“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”   Aristotle The mandate of every good MBA programme should be that all skills and knowledge taught on the programme are applicable to the real world. Fortunately, this is the basis on which the 12month MBA at Oxford College [...]

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12-month MBA at Oxford College of Business

An MBA programme with hands on Education
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“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”   Aristotle

The mandate of every good MBA programme should be that all skills and knowledge taught on the programme are applicable to the real world. Fortunately, this is the basis on which the 12month MBA at Oxford College of Business is based and designed on.

Learning new skills is crucial for senior managers seeking professional career development and advancement, but this is only the first stage. Implementing these skills is where the true potential for this development lies. How, then, can the newly acquired skills, methods and knowledge best be implemented and applied throughout the different stages of an MBA graduates life? The 12month MBA offered at Oxford College of Business (OCB) in affiliation with the Australian Institute of Business (AIB) offers the ambitious professional many unique opportunities, one of which is the chance to implement newly acquired business knowledge directly into the workplace. This enables MBA students at Oxford College of Business to experience, in real time, the value and relevance of their teachings. It always provides the candidate with continued learning of an extremely practical nature.

A learning proces

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, learning is the ‘acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught’. Yet learning is not merely a matter of taking in information, but involves a hands on approach of doing.

Ongoing research on learning processes and the workings of the brain have challenged traditional academic notions of what it means to learn best. While there is not always a full consensus among scholars as to which specific form of learning is most effective, one fact, established many decades ago, remains: skills and knowledge are developed not by reading and listening alone, but by applying knowledge in a real world context and by practising the skill.

As such, learning is a product of experience and develops through tackling a problem while actively applying information. Nowhere is this more evident than on the 12 month MBA programme offered at Oxford College of Business.

Rich learning experience

The scientific model of learning by doing, as a concept in economic theory, has been shown to have tremendously positive impacts, not only on productivity but also effectiveness. Learning by doing is a concept deeply imbedded in the structure and reputation of the 12 month MBA programme which is designed by the Australian Institute of Business and is indeed, one of the great benefits of this prestigious business school masters degree.

Throughout their programme of study, MBA students of Oxford College of Business, regardless of industry, position or expertise, are in the unique position to be able to trial their newly acquired skills into the workplace. Not only does this cement their new array of skills and knowledge, it also allows them to fine-tune such attributes to determine what works and what doesn’t in a real world context. This makes for a very individual and rich learning experience.

According to the course director at Oxford College of Business “our MBA students take lessons straight from the classroom to their work, even at the start of the program.” “The benefits are tremendous. Our students very quickly improve their soft skills (effecting change, negotiating, leadership), and hard skills (rigorous understanding of economics, accounting and finance). They very quickly are seen differently by their peers and managers, are able to take on more responsibilities, and are more effective at their jobs.”

A unique approach

On the 12month AIB MBA programme at OCB, the learning by doing aspect is a two-pronged approach: on the one hand students are able to apply the knowledge within their very own work environment; on the other, they are challenged to solve real world problems of real world managers through the use of case studies in the classroom.

“Since our 12month MBA programme is delivered using the Case-Method of Learning, our participants are working through real business issues during their program experience,” explains the course director of OCB. “There is an emphasis on decision-making that pushes participants to assess a situation, develop strategic options, analyze those options, and then make a decision.” By having to solve actual business problems that relate to a broad set of business contexts, the learning possibilities extend beyond the immediate realm of application within a student’s work environment to include tackling and solving complex problems, thereby stimulating new ways of thinking and thus learning.

During the programme

Throughout the 12month MBA at OCB, it is the hard facts and new techniques that will be applicable for the MBA student in a day-to-day practical context. But it is not only in his or her own business practice that these newly acquired skills can be applied. Students can learn through real world issues that fellow students and classmates are dealing with as well.

Program Director of OCB says a true benefit of our 12month MBA program is the students themselves. “If one of the students has a situation in the workplace that they are facing, chances are that a cohort member would have faced the same (or similar) situation within their company (even if from a different industry). As the interaction between students (and professors) is very strong, openly discussing these real-life office situations leads to new perspectives and finding sustainable solutions that may not have been discovered if trying to do this on one’s own. This is a very common and unique feature existent only on our 12month MBA program as a result Oxford College of Business is regarded as the birth place of some of the most industry revolutionizing strategies the business world has seen in the recent past.”

A lifelong goal

Learning takes place throughout our lifetime and those attracted by the challenge of the 12month MBA at OCB are among a highly motivated group of professionals for whom learning paves the way to great success. While we may all have individual styles of learning, taking the hands on approach is an integral part of the journey. After all, practice makes perfect. For more information contact Malindu Ranasinghe – 0714151547 or visit www.ocbsrilanka.com




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