DCU Executive MBA wins gradireland Higher Education Award

DCU Business School’s Executive MBA has won the 2018 gradireland Higher Education Award in the category of Postgraduate Course of the Year in Business, Finance & Management. This major accolade recognises the Executive MBA’s unique strengths in developing future business leaders and enhancing their career prospects.

Dublin City University Executive MBA is the only MBA programme in Ireland to hold this accolade which is a testament to its strong position in the market and its externally validated reputation.

A further three courses from DCU’s Business School were shortlisted for the award. These include the MSc in Management, MSc Electronic Commerce and MSc Human Resource Management.

gradireland Higher Education Awards recognise excellence in the provision of postgraduate education in a number of categories. Expert panelists drawn from industry, careers and education evaluate and adjudicate upon shortlisted courses and select the winning programme of the year. gradireland judges remarked that

“The transferable skills from this course, built through facilitation & a personal development style versus traditional lecture delivery, are particularly impressive”

The DCU Executive MBA is an applied MBA that develops evidence-based managers who can identify and analyse the best available data to make better decisions. Taking place over two years, participants undertake a number of modules and activities including a strategic consultancy project, a leadership development programme, and two enterprise engagement activities involving field visits to national and international companies with strong growth, innovation and entrepreneurship strategies. This model underpins the programme’s four pillars: Inspiring Future Leaders, Transforming Organisation, Engaging the Enterprise and Influencing Business in Society.

DCU’s Executive MBA is internationally recognised through its AMBA (the Association of MBAs) accreditation as one of “the best there is”. DCU Business School is one of only two business schools in Ireland accredited by the AACSB, placing it in the top 5% worldwide. DCU Business School recently became the first university in Ireland to hold the Small Business Charter, an award that celebrates business schools that play an effective role in supporting small businesses, local economies and student entrepreneurship.

Commenting on the gradireland award, Executive MBA Programme Director Dr Claire Gubbins said, “we are honoured to have our Executive MBA programme recognised by Grad Ireland, particularly in the face of strong competition from other courses and universities. We believe strongly in the value of the programme and strive to offer a transformative experience to our participants both for their leadership development, their careers and for themselves.In presenting an applied MBA, we emphasise content that is immediately useful to participants and their employers. We aim to deliver a customised leadership development experience through our partnerships with the DCU career service, professional HR specialists, consultants, psychologists and coaches. We aim to develop future leaders whom are data-driven and evidence led through our partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University and the Centre for Evidence Based Management. Our alumni describe their MBA experience as challenging but transformative. Our programme participants have significant management experience which is key to a successful in-classroom learning experience. We are thankful to the many companies and individual speakers who collaborate with DCU Business School’s Executive MBA and provide students with a unique, challenging and rewarding academic programme that provides ongoing benefits long into their careers.”

Further commenting on the award, Executive Dean of DCU Business School Professor Anne Sinnott said, “This award recognises the work of DCU Business School academics who deliver the Executive MBA programme. Their dedication to the programme and to ensuring participant’s success under the able directorship of Dr Claire Gubbins is commendable. Our excellent links to Industry and our action-based learning model combine to provide a transformative experience for participants. The Executive MBA programme at DCU Business School strongly reflects our position as Ireland’s ‘University of Enterprise’ by adding value both to employers and MBA graduates’ career progression.

If you are considering undertaking an Executive MBA at DCU please contact Ruth Finnegan at ruth.finnegan@dcu.ie or MBA Director Claire Gubbins at Claire.gubbins@dcu.ie