Professional Practice MBA

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Take advantage of a 12-month taught course followed by a 12-month work placement, facilitated by the University. Grasp the opportunity to demonstrate business skills and knowledge in the workplace.

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Overview

The MBA (Professional Practice) is a taught course which incorporates a 12-month work placement. Securing a work placement is a competitive process and we'll help you with the selection process from application to interview.

We'll support you with securing a placement, but should you be unsuccessful in the selection process, we'll arrange a transfer to the generic MBA course to study a Postgraduate Certificate in Human Resource Management or a Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Marketing and Analytics as an additional qualification at no cost, completing both courses within the two-year period.*

Our dedicated faculty placements team is well-connected with regional and national employers and, each year, assists students in applying for roles in areas including marketing, human resources, finance, operations, and supply-chain positions.

The University will support your efforts in securing a placement or work experience. Our students have secured placements with companies including Nissan, Caterpillar, Fujitsu, Network Rail, and White Lodging Services, as well as small entrepreneurial firms in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.

*The modules completed in furtherance of this Certificate won't contribute to the assessment of the MBA and you may only complete the certificate as well as the MBA over the two-year period that was the expected duration of the course on which you were originally.

Why us?

Benefit from employer engagement opportunities, employer visits, and our guest speaker programme

Strong links with regional and national employers

Course structure

Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, class discussions, case studies, group work, presentations, and applied study. Your progress will be assessed with the dissertation and assignments.

Compared to an undergraduate course, you'll find that this master's degree requires a higher level of independent reading and research.

See further information on the generic MBA route.

Course modules

Strategic Leadership for a Sustainable Future (30 credits)

Analyse theoretical approaches to leadership before applying these to strategic and sustainable business issues. Engage with business leaders to identify and develop the employability skills sought after in the digital and global work environments of the future. Conduct reflective practice throughout the module, working to develop a deeper understanding of your own leadership style and identify areas for future development as sustainable business leaders.

International Business in Context (30 credits)

Explore the unique opportunities and challenges of conducting business internationally as globalisation and the digital revolution have increased global connectedness in business. Develop innovative and sustainable solutions and strategies for current and emerging international business issues. Critically analyse approaches to leadership and management in a strategic, international business context to develop diverse stakeholder management acumen and digital business competencies.

Digital Enterprise and Innovation (30 credits)

Gain an insight into digital enterprises and the nature of sustainable innovation. Explore issues of culture, communication and leadership within digital enterprises considering the unique opportunities and challenges they face. Work in conjunction with local and national digital enterprises, and apply your understanding of the underlying theoretical concepts learned to authentic business challenges and develop your digital competencies for future employability.

Corporate Governance and Financial Management (30 credits)

Engage in the exploration of portfolio management and wealth planning, as well as risk diversification, by focusing on creating a sustainable investment portfolio through examination and analysis of financial data of listed companies. Examine various financial management concepts such as capital structure, investment appraisal techniques and mergers and takeovers through real-life case studies. Develop transferable skills needed for roles within financial institutions, stock broking, investment and portfolio management, treasury, and corporate finance departments of companies.

Placement Project (120 credits)

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

Facilities

You’ll be based at The Reg Vardy Centre, on the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s. The Reg Vardy Centre is a modern building with views of the river, and just a short walk from both the coast and Sunderland town centre.

Entry requirements

Our typical offer is:

Qualification	Minimum grade
a Canadian bachelor's degree	GPA 2.40
a USA bachelor's degree	GPA 2.5

If you already hold a postgraduate qualification, please see our Applying for additional postgraduate degrees Help and Advice article.

If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.

If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.

This course is designed to support career acceleration for suitably academically qualified applicants. All levels of practical work/work experience will be considered including applications from candidates with pre-graduation or limited/no work experience post degree who can display that they'll benefit from a course of this type.

We require a relevant degree or equivalent professional qualification.

You'll be required to attend a short Skype interview as part of the application process.

If English isn't your first language, please see our English language requirements.

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

MBA with 12-month placement (24-month overall duration).

Fees are:

£15,000 if you're from the UK/Europe
£19,000 if you're an international student

See the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

The Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's by night

Career ready

An MBA is a challenging qualification which requires significant dedication. Employers recognise its worth and the value that an MBA-qualified business leader can bring to their organisation.

Business graduates from Sunderland have secured roles in organisations such as Facebook, Microsoft, Sage, HSBC, IBM, Enterprise, Nissan, Accenture, Procter & Gamble, Merck & Co, Barclays, Nissan, Marriott Hotels, Viacom 18, PricewaterCoopers, and Adidas.

Industry links

We invite business leaders into the University to share their experiences with students. Past speakers include Divine Chocolate’s Head of Sales and Marketing and Sunderland Football Club’s CEO.

Learning from business professionals can be very useful if you’re not sure what career to pursue when you graduate. If you already have a plan for your career, these events are an excellent way to start building a network of business contacts.

Programme support

The programme team is very much committed to supporting you on your learning journey. We provide a robust personal tutoring system, setting academic goals and working with you to keep this on track. Study skills development is a feature of the programme support, for example, honing critical skills and critical writing. We pride ourselves on Sunderland being a friendly and sociable place to study – many long-lasting friendships and networks are formed within our Sunderland MBA cohorts

Meet the students

Thanks to the University of Sunderland for making me a better version of myself

Amy Phuong Do
Sunderland has provided me with brand new critical thinking skills.

Mohammad Adwan

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Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Business, Law and Tourism.

Page last updated: 02 September 2025

We aim to provide clear, accurate and timely information to prospective and current students. We continuously review and enhance course content in consultation with our students and the information provided on our website is the latest available. If you have received an offer from us to start a course, we will communicate any important changes to you in writing. We will always seek to ensure that our prospective students are fully aware of the basis on which they are accepting an offer.