Deakin University
Master of Business Administration
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 18 months
- Course Type: Master's
Gain important skills and experience in your chosen field through this award-winning course.
Course overview
The MBA embraces complexity and equips you to navigate uncertainty, competing priorities and constant change. You will be challenged to engage with the real messiness of business, from balancing financial goals with ethical leadership, to making strategic decisions in unpredictable contexts and managing teams in socially responsible and financially viable ways.
From your first unit, you will be encouraged to think differently, tackle complex problems and sharpen your strategic judgement. Whether stepping into new leadership responsibilities or seeking to expand your influence, the Deakin MBA prepares you to lead with purpose and impact.
Curate your experience with flexible study options that fit your career and lifestyle. Tailor your MBA through various electives, leadership-focused residentials, global study tours, intensive programs and online learning opportunities. Build practical expertise through live industry challenges, global business insights and leadership masterclasses.
You will learn from a mix of PhD-qualified academics and industry-based professors who bring decades of experience. Our curriculum is co-designed with industry to reflect contemporary business challenges, from sustainability and innovation to social impact, technology and security.
Your experience and perspective matter. You will join a cohort of experienced professionals, senior leaders, technical specialists and change-makers, each bringing expertise and a drive to lead purposefully. This rich mix of perspectives creates a dynamic learning environment where you expand your thinking, challenge assumptions and refine your leadership presence.
While all the Deakin MBA core units are offered online, you can connect in person through immersive learning experiences, including intensives, networking events, residential programs and international study opportunities. The program’s flexible structure allows you to build an MBA that works for you, while gaining future-ready leadership tools.
This is more than a qualification. It’s a transformational experience that shifts your mindset from specialist to strategic leader. Whether you want to expand your influence, lead across systems, or drive change in your sector, the Deakin MBA helps you lead with purpose, clarity and impact.
Key facts
July, 2026
November, 2026
What you will study
To complete the Master of Business Administration, students must attain a total of 12 credit points, consisting of eight credit points of core units and four credit points of open elective units. Four credit points of elective units may be taken as one of the available specialisations. Students must also complete the Academic Integrity Module (zero credit points) in the first semester of study.
Students have the option of completing Deakin stackable short courses (0.5 credit point microcredentials) to count towards MBA electives. These short courses include a range of masterclasses that have been designed with MBA students in mind, specifically focusing on new trends and issues that industry leaders encounter in today’s workplaces. Typically, two short courses are equivalent to a credit point of elective study; each is designed to deliver learning in a short and engaging format.
- Leadership and Professional Development
- Strategy and Value Creation
- Financial Decision Making
- The Economic Environment
- Marketing, Consumers and the Marketplace
- Business Processes and Technology
- Leading People in Organisations
- MBA Capstone
Entry requirements
Selection is based on a holistic consideration of your academic merit, work experience, likelihood of success, availability of places, participation requirements, regulatory requirements and individual circumstances. You must meet the minimum academic and English language proficiency requirements to be considered for selection, but this does not guarantee admission.
Academic requirements
To be considered for admission to this degree, you will need to meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Completion of a bachelor's degree or higher in any discipline and at least three years' relevant work experience (or part-time equivalent).*
- Completion of a graduate certificate or higher in a related discipline and at least three years of relevant work experience (or part-time equivalent).*
- Completion of a graduate diploma equivalent (professional pathways).
Definition of minimum work experience: three years of relevant work experience and must include at least two years (full-time equivalent) in a managerial or professional role with responsibilities for decision making in a range of areas, including budgetary oversight, staffing and management, involvement in strategy and planning development and operational implementation.
Non-academic requirements
You must provide the following with your application:
- A current CV that clearly demonstrates professional/managerial experience.
- Current contact details of two referees who can be contacted concerning your work experience.
- A one-page brief outlining why you believe your MBA peers would value your work experience.
English language requirements
To meet the English language proficiency requirements of this course, you will need to demonstrate at least one of the following:
- Bachelor's degree from a recognised English-speaking country.
- IELTS overall score of 6.5 (with no band score less than 6.0) or equivalent.
- Other evidence of English language proficiency (contact the university for more information).
Recognition of Prior Learning
If you have completed previous studies that may reduce the number of units you have to complete at Deakin, indicate in the appropriate section of your application that you wish to be considered for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). You'll need to provide a certified copy of your previous course details to determine your credit. Your offer letter will include information about your Recognition of Prior Learning if you are eligible.
RPL into the Master of Business Administration course may be granted to students with equivalent postgraduate qualifications. RPL cannot be given for MBA-coded units based on work experience alone. It may be considered in addition to the doctoral qualifications. Students must complete at least four credit points of the core units at Deakin.
Students who have completed CPA, CA ANZ or IPA professional programs and have a current full CPA, CA ANZ or IPA professional membership may be eligible for up to six credit points of RPL. Contact the university for more information.
If you have a membership with one of Deakin Business School’s partner organisations, you may be eligible for course credit towards your degree.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental business principles and concepts and integrate your own business expertise to develop insights into complex, contemporary business issues and apply this to address emerging global business trends and challenges.
- Demonstrate a high level of written, oral and interpersonal communication skills required to provide clear, well-reasoned advice to organisations and lead and influence others.
- Select and use digital technologies that support the research and analysis of complex business issues and enhances effective dissemination of proposals and recommendations.
- Apply critical thinking and analysis skills to evaluate complex data, relationships and projects in an organisational environment.
- Apply problem solving skills and creativity to arrive at evidence-based decisions and imagine strategies and the changes required to implement recommended courses of action.
- Developed an enhanced insight into leadership style and reflect on own ability to take personal accountability and act as a confident leader.
- Demonstrate the ability to develop networks and business relationships and leverage these to achieve collaborative and mutually beneficial outcomes.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the impact entrepreneurial approaches to business issues have on social, sustainability and cultural challenges in the global business environment.
Career outcomes
As a graduate of Deakin’s MBA, you will gain the skills and expertise to pursue executive, C-suite and director roles.
Professional recognition
Deakin Business School holds both AACSB and EQUIS accreditations. These prestigious accreditations are awarded to business schools that meet strict standards of quality, academic and professional excellence and demonstrate a commitment to ongoing improvement and innovation in their courses, ensuring graduates are employable worldwide.
Fees and FEE-HELP
Estimated first-year tuition fee in 2026: $40,000 (domestic full-fee paying place).
All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a full-time study load of eight credit points (normally eight units) per year.
A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:
- The number of units studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Choice of units.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.