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If you’re looking to make a career change or advance further in your role, then you might consider UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School’s MBA graduate programme. It’s a unique opportunity that the globally ranked school provides to develop your leadership potential, accelerate your career and build a strong business network.
Designed for those who have already experienced the working world for a few years or more, the MBA is conveniently split into two programmes – the full-time MBA (one-year course) and the executive MBA (part-time two-year course). To learn more about the two, we ask Edel O’Leary, the MBA programme’s senior manager, to share her insights.
“Academically they’re very similar, but what is different is the student who takes them,” she explains. “Our Full-Time students are on average age 30, have seven years of work experience and about 80% of them are international students. Our Executive students are slightly older, in their mid to late 30s, they have over 11 years of work experience, and they are predominantly Irish. Overall, both are looking to make a significant investment in their future career potential.
“They may be happy working where they are right now; they may have been identified as a talent within their organisation and they want to advance their career path; or they’d like to make a particular career move in the next two to five years. And as part of that, they’ve decided that the MBA is the best academic program for them to undertake a broad business management qualification.”
In addition to these two offerings, Edel says, two major benefits set this MBA programme apart: its advantageous alumni network, a lifelong community with over 107,000 alumni who offer current students careers masterclasses and host networking events, and the MBA’s newest module, the LEAP programme (Leadership and Employability Advancement).
Interested in applying to the UCD Smurfit School’s MBA graduate programme? Edel answers some frequently asked questions below.
How does the application process work?
The applications for the MBA are open all year. Right now, we’re preparing for the start of the programme in mid-August. Candidates are required to apply online via the UCD applications system – this involves submitting an online application with basic details and answering short questions on why they are applying for our MBA. The application fee is €60, and all eligible candidates deemed suitable to be considered for the MBA or EMBA programme will be interviewed.
If you could advise any students looking to apply, what would you say?
Attend one of the open evenings we host throughout the year, where we bring the whole program team together. You will get to meet fellow students and alumni and hear about their firsthand experiences. We also take all general questions from the audience. On March 27, we’re hosting a Woman in MBA webinar, and that’s a unique opportunity to hear from a panel of women who have made career transitions. Myself and a number of our alumni will be there on the evening.
We have these evenings a few times a year, and what tends to happen is that students come to all of them and start to make friends and connections. Then in August, you have a strong network already established in the school to help you problem-solve and get over the initial hump of coming back to college and understanding how everything works.
On April 18, we have an MBA Master Class with Professor of Management Niamh Brennan, who will speak on the topic of Corporate Governance. Professor Brennan’s workshop will answer the questions: ‘What is corporate governance? Why do good governors become bad directors? Why do corporate governance failures continue to occur?’
What do the first few days of the programme entail?
The LEAP Module starts at the very beginning of the program, which discusses teamwork and executive presence. The first two days of the executive program cover these in detail, and it’s an important part of making connections with your new classmates and understanding how you’re going to work together in study teams as part of the MBA (which is a proxy for teamwork in the real business world.)
How does the programme stay relevant in an ever-changing landscape?
As part of the program office, we keep our connections with corporate Ireland fresh and relevant. So, we’re always in communication with many businesses across the country. We deal with all facets of business management, both at the executive suite and the junior suite levels. This includes recruitment, so we understand what businesses are looking for, what talent they’re looking to bring in, and how the competencies they’re seeking are changing all the time.
For example, right now resilience, adaptability and inclusive leadership are really important. Not just recruiting across genders or diverse backgrounds, but also in terms of the skill set that executives must bring to organisations now. Communicating with their teams, and the act of listening to people’s ideas and bringing fresh insights into organisations, allows them to adapt and change, which is crucially important. We are out speaking, but also listening. So many of our academics are involved in consultancy across businesses in Ireland, so it’s really important to bring back that learning into the classroom also.
IMAGE has partnered with UCD Smurfit School for the last 16 years to offer one female candidate a 100% scholarship to join the Full-Time MBA or Executive MBA programme. This year’s successful candidate will commence in August 2024. You can read about our current scholar, Sharon McManus, here. The scholarship is open to all successful female applicants for the MBA who are resident in Ireland. The closing date for applications is April 30, 2024. To find out more and apply, click here.
To find out more about UCD Smurfit School programmes and apply, go to smurfitschool.ie.
