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Postgraduate

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

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College
Central Saint Martins
Start date
September 2023
Course length
2 years
Extended full time low-residency mode

What happens when you mix an arts school with a business school?

The delivery mode for this course is changing

The delivery mode for this course is changing from 18 months (part time) to 2 years extended full time low residency. Some information about the course may no longer be applicable, but this will be updated as soon as possible.

Re-approval

Every 5 years we review course content to ensure that what we are delivering is relevant and that our students are benefitting from a high-quality academic experience. During this process, some changes may be made to the course which are not immediately reflected in the content displayed on this page. The page will be updated and offer holders will be informed of any proposed changes prior to enrolment once this process has been completed.  Please contact us if you have any questions about this or the course via study@csm.arts.ac.uk.

The Central Saint Martins Birkbeck MBA is a different kind of MBA that places creative approaches and social engagement at the heart of future leadership. At Central Saint Martins, this course is part of the Culture and Enterprise programme, and at Birkbeck it is part of the Department of Management.

Why choose this course at Central Saint Martins

  • A different kind of MBA: This joint degree is unique in many ways ­– in pedagogy, delivery mode and stakeholder network.
  • Joint networks: You will benefit from the combined strengths of two highly regarded institutions, giving you access to an expansive and supportive international network.
  • Flexible learning: This course enables you to pursue your studies part-time while continuing in your full-time career.
  • Cross-disciplinary approach: This will prepare you for complex and ever-changing business environments. You will develop critical thinking, decision-making, emotional intelligence, negotiation and creative cognitive flexibility.

We are honoured to have been shortlisted for the Reimagine Education award for innovative business education:

Open days

There are currently no open days scheduled for this course, please check back at a later date.

Scholarships, bursaries and awards

Have a question?

Please email study@csm.arts.ac.uk and we'll respond as quickly as possible.

Read this

Making a difference in the local community: learning from the Central Saint Martins Birkbeck MBA

Course overview

The course challenges the orthodox business school approach to education. Instead, it focuses on cross-disciplinary collaboration. You will become a new type of business graduate: one who can combine creative thinking and innovation with core financial and strategic management skills. We train future leaders with compassion, resilience and the ability to adapt to an increasingly complex world. 

For this MBA, Central Saint Martins has entered into a high-level collaborative partnership with Birkbeck, University of London. Birkbeck is ranked amongst the top universities in the world. Over 90% of academics are research-active and many are renowned experts in their fields. It offers over 200 full-time undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.  

The MBA recognises the crucial role that the cultural economy will play in wealth creation in the coming decades. The course aims to create a new network of practitioners and leaders. You will emerge with hybrid skills and approaches suited to the social and political challenges of a digital and data-driven world. That is, a world in which innovation and creativity are central to the development of new industries, products and services. 

In 2016, the World Economic Forum consulted business leaders from major global organisations for its The Future of Jobs Report. It concluded that the ten skills and qualities an employee will need by 2020 are: 

  • Complex problem-solving 
  • Critical thinking 
  • Creativity 
  • People management 
  • Coordinating with others 
  • Emotional intelligence 
  • Judgement and decision making 
  • Service orientation 
  • Negotiation 
  • Cognitive flexibility 

The Central Saint Martins Birkbeck MBA embeds these in its curriculum. You will develop key management and leadership skills through a progression of assessments, activities and education sessions. You will cover expected MBA disciplines such as strategy, marketing, finance, human resources, management, operations, planning, innovation and problem-solving. You will be exposed to these throughout your studies, starting from the induction and orientation weekend. As part of this, you will be expected to negotiate, make decisions, manage and lead teams in activities and solve problems.  

Contact us

Register your interest to receive information and updates about studying at UAL.

Contact us to make an enquiry.

Course units

The Central Saint Martins Birkbeck MBA curriculum has four units. Across all units, business and management-related theories are integrated into a real-world problem-solving approach to learning and teaching. This ensures a genuine convergence of theory and practice. 

Unit 1: Provocation and Enquiry

This unit starts by setting aspirations and unpacking the potential of the MBA. We begin with a series of questions: Why are you here? What are you trying to achieve? This activity will introduce you to the notion of co-production as pedagogical practice, in which you will create teaching and learning content and act as co-producer. This unit is predicated on learning to build new networks. Content, skill and knowledge are experienced through a series of “sprints” (short projects and topic areas). 

Unit 2: Entrepreneurship in Action

How does a perceived need become a product or service? This unit explores the ways creativity, innovation, problem-solving and entrepreneurship intersect. You will explore the development of enterprise, entrepreneurs as individuals and teams and to identify and formalise opportunities. You will then apply these tools to a practical project.

Unit 3: Effecting Change: Collaboration in Practice

This unit asks you to consider what it is to bring about positive change. How do we identify the need for change and how do we evaluate and reflect upon change? For whom is the change beneficial and how? What is the role of leadership and how do change agents interact with complex stakeholder networks? 

Unit 4: Extended Live Project or Dissertation

This final unit acts as a culmination to your learning. It will require you to critically reflect on previously encountered theories, discourses, tools and process. You will also develop new approaches to social challenges and organisational opportunities. This will take the form of either a self-directed live project or a self-directed final dissertation. 

Mode of study

The Central Saint Martins Birkbeck MBA is offered in low-residency mode which runs for 60 weeks over 18 months. You will be expected to commit 30 hours per week to study, which includes teaching time and independent study.  

This course is delivered via a blended part-time/distance learning pathway, online and through 12 intensive study weekend sprints.

Each sprint runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday, at regular five-week intervals and is accompanied by two online sessions of 1.5 hours each. 

Credit and award requirements

The course is credit-rated at 180 credits. 

On successfully completing the course, you will gain a Master of Business Administration (MBA degree).  Under the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, an MBA is Level 7. All units must be passed in order to achieve the MBA and the classification of the award is derived from the achievement in all units. 

If you are unable to continue on the course, a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) will normally be offered following the successful completion of 60 credits, or a Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) following the successful completion of 120 credits.

Learning and teaching methods

The learning and teaching methods devised for this course include: 

  • Online webinars
  • Workshops 
  • Team work 
  • Student presentations to tutors and facilitators  
  • Interactions with relevant businesses and project hosts  
  • Peer and external feedback  
  • Tutorial facilitation and evaluation related to team, individual and cohort 

An introduction to Master of Business Administration (MBA)

What are the ten skills you need to succeed in business?

Testimonials

Charles Nas-Omogiafo reflects on his time on the MBA

Alumni speaking about their MBA journey

Our students

MBA stories

  • Our first Lunar New Year exhibition at Central Saint Martins
    Kelly Wu - My Father Was Born in 1963

    Our first Lunar New Year exhibition at Central Saint Martins

    Showcasing work from painting to performance, this exhibition brings voices of Lunar animals’ heritage and the cultural and societal significance of the New Year's dining table.

  • Class of 2022: Futures at Work
    Jingyi Yu, MA Performance Design and Practice

    Class of 2022: Futures at Work

    On Central Saint Martins: URL you'll find Futures at Work, a collection of graduating work that presents reflections and propositions for work.

  • Class of 2021: Family
    Lleucu Anwyl, BA Ceramic Design

    Class of 2021: Family

    What would it be like to graduate alongside not one, but two members of your family? This year, Gwenan Williams and her daughters, Lleucu and Swyn, graduated from Central Saint Martins. We speak to the trio about their experience and work.

  • Class of 2021: Circularity
    Manon Daure, MA Industrial Design

    Class of 2021: Circularity

    Analysing the life cycle of things gives designers the tools to minimise the ecological impact of production. From pineapples to blown glass, we look at graduating work that introduces circularity into the system.

Central Saint Martins Birkbeck MBA podcast

Follow MBA on Twitter

Graduate Showcase

Explore work by our recent students on the UAL Graduate Showcase

  • Design Leadership: Within Design and Beyond
    Design Leadership: Within Design and Beyond, Vanessa (Ve) Dewey, 2022 Master of Business Administration (MBA), Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • The Intersection of Art & Geopolitics
    The Intersection of Art & Geopolitics, Imran Mohamed, 2021 Master of Business Administration (MBA), Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • living factories: circular biomaterial innovations
    living factories: circular biomaterial innovations, Alistair Holloway, 2021 Master of Business Administration (MBA), Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • Can a business strategy tool be used in the arts?
    Can a business strategy tool be used in the arts?, Jack Thomas Taylor, 2021 Master of Business Administration (MBA), Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • Who needs design anyway?
    Who needs design anyway?, Gennett A. Agbenu, 2021 Master of Business Administration (MBA), Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • Pineapple woven fabric from waste
    Pineapple woven fabric from waste, evelyn gomez, 2021 Master of Business Administration (MBA), Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • Innovation, Disruption and Change through the MBA
    Innovation, Disruption and Change through the MBA, Imran Mohamed, 2021 Master of Business Administration (MBA), Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • Business Travel in a Post COVID-19 World
    Business Travel in a Post COVID-19 World, Ryan Krein, 2021 Master of Business Administration (MBA), Central Saint Martins, UAL

Deputy Course Leader - Nick Pronger
Associate Lecturer, Unit 1 - Jocelyn Bailey
Associate Lecturer, Unit 1 - Christopher Cornell
Professor, Unit 1 - Emmanuel Mamatzakis
Associate Lecturer, Unit 2 - Paul Sturrock
Associate Lecturer, Unit 2Jean-Jacques Lescure
Associate Lecturer, Unit 3 - Chryssi Tzanetou
Associate Lecturer, Unit 3Dominic Stone
Lecturer, Unit 3Dr Sorin Piperca

Fees and funding

Home fee

£29,750

This fee is correct for 2023/24 entry and is subject to change for 2024/25 entry. To accept the offer you will need to pay an initial pre-payment of £450.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

International fee

£29,750

This fee is correct for 2023/24 entry and is subject to change for 2024/25 entry. To accept the offer you will need to pay an initial pre-payment of £450.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Scholarship search

Entry requirements

The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:

  • An Honours degree
  • Or an equivalent EU/international qualification

And normally at least three years of relevant professional experience.

AP(E)L – Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning

Exceptionally applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

  • Related academic or work experience
  • The quality of the personal statement
  • A strong academic or other professional reference

Or a combination of these factors.

Each application will be considered on its own merit but cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

English language requirements

IELTS level 7.0 or above, with at least 6.0 in reading, writing, listening and speaking (please check our main English language requirements webpage).

Selection criteria

We select applicants according to potential and current ability in the following areas:

  • Have the ability to think in abstract terms about planning, management and resources
  • Have excellent communication skills
  • Be numerate and display some experience and understanding of logistics and strategic thinking
  • Be team players and builders, not competitive individualists
  • Demonstrate a collaborative mindset and an ability to negotiate roles within multidisciplinary and cross-cultural teams
  • Have a strong level of standard computer literacy.

What we are looking for

We actively seek applicant whose prior experience and track record will equip them to make a meaningful contribution to classroom activity and discussion.

Apply now

You should apply by clicking on the link to the direct form below. The application form can be saved as you fill it out, so you do not need to complete it all at once. You will also have the chance to review all the information and make any necessary amendments before you submit the application form.

Deferred entry

Central Saint Martins does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.

Transfers

If you are currently studying at another institution and if you have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units and modules on your current postgraduate course and wish to continue your studies at Central Saint Martins, you can apply to transfer. The Admissions Tutor will consider applications on a case by case basis, subject to places being available. You must apply directly to the course via the course webpage as early as possible.

Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and unit transcripts.

You will need to provide an official document (translated into English) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.

Start your application now

Before you apply, please take time to read the guidance below. You will be asked to provide the following information when completing the online application form:

General information

  • Personal details (including legal full name, preferred name, date of birth, nationality, addresses)
  • Current English language level
  • Current and/or previous education and qualification details
  • Employment history

Personal statement

Your personal statement should be approximately 300 words in length, and outline the following:

  • Why do you want to study on the MBA course at CSM?
  • How you see the MBA impacting on your future career?
  • The reasons you wish to be considered for the MBA course at CSM.

References

This course requires two professional references, one of which must be from a current employer. All references must be received from a verifiable source or on headed company paper. The reference should address the following points:

  • Professional and intellectual ability
  • Capacity for original thinking
  • Motivation for further study
  • Written and oral communication skills, including willingness to contribute valuably to discussion/debate where appropriate
  • Leadership potential.

Please get in touch with the admissions team if the submission of your reference is delaying the completion of your application.

CV

You should provide a full and detailed CV or résumé which demonstrates career progression. Applicants must have a minimum of three years full time post-graduate work experience, preferably with some managerial responsibility.

We cannot consider your application if you do not provide all the information above.

Communicating with you

After you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming we have successfully received your application and providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal.  We will request any additional information from you, including inviting you to upload documents / portfolio / book an interview, through the portal.  You should check your UAL Portal regularly for any important updates and requests.

Application deadline

3 April 2023

Our equal consideration deadline has now passed. This course will remain open to applications for 2023 entry until places have been filled. Please be aware that courses can close without notice.

We recommend you submit your application as early as possible to allow the Admissions team to resolve any initial queries about your application as quickly as possible.

When you'll hear from us

If this course requires a digital portfolio as part of the application process, you will be invited to submit this through UAL’s online submission tool, PebblePad. We will request this separately after initial processing of your application is complete. Once we request your portfolio, you will have 7 days to submit it.

Once you’ve sent in your application, this will be sent through to our course teams for review. Find out more about what happens after you apply.

There are two ways international students can apply:

You can only apply to the same course once per year.

If you are applying directly you click on the link to the direct form below. The application form can be saved as you fill it out, so you do not need to complete it all at once. You will also have the chance to review all the information and make any necessary amendments before you submit the application form.

Transfers

If you are currently studying at another institution and if you have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units and modules on your current postgraduate course and wish to continue your studies at Central Saint Martins, you can apply to transfer. The Admissions Tutor will consider applications on a case by case basis, subject to places being available. You must apply directly to the course via the course webpage as early as possible.

Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and unit transcripts.

You will need to provide an official document (translated into English) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.

Deferred entry

Central Saint Martins does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.

Visas

Read our visit our immigration and visa advice page to find out whether you need a visa to study.

Start your application now

Before you apply, please take time to read the guidance below. You will be asked to provide the following information when completing the online application form:

General information

  • Personal details (including legal full name, preferred name, date of birth, nationality, addresses)
  • Current English language level
  • Current and/or previous education and qualification details
  • Employment history

Personal statement

Your personal statement should be approximately 300 words in length, and outline the following:

  • Why do you want to study on the MBA course at CSM?
  • How you see the MBA impacting on your future career?
  • The reasons you wish to be considered for the MBA course at CSM.

References

This course requires two professional references, one of which must be from a current employer. All references must be received from a verifiable source or on headed company paper. The reference should address the following points:

  • Professional and intellectual ability
  • Capacity for original thinking
  • Motivation for further study
  • Written and oral communication skills, including willingness to contribute valuably to discussion/debate where appropriate
  • Leadership potential.

Please get in touch with the admissions team if the submission of your reference is delaying the completion of your application.

CV

You should provide a full and detailed CV or résumé which demonstrates career progression. Applicants must have a minimum of three years full time post-graduate work experience, preferably with some managerial responsibility.

Immigration history check

Whether you are applying online or through a UAL representative you will need to complete an immigration history check to establish whether you are eligible to study at UAL.  If you do not complete the check we will not be able to proceed with your application.

We cannot consider your application if you do not provide all the information above.

Communicating with you

After you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming we have successfully received your application and providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal.  We will request any additional information from you, including inviting you to upload documents / portfolio / book an interview, through the portal.  You should check your UAL Portal regularly for any important updates and requests.

Application deadline

3 April 2023

Our equal consideration deadline has now passed. This course will remain open to applications for 2023 entry until places have been filled. Please be aware that courses can close without notice.

We recommend you submit your application as early as possible to allow the Admissions team to resolve any initial queries about your application as quickly as possible.

When you'll hear from us

Once you’ve sent in your application, this will be sent through to our course teams for review. Find out more about what happens after you apply.

After you apply

What happens next

Initial application check

We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course.  Following a review of the application documents, successful applicants will be invited to an online interview.

Interview

A key element of the interview involves consideration of how your prior experience and track-record will equip you to make a meaningful contribution to classroom activity and discussion and to determine whether the course is right for your aims and expectations.  Interviews are online and last 15 to 20 minutes.

How we notify you of the outcome of your application

You will receive the outcome of your application through the UAL Portal.

Feedback

This course receives a high number of applications, and unfortunately we cannot provide feedback to everyone who is unsuccessful. We can only provide feedback after you have had an interview.

If you would like to request feedback, please contact us via your portal.

Each and every application is carefully considered by a member(s) of our academic team. With so many strong applicants to choose from, it is often a very difficult decision to make. If you are unsuccessful, you are welcome to apply to us again in the future.

Deferring your place

This course accepts requests from offer holders to defer their place for one academic year. Deferral requests are granted on a first-come, first served basis until all deferral places are filled, or a deadline has been reached, whichever is sooner.

Careers

The World Economic Forum consulted business leaders from major global organisations for its The Future of Jobs Report (2016). It concluded that the ten skills that an employee will need by 2020 are:

  • Complex problem solving
  • Critical thinking
  • Creativity
  • People management
  • Coordinating with others
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Judgement and decision making
  • Service orientation
  • Negotiation
  • Cognitive flexibility.

The MBA embeds these in its curriculum.

The course aims to prepare graduates for the next step in their careers, whether it be a transformational senior management role within their current industry, or a new role in a completely new field of work. Entrepreneurial students are encouraged to set up their own businesses.

The emphasis on positive transformation, and a socially-motivated desire to change the world, coupled with a solid understanding of business and management will create graduates who are keen to bring about fundamental innovation and systemic change.

With this MBA, students will be able to transfer their skills within their current industry, or across industries. With developed managerial competences and innovation practice, graduates will be able to seek employment or further their career opportunities in positions that apply design thinking to complex problems, and take a holistic view of business issues. With developed leadership capacities, they will be able to combine ‘thinking’ and ‘doing’ with robust knowledge and application in organisations.

For details of the wide range of careers support provided for students, please visit: