Why WBS MBA?

The Wits Business school forms part of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management of Wits University. For over seventy-five years, Wits has offered an education of the highest quality. It is recognised as a world-class university offering degrees that are internationally accepted. As one of the best universities in the world, Wits recognises the importance of being part of creative, innovative, intellectual networks. At Wits, we therefore recognise the need to establish and maintain existing local and global partnerships and to play an active role in fostering intellectual communities. as a result of this, WBS continues to have close links with other business schools such as Insead, Duke and London Business School.

The WBS MBA Programme has been a premier choice of students and employers for 40 years. It is accredited by a number of leading international organisations including the Aassociation of MBA's (AMBA), the Council for Higher Education (CHE) and the Partnership In International Management (PIM). WBS is the only business school in Africa to have been admitted to PIM. The PIM Exchange Programme offers our students opportunities for international study at over 54 leading business schools around the world.

The purpose of our MBA degree is to prepare students for general managerial and leadership roles in the enterprise sector. Our course enhances their knowledge of the functional areas of business, enhancing their values, knowledge and skills to act ethically and effectively in the management of their organisations. Our students enhance the decision-making capacity in upper-middle and senior levels of management. Thus, our students are exposed to conceptual frameworks and current debates in management and contemporary society that develop their skills in the management of people, in the management of change, in problem- solving and research skills.

Our MBA Programme is designed to provide students with a real competitive edge in the job market and to give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to embark upon their own business ventures. In 2010, to keep up with changing market needs that our research highlighted, WBS updated and streamlined the MBA program. The new MBA programme contains courses such as international business, ethics, sustainability and corporate governance and leadership. WBS also recognises the need for flexibility and have introduced more electives to tailor the degree to meet specific career objectives. The Saturday part-time MBA has been introduced to allow part-time students more flexibility with their lectures. This allows students to attend all their lectures for their two courses on a Saturday.

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE

A part of the reason one studies towards an MBA degree is to gain an international perspective on business. The Wits Business school MBA has the most extensive student exchange programme in Africa, through a network of over fifty prestigious business schools in the world, and reciprocal exchange agreements with a further ten. Wits Business School is a member of the Partnership In International Management (PIM) which defines itself as "an international consortium of higher education institutions, outstanding in their field and delivering a graduate- equivalent degree in management." The PIM network has more than 50 leading international business schools - such as Duke University, Cornell, UCLA, University of Chicago, Indiana, North Carolina, HEC in Paris and Warwick. Wits Business School is the only business school in Africa to have been admitted to PIM. The deciding factor in admitting a business school to PIM is whether it has the same quality and reputation of the international partner universities and is able to attract foreign students to study.

There is a demand from South African students to study especially in the United States and Europe for between three to six months, but there is also strong interest from foreign students to spend between three to six months at the Wits Business School. Our growing academic reputation underpins the steady growth in numbers arriving from abroad.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TRIPS

One of the electives offered on the MBA is an international study tour. For example, in 2006, the study group visited China and Hong Kong; and in 2007 India and Dubai. The visits are designed to expose students to leading companies in the countries visited, as well as to develop an appreciation of their economies. In 2009, a group of forty students visited Brazil and Argentina and in 2010 the study group visited China. These international business trips are considered by many students to be a major highlight of the MBA. They are both fun and educational.

CAREER MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE ELECTIVE

While theoretical knowledge is important, practical skills development in the area of career management is vital. Our students are encouraged to participate in comprehensive career management activities, which are offered free of charge to registered WBS academic students who have attended a career management workshop. The services offered by the career management office are the following:

• Career Counselling
• Employment Consultation
• CV and Cover Letter Formulation and Critique
• Career Workshops
• Graduate Recruitment and Networking Events

An exciting aspect of the Wits Business School MBA is the annual graduate recruitment programme, where employers are invited to present their company profiles and career opportunities to WBS students. Following each presentation is a cocktail party where students and prospective employers can network.

INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

Full-time students will have the option of completing a two month internship elective in a business organisation. The aim of this internship is to provide our students with the unique opportunity to integrate their academic learning with real work experience in a manner that facilitates critical reflection and deep learning.