UQ Business School welcomes record MBA cohort

11 Mar 2014
Ben Roberts Smith

UQ Business School has this year welcomed its largest cohort of students to its renowned MBA program.

Over 130 students commenced their studies in the first semester of 2014 – a significant rise on the same period last year and the highest number since the MBA was relaunched in 2008.

Dr Sarah Kelly, MBA Program Director, said the group was dynamic, consisting of both domestic and international students from a diverse range of organisations.

“We are excited to see the growth of the program, the quality of students and their diverse range of backgrounds including international finance, military echelons, entrepreneurship, health, elite sport, engineering and law,” said Dr Kelly.

“Many students have commenced an MBA to build on their existing technical expertise through the acquisition of broad-based management skills and experience. Others plan to complement their industry experience with academic learning.

“All students will benefit from the extensive networking and personal development opportunities available through our MBA program,” she said.

The UQ Business School MBA is ranked number one in Asia Pacific by The Economist and number one in Australia by AFR BOSS Magazine. Amongst the January 2014 intake was military hero Ben Roberts-Smith, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery on the battlefield in Afghanistan and who has retired after 17 years in the Special Air Service Regiment.

Upon graduation, he will be the first among his elite military peers to complete postgraduate study. Ben chose the UQ Business School MBA for its reputation as the top MBA in Australia, its credibility within the business community and the strength of the cohorts.

He said: “My main goal in completing the MBA is to broaden my overall knowledge of business, enabling me to be a more effective entrepreneur. I see the MBA really complementing my life experience and providing me greater opportunities.

“So far my experience has been extremely positive. We have an outstanding cohort who have bonded together and the facilitation of the course content has been very engaging.”

Another ex-military student, Richard O’Quinn, recently retired as a US Army Special Forces officer after a 23-year career. He said the UQ Business School MBA was an internationally recognised, world-class faculty.

“I want to expand my knowledge of business, establish a network with my talented classmates and the school alumni, and gain new insights and experiences from the broad range of extracurricular programs,” he explained.

“The outstanding curriculum and faculty along with the diverse, experienced cohort of students make this the most dynamic academic environment I’ve encountered.”

Laura Stokes, another MBA student, is Director of TEDxSouthBankWomen, the conference for inspirational speakers, and also Advancement Director at UQ’s International House.

Laura said the flexible MBA format allowed her to study while maintaining her other work commitments.

“My goal for completing my MBA is to grow and develop my management and leadership skills and to use the practical skills gained in furthering my career objective of having a positive impact on the advancement of women.”

Other major companies represented in the MBA cohort include Telstra, Origin Energy, Rio Tinto, RACQ, Westpac, Shell, BHPBilliton, Santos, QLD Health, Autism QLD, DFAT, Siemens, Virgin Australia, Aviation Australia, KPMG, Qantas Airways, Hutchinson, and Boeing.

For further information about the UQ Business School MBA program, visit www.business.uq.edu.au/mba

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