a career in senior management. Companies in every industry around the world seek out business and management professionals with an IMBA. Every business, from tiny start-ups to large companies, needs someone with experience and the necessary education to support common business processes like accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, public relations, sales, and management.
What can I do with this qualification?
Popular options for IMBA graduates include human resource management, investment banking, management consultancy, marketing and supply chain management. An IMBA is highly respected worldwide, so if you're interested in a global business career, it could be beneficial – especially as qualifications from UK business schools are so well regarded.
If you want to continue your studies after graduation, you could opt for a research degree (MPhil, DBA or PhD).
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use this qualification as a stepping-stone into various other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate. Some possibilities include:
- Accountancy
- Hotel and leisure management
- Public relations
- Financial management
- Information systems
- Market research analysis
- Product management
- Health policy and information
- Purchasing
- Teaching and education
- Media (TV, film, online, newspaper, magazine)
- Advertising
- Self-employment
- Logistics
- Banking
- Auditing and quality assurance
- Project management
- Risk and insurance
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £9,720 for the academic year 2024/25.
International Fees
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.
Bursaries
Click here for more information on our Master's Bursaries.
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 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.
How to apply
Home Applicants
You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:
You should have to hand:
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Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
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Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
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Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role
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Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
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Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton International Master of Business Administration - 22 September 2025
International Applicants
Thank you for your interest
In order to determine your suitability for this course as an international student and also to confirm you meet any initial eligibility criteria, we need you to answer a few short questions.
Teaching & Assessment
We take a blended learning approach, combining face-to-face sessions with online and practical work as appropriate. You can expect a range of learning and teaching methods, including face-to-face or online lectures, seminars, tutorials, discussion groups, guest speakers and master classes. We'll expect you to devote a significant amount of time to guided independent study. This can include, for example, general background reading, online activities, assessment work and preparation for sessions.
The Bolton IMBA fosters an independent learning culture and offers a rewarding yet challenging learning experience. Our assessment strategy facilitates real-world learning and authentic assessment that serves several functions. The obvious and primary function is to evaluate your achievement. However, assessment also helps you organise and develop your learning. We'll provide feedback to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses.
Assessments fall into two general categories: formative and summative. Formative assessments don't contribute to your overall module grade. However, they are an integral part of a module's learning strategy, so you are required to complete them. They will be marked, and you'll receive feedback on your level of achievement. Summative assessments, on the other hand, are activities for which the marks will contribute to your overall module grade. You'll also receive feedback on these assessments so you can see what you've done well and where you can improve.
We employ many different forms of assessment, such as coursework, reports, case studies, oral presentations, research proposals and an extended project.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Academic Skills Mastery
- International Business Administration
- Organisational Leadership in a Global Context
- Marketing and Operations in the Digital Age
- Strategic Management and International Competition
- Strategic Financial Management and Corporate Governance
- Professional Skills and Practice
- International MBA Professional Project
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 100% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 80% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20% |
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.
