Overview
Our Master's in Business Administration (MBA) programme will provide you with the strategic, financial and people skills you’ll need to progress and perform effectively at senior levels.
The programme combines management theory with real business application. From day one you’ll be able to apply new knowledge and skills in your workplace. You will develop a broad foundation of knowledge in core modules, and focus your studies around a particular sector or discipline in elective modules.
The flexibility of the Distance Learning MBA allows you to study from anywhere in the world, with our new Virtual Learning Environment. We provide live online sessions with tutors that help you contextualise your learning.
Our MBA programmes integrate responsible business practices, social inclusion, sustainability and the '3 Ps'; profit, people and planet, into the curriculum. This reflects our ethos of 'doing well by doing good'. You will be equipped to make strategic decisions that consider the impact of all stakeholders. This unique focus sets the Bradford MBA apart from traditional programmes and prepares you to become a future-focused business leader capable of driving positive change.
Our refreshed MBA has been designed with your future employability in mind, and we continue to work with major employers on our MBA Advisory Board and International Advisory Board to ensure our syllabus deals with contemporary issues.
Established over 60 years ago, the University of Bradford School of Management has a rich heritage and an international reputation as one of the innovators in business education. The Distance Learning MBA has been delivered for 25 years and is one of the longest running and most respected global online MBA courses in the world.
Discover more about our MBA programmes with our playlist of previous webinars.
Professional accreditation
We are proud to be in an elite group of business schools to hold the triple accreditations of Equis, AMBA and AACSB, often referred to as the "triple-crown".
Our School of Management MBA programmes are accredited by the Business Graduates Association.
Rankings
In the Financial Times' Online MBA Rankings 2025, our Distance Learning MBA was again ranked 1st in the world for value for money; 2nd in the world for ESG and net zero teaching; and 4th for student demographics, with 67 per cent of those on the course classed as international students.
In addition, it is ranked 4th in the world for 'international mobility', which looks at the citizenship and work location of alumni before their MBA, upon graduation and three years after graduation.
Our online MBA also ranked 3rd in the UK for programme delivery and 3rd in the UK for salary increase for MBA alumni three years after graduating.
Our Distance Learning MBA is ranked 20th in the world out of 100 ranked online MBAs in CEO Magazine's Global Online MBA rankings.
Study abroad
A study abroad year is a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons, build connections with people from different backgrounds and cultures, and strengthen your skills and experience to make you stand out in the job market.
We have opportunities for students to study, work or volunteer in more than 150 countries across the world and will support you every step of the way.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Our Distance Learning MBA programme consists of three stages:
- Core modules – designed to help you get back in to learning and provide fundamental knowledge of management principles and theory, before leading into an in-depth understanding of specialist topics that are essential and relevant to the contemporary commercial world
- Elective modules – designed to help you explore contemporary management topics in more detail
- Skills profile modules – challenges you to link your learning to the programme and personal goals, encouraging continued professional development and helping you to build a credible skills profile, linked directly to all the core themes of the Bradford MBA.
- Management project – enables you to put the knowledge and skills gained throughout the programme to practical use on a relevant management issue
To help you focus on your career trajectory, the range of subject areas will enable you to assess and find creative solutions to complex issues. Your knowledge and understanding of each subject area studied will be assessed by the most appropriate means.
Learning experiences and assessments are done through the following methods which reflect the tasks and behaviours of senior leadership roles:
- individual and group assignments - for example producing actionable plans and advice for your organisation to solve their problems
- live online tutorials
- various discussion forums
- reflective personal reports on shared experience
- multimedia presentations
- online collaboration, discussion and viva voce
- online multiple-choice quizzes
- formal examination
How you study
Each module contains study units that you will progress through each week under the guidance of a module leader. This equates to approximately 14-16 hours of study per week. Module content is available 24/7 to supplement live scheduled teaching sessions.
If work or family life is particularly busy we offer flexibility for completion of the MBA in two to three years.
Study support
Each module has been designed so that your understanding and knowledge is developed through using a variety of materials from textbooks and academic journal papers through to video clips, podcasts, online discussions and live online tutorials.
Supporting materials
For each module you will be provided with electronic access to readings, the core textbook and discussion boards through our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). You will also have 24-hour access to online academic textbooks via the Perlego digital library.
Tutorial groups
While distance learning allows you more flexibility to study, we ensure that you will never feel like you are studying alone.
When studying a module you will attend live online tutorials with an academic. You can also discuss topics with other distance learning students and academics through discussion boards and informal networking sessions online.
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
The University of Bradford School of Management uses Canvas as a virtual learning environment and Menitmeter for real-time interactive lectures. Each module you study will have a dedicated site containing:
- guidance on the assessment used for the module
- PowerPoint slides and lecture recordings
- access to Microsoft Teams for live tutorials
- key readings selected by Bradford academics from leading academic journals, trade publications and broadsheet newspapers
- selected audio and video clips helping to underline your knowledge and understanding of particular subject areas
- additional non-compulsory readings enabling you to further engage with a subject and advance your understanding
- formative assessments allowing you to monitor your understanding and get instant feedback on your progression
University of Bradford School of Management Library
As a distance learning student you will have access to the University's online library resources. This means that from wherever you are in the world, you can access thousands of academic journals, market reports and textbooks all from your computer.
Distance learning students also have their own dedicated librarian who can provide students with photocopies of various materials including journal papers, book chapters and company reports.
Academic Skills Advice Service
It may be some time since you last studied for a formal qualification and so some of your key learning skills such as essay writing, critical analysis and revision may require some attention. The School of Management Academic Skills Advice Service can provide you with all the help you need to overcome such obstacles. A variety of additional information is available and you can even have a one-to-one consultation with our effective learning advisor.
Research
The material is research-led with contemporary material for current managerial and business issues. The rationale for the redesigned MBA is that it maps on to the three research centres of the School of Management.
As a mother, wife and someone working full-time in a very demanding role, having the flexibility to tailor my learning and study time has enabled me to have a good work/life/study balance.
Find out more about our Distance Learning MBA
We are here to guide you through the application process and can answer any questions you may have.
Overview
Our Master's in Business Administration (MBA) programme will provide you with the strategic, financial and people skills you’ll need to progress and perform effectively at senior levels.
The programme combines management theory with real business application. From day one you’ll be able to apply new knowledge and skills in your workplace. You will develop a broad foundation of knowledge in core modules, and focus your studies around a particular sector or discipline in elective modules.
The flexibility of the Distance Learning MBA allows you to study from anywhere in the world, with our new Virtual Learning Environment. We provide live online sessions with tutors that help you contextualise your learning.
Our MBA programmes integrate responsible business practices, social inclusion, sustainability and the '3 Ps'; profit, people and planet, into the curriculum. This reflects our ethos of 'doing well by doing good'. You will be equipped to make strategic decisions that consider the impact of all stakeholders. This unique focus sets the Bradford MBA apart from traditional programmes and prepares you to become a future-focused business leader capable of driving positive change.
Our refreshed MBA has been designed with your future employability in mind, and we continue to work with major employers on our MBA Advisory Board and International Advisory Board to ensure our syllabus deals with contemporary issues.
Established over 60 years ago, the University of Bradford School of Management has a rich heritage and an international reputation as one of the innovators in business education. The Distance Learning MBA has been delivered for 25 years and is one of the longest running and most respected global online MBA courses in the world.
Discover more about our MBA programmes with our playlist of previous webinars.
Professional accreditation
We are proud to be in an elite group of business schools to hold the triple accreditations of Equis, AMBA and AACSB, often referred to as the "triple-crown".
Our School of Management MBA programmes are accredited by the Business Graduates Association.
Rankings
In the Financial Times' Online MBA Rankings 2025, our Distance Learning MBA was again ranked 1st in the world for value for money; 2nd in the world for ESG and net zero teaching; and 4th for student demographics, with 67 per cent of those on the course classed as international students.
In addition, it is ranked 4th in the world for 'international mobility', which looks at the citizenship and work location of alumni before their MBA, upon graduation and three years after graduation.
Our online MBA also ranked 3rd in the UK for programme delivery and 3rd in the UK for salary increase for MBA alumni three years after graduating.
Our Distance Learning MBA is ranked 20th in the world out of 100 ranked online MBAs in CEO Magazine's Global Online MBA rankings.
As a mother, wife and someone working full-time in a very demanding role, having the flexibility to tailor my learning and study time has enabled me to have a good work/life/study balance.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Our Distance Learning MBA programme consists of three stages:
- Core modules – designed to help you get back in to learning and provide fundamental knowledge of management principles and theory, before leading into an in-depth understanding of specialist topics that are essential and relevant to the contemporary commercial world
- Elective modules – designed to help you explore contemporary management topics in more detail
- Skills profile modules – challenges you to link your learning to the programme and personal goals, encouraging continued professional development and helping you to build a credible skills profile, linked directly to all the core themes of the Bradford MBA.
- Management project – enables you to put the knowledge and skills gained throughout the programme to practical use on a relevant management issue
To help you focus on your career trajectory, the range of subject areas will enable you to assess and find creative solutions to complex issues. Your knowledge and understanding of each subject area studied will be assessed by the most appropriate means.
Learning experiences and assessments are done through the following methods which reflect the tasks and behaviours of senior leadership roles:
- individual and group assignments - for example producing actionable plans and advice for your organisation to solve their problems
- live online tutorials
- various discussion forums
- reflective personal reports on shared experience
- multimedia presentations
- online collaboration, discussion and viva voce
- online multiple-choice quizzes
- formal examination
How you study
Each module contains study units that you will progress through each week under the guidance of a module leader. This equates to approximately 14-16 hours of study per week. Module content is available 24/7 to supplement live scheduled teaching sessions.
If work or family life is particularly busy we offer flexibility for completion of the MBA in two to three years.
Study abroad
A study abroad year is a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons, build connections with people from different backgrounds and cultures, and strengthen your skills and experience to make you stand out in the job market.
We have opportunities for students to study, work or volunteer in more than 150 countries across the world and will support you every step of the way.
Study support
Each module has been designed so that your understanding and knowledge is developed through using a variety of materials from textbooks and academic journal papers through to video clips, podcasts, online discussions and live online tutorials.
Supporting materials
For each module you will be provided with electronic access to readings, the core textbook and discussion boards through our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). You will also have 24-hour access to online academic textbooks via the Perlego digital library.
Tutorial groups
While distance learning allows you more flexibility to study, we ensure that you will never feel like you are studying alone.
When studying a module you will attend live online tutorials with an academic. You can also discuss topics with other distance learning students and academics through discussion boards and informal networking sessions online.
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
The University of Bradford School of Management uses Canvas as a virtual learning environment and Menitmeter for real-time interactive lectures. Each module you study will have a dedicated site containing:
- guidance on the assessment used for the module
- PowerPoint slides and lecture recordings
- access to Microsoft Teams for live tutorials
- key readings selected by Bradford academics from leading academic journals, trade publications and broadsheet newspapers
- selected audio and video clips helping to underline your knowledge and understanding of particular subject areas
- additional non-compulsory readings enabling you to further engage with a subject and advance your understanding
- formative assessments allowing you to monitor your understanding and get instant feedback on your progression
University of Bradford School of Management Library
As a distance learning student you will have access to the University's online library resources. This means that from wherever you are in the world, you can access thousands of academic journals, market reports and textbooks all from your computer.
Distance learning students also have their own dedicated librarian who can provide students with photocopies of various materials including journal papers, book chapters and company reports.
Academic Skills Advice Service
It may be some time since you last studied for a formal qualification and so some of your key learning skills such as essay writing, critical analysis and revision may require some attention. The School of Management Academic Skills Advice Service can provide you with all the help you need to overcome such obstacles. A variety of additional information is available and you can even have a one-to-one consultation with our effective learning advisor.
Research
The material is research-led with contemporary material for current managerial and business issues. The rationale for the redesigned MBA is that it maps on to the three research centres of the School of Management.
Terms and conditions of study
The University has a set of terms and conditions for all students accepting an offer to study on a course here at Bradford. This is called The Student Contract. This document sets out the Terms and Conditions which apply when you accept an offer of a place on a programme of study at the University of Bradford.
View our Student Contract for further details.
Transparency statement
Information about this programme and its modules has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publication, but changes may occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of teaching. Any change which impacts the terms and conditions of an applicant’s offer will be communicated to them.