Do you need a degree to do an MBA?

5-minute read

Did you know around a third of our Griffith MBA students have no previous university qualifications? Instead, they join us from broad professional backgrounds, enriching their own and their peers’ program experience with diverse workplace learnings.

At Griffith, we value your professional experience. We know that real-life learning takes place in real-life settings. That’s why we’ve designed our MBA program to not only enable people from broad backgrounds to participate, but to empower all of our students to contribute their diverse workplace – and life – lessons to the learning experience.

Our lecturers and tutors have decades of practical business knowledge complementing their academic credentials. No matter what your previous study experience, they will make you feel welcome in a friendly and collaborative classroom, with flexible program delivery modes to suit your needs.

What work experience do I need to apply for an MBA?

If you don’t have a degree, you can apply for entry into the Griffith Graduate Certificate in Business Administration via our professional pathway.

The professional pathway prioritises work experience, and uses simple admission criteria, which we describe as the ‘6:4:2’. That’s six years of full-time professional experience, made up of four years of relevant work experience, and two years demonstrating leadership of people or projects.

After the certificate, you can choose to continue your studies, combining the four courses you have already taken with eight additional courses to complete the full MBA program.

Will I be behind the other students?

Our program enhances and builds upon challenges and opportunities our students encounter in the workplace. Our teaching stimulus is often adapted from real-world documents, media and scenarios, meaning, as an experienced business professional, you should feel comfortable and familiar with the materials right from the start.

Our authentic assessment also allows you to incorporate your subject matter knowledge into your studies, so you can apply your own expertise at the same time as extending your skills and capabilities with new methodologies and fresh ideas.

Will I have support?

From admission through to enrolment, study assistance, graduation planning, networking opportunities, and future employment services; Griffith offers a range of exclusive support for all its MBA students.

If you’re considering applying, you may like to start by booking a consultation with our dedicated MBA advisors, who can talk you through all the options for study and the application and enrolment process.

Once you begin, you’ll have access to a team of support staff for any ongoing study question. You can use our online study planner to help you map out your time. And, you’ll receive advice on study tips and networking opportunities as you progress.

We’ll also help you following graduation with career mapping, networking and taking your next leadership step as you put your MBA learnings into action.

What kinds of subjects will I study in an MBA?

You might have visions of struggling to sit still through hours of rote learning in stuffy classrooms … that won’t happen here! The Griffith MBA will change your perception of the study experience.

Our courses are practical and inspiring, put together to help you make an impact and ignite your passions. With us, you won’t study dry and disconnected subjects, purely from a textbook. Instead, we teach Finance for responsible value creation, Innovation for impact, Strategy for purpose and more. Our teaching style is interactive and collaborative, and you will have the opportunity to share and learn alongside a motivated and engaging peer group.

Interested in applying your professional experience to a new opportunity? Download the Griffith MBA brochure to find out about program entry requirements.

Explore the Griffith MBA

MBA stories

5 Minutes

Make a positive impact to make it as a lea…

The bottom line for today’s leaders is you cannot achieve profit without purpose. Future-proof your leadership skills now with a focus on sustainability.

5 Minutes

What will your leadership legacy be?

Society demands that today’s leaders ask themselves what kind of world they want to leave for the next generation, and how they can drive their organisations to make a positive impact – or risk g…

5 Minutes

How to make study work for you

‘Busy’ is the buzzword of our days and weeks, but then suddenly a few years go by in a blur of work and kids, and you start to ask yourself “are my days just full or are they fulfilling?”. Going…

5 Minutes

Why you can't afford not to start your MBA

Like any good business deal, you want to make sure you get out what you put in – and then some. For MBA graduates, further study is paying off in quantifiable areas like higher salaries, plus inv…

5 Minutes

How to make money and make a difference

Landing a leading role in strategic communication and transformation has been just one of many benefits for Queensland Business Monthly (QBM) Responsible Leadership Scholarship recipient, Mark Ry…

5 Minutes

Five leadership habits you can learn to ad…

Can you really lead a team while staying true to yourself? Absolutely, you can and should, suggest Professor Peter Jordan and Associate Professor Luke Houghton, two of Griffith’s leading leadersh…

5 Minutes

Lead your way with a unique MBA

Create a greater professional purpose that aligns with your personal values when you study our unique Griffith MBA, focused on sustainability, and responsible and ethical business leadership.

5 Minutes

When is the best time to start an MBA

Many of our MBA students tell us they wish they’d started sooner. With potential benefits including higher salaries, job promotions, and greater professional and personal satisfaction, the best t…

5 Minutes

Accounting to counter greenwashing

Recycled products, environmental rebates, carbon neutrality and ethical supply chains are among common corporate sustainability claims. Many such statements are now under the microscope as part o…

5 Minutes

Talking 'bout your generation

How can leaders make sustainable decisions that create value now and for the long term? Professor Nick Barter, course convenor of Sustainability and Systems Thinking in the Griffith MBA, says it…

5 Minutes

Five tips for a happy team

An organisation’s value depends upon its people, but is it possible to keep everyone happy? A people-first focus isn’t about pleasing everybody all of the time, but leads to greater productiv…

Meet our MBA community

Our MBA alumni, current students and academics are making their mark on the business world.