Master of Business Administration
Transform your career with our Master of Business Administration (MBA). The Waikato MBA is a world-class business qualification that will help you unlock your leadership potential and make a real difference to your business or organisation!
The Waikato Master of Business Administration (MBA) is now available at both our Tauranga and Hamilton campuses, with three intakes each year! The next intakes start in May or July.
Want to know more? Fill out our enquiry form and our team will get in touch with you.
180 points, 2 years part-time study. Classes held on campus in Hamilton or Tauranga (15 Saturdays a year), as well as 20 online sessions held on Wednesday evenings.
Note: The Waikato MBA is not open to international students.
Hamilton, Tauranga
The next intakes start in May or July 2025, or March 2026.
Why study the Master of Business Administration?
Waikato's Master of Business Administration (MBA) is for people who want to fast-track their career and move into senior leadership roles where they can make a significant positive impact for their organisation or business.
It is a life-changing qualification that will help you develop the skills needed to grow into an outstanding business or community leader. Flexible, part-time study designed to fit in around your job and personal life.
The two-year programme covers all aspects of general management with a focus on three key areas - Frameworks, Leadership, and Value Creation. Each paper imparts the knowledge and skills that today's leaders require as they face unprecedented changes in the workplace and the global economy, including rapid digital transformation and the rise of artificial intelligence.
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) will equip you with the expertise to lead and influence high-performing teams, identify strategic opportunities and threats, drive positive changes within your organisation, and confidently respond to any challenging situations that come your way.
The programme is taught through a mix of in-person classes held at the Hamilton or Tauranga campus on 15 Saturdays a year (8.30am - 5.00pm), plus 20 online sessions at home on alternate Wednesdays (6pm - 9pm). Online sessions are also recorded in case you can't make it in person.
The Waikato MBA is ideal for:
- Middle managers seeking to advance into more senior leadership roles
- Business owners looking to add best-practice knowledge to their practical expertise
- Functional, technical or professional specialists moving into roles that require broader, more strategic management knowledge
Enquire now
Have questions about how the Waikato Master of Business Administration (MBA) can fit around your busy life? Fill out our enquiry form and our team will get in touch with you.
180 points, 2 years part-time study. Classes held on campus in Hamilton or Tauranga (15 Saturdays a year), as well as 20 online sessions held on Wednesday evenings.
Note: The Waikato MBA is not open to international students.
Hamilton, Tauranga
The next intakes start in May or July 2025, or March 2026.
Degree information
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Plan your study -
Entry Requirements Scholarships
Apply now for the Waikato Management School Emerging Leaders Entrance Scholarship. Applications close end of January.
You can apply for the Waikato MBA if you have:
- A bachelor's degree with at least a B-minus grade average across the 300-level papers, or equivalent professional qualification; AND at least 3 years' management experience
- If you don't meet these requirements, but have at least 7 years management experience, then please email your CV to mba@waikato.ac.nz
Note: You don't need to have 'manager' in your current or previous job titles. Your job could involve managing projects, processes or people. If you are unsure if you have the necessary experience, please email us a copy of your CV so we can assess your eligibility.
You may be invited to attend an interview with the Waikato MBA Director (in person or via Zoom) before being admitted to this programme.
You will also need to provide the following documentation:
- A detailed CV that outlines your education and employment history that highlights leadership and management skills or experience.
- Two written letters of reference; one from your employer and the other can be from an individual of your choice.
- References should be from individuals who can comment on your managerial strengths, leadership potential and personal character. Please see this Guide for Referees.
The Waikato MBA is not available for full-time study, and is not open to international students.
If you would like to study a full-time master's degree in business, please consider one of the following options instead:
- Master of Applied Finance
- Master of Business
- Master of Business and Management
- Master of Digital Business
- Master of Management
- Master of Professional Accounting
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Fees and scholarships Estimated fees
$44,595 per programme.
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Domestic tuition fees
Approximate annual tuition fees and costs for domestic students enrolled in one year of full-time study.
Domestic tuition costs -
Scholarships
Visit our Scholarship finder for more information about possible scholarships.
Scholarships Finder
Relevant as of 30 October 2024.
All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment. Please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees. View information about fees free study.
Relevant as of 30 October 2024.
All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment. Please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees.
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Graduate outcomes Graduates of the Master of Business Administration will be future-focused leaders who:
- Have insight and curiosity to develop values-led innovative ideas and solutions for business faced with complex global issues.
- Can translate ideas into impactful results for business.
- Are agile, resilient and ethical at all levels of decision-making.
- Are global citizens
- Can inspire and facilitate others to transform for positive change
- Demonstrate and utilise key strategic, communication, marketing, decision-making and financial frameworks to support organisational resilience and to influence change.
- Can ethically lead, evaluate and perform in organisations through the application of leadership knowledge.
- Adapt, influence and implement value creation strategies that transform organisations and the people within it.
Scholarships
Apply now for the Waikato Management School Emerging Leaders Entrance Scholarship. Applications close end of January.
You can apply for the Waikato MBA if you have:
- A bachelor's degree with at least a B-minus grade average across the 300-level papers, or equivalent professional qualification; AND at least 3 years' management experience
- If you don't meet these requirements, but have at least 7 years management experience, then please email your CV to mba@waikato.ac.nz
Note: You don't need to have 'manager' in your current or previous job titles. Your job could involve managing projects, processes or people. If you are unsure if you have the necessary experience, please email us a copy of your CV so we can assess your eligibility.
You may be invited to attend an interview with the Waikato MBA Director (in person or via Zoom) before being admitted to this programme.
You will also need to provide the following documentation:
- A detailed CV that outlines your education and employment history that highlights leadership and management skills or experience.
- Two written letters of reference; one from your employer and the other can be from an individual of your choice.
- References should be from individuals who can comment on your managerial strengths, leadership potential and personal character. Please see this Guide for Referees.
The Waikato MBA is not available for full-time study, and is not open to international students.
If you would like to study a full-time master's degree in business, please consider one of the following options instead:
- Master of Applied Finance
- Master of Business
- Master of Business and Management
- Master of Digital Business
- Master of Management
- Master of Professional Accounting
Estimated fees
$44,595 per programme.
-
Domestic tuition fees
Approximate annual tuition fees and costs for domestic students enrolled in one year of full-time study.
Domestic tuition costs -
Scholarships
Visit our Scholarship finder for more information about possible scholarships.
Scholarships Finder
Relevant as of 30 October 2024.
All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment. Please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees. View information about fees free study.
Relevant as of 30 October 2024.
All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment. Please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees.
Graduates of the Master of Business Administration will be future-focused leaders who:
- Have insight and curiosity to develop values-led innovative ideas and solutions for business faced with complex global issues.
- Can translate ideas into impactful results for business.
- Are agile, resilient and ethical at all levels of decision-making.
- Are global citizens
- Can inspire and facilitate others to transform for positive change
- Demonstrate and utilise key strategic, communication, marketing, decision-making and financial frameworks to support organisational resilience and to influence change.
- Can ethically lead, evaluate and perform in organisations through the application of leadership knowledge.
- Adapt, influence and implement value creation strategies that transform organisations and the people within it.
Why choose the Waikato MBA?
Top 1% globally
Study with world-class lecturers from Waikato Management School, which is in the top 1% of business schools globally with our prestigious Triple Crown Accreditation held since 2005.
MBA Study Tour
A highlight of the Waikato MBA is the optional Study Tour, where you can travel to another country for one week and enjoy daily field trips to export-led businesses and meet local leaders.
Smaller cohorts
Smaller cohort sizes means a higher level of interaction with your lecturers and classmates through practical and group assignments, and more personalised support when you need it.
Course content
The Waikato MBA puts a strong emphasis on experiential learning. The programme is designed to be highly practical and relevant, so you can add value to benefit your own business or organisation straight away.
During classes, students will discuss real business problems and be exposed to inspiring thought leadership that stretches your thinking to form a more global perspective.
As part of the Waikato MBA, participants will add value to their own organisation or investigate an entrepreneurial opportunity by completing a High Impact Research Project, and take part in the Waikato MBA Case Competition. Our students also have the option to travel overseas on the MBA International Study Tour.
The professional and cultural diversity of MBA participants provides exceptional insights into different management practices and leadership behaviours, and helps to build lifelong professional networks.
Some topics covered in the course:
- Leadership for growth and positive transformation
- Understanding the global business environment
- Strategic management and marketing
- Financial analysis and performance
- Managing global supply chains and international markets
- Empowering people to enhance productivity
Contact us
If you have questions, or want to book a chat with us, please fill out the enquiry form and we'll get back to you soon.
What our Master of Business Administration students are saying
Waikato MBA global accreditations
AMBA
AMBA (Association of MBAs Accreditation) is the highest standard of accreditation awarded to the world's best MBA programmmes internationally. Only about 2% of the world's business schools have achieved AMBA accreditation.
EQUIS
EQUIS is the leading international system of quality assessment, improvement, and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration.
AACSB
AACSB recognises institutions that uphold its mission and core values, work to advance the interests of global management education, and participate in AACSB’s community of leading business schools.
CEO Global MBA Rankings
The Waikato MBA retained its Tier One status in CEO Magazine’s Global MBA Rankings 2024, since first achieving this ranking in 2017.