Particularly within its capital cities, Australia possesses a large number of MBA programs which meet the above criteria for providing a good MBA. Very early in its history, Australia inherited the British academic tradition of rigorous inquiry and adherence to high academic standards.

Australia’s oldest universities in particular are internationally-renowned for their very high standards of research and teaching.

Currently, a total of 55 Australian universities offer MBA programs. The prevailing model at the better institutions is the ‘Harvard style’ MBA, which provides around 16 diverse business related subjects, delivered over a period of 16 months to 2 years of full-time study. The shorter (16 month) program is delivered by institutions who have adopted the trimester system as a means to reduce the opportunity cost of an MBA to its students. Students may also study part-time, and most choose to do so.

The better MBA programs are truly international in terms of curriculum and orientation. This international focus is enhanced by the large number of international students that study in Australia. At Graduate Schools of Management, for example, students from about 30 countries within Europe, North America, Asia and Africa participate in the MBA program, and graduates now occupy executive positions in organizations throughout the world. Superior MBA programs are delivered by the older universities located in each of the State capital cities. In general, these are particularly well resourced in terms of quality of faculty, caliber of students and also in terms of library, computer and other facilities.

Consortium of Australian Management and Business Schools

Of particular note is the Consortium of Australian Management and Business Schools (CAMBS), which includes a number of these institutions. Members of CAMBS include The University of Adelaide, Deakin University, The University of Queensland, The University of Tasmania and The University of Western Australia. These institutions have agreed to cross-credit subjects studied in the MBA programs of other Consortium members.

This arrangement facilitates ease of movement of students between the various Australian States. The availability of distance education from Deakin University further increases the flexibility that Consortium members can offer.

International students therefore have the opportunity to study an MBA wholly in Australia, or to study for a semester or trimester towards their degree at an institution of their choice. This may be facilitated by exchange arrangements between their home university and an Australian university, as Student Study Plans can be tailored to the specific educational needs of the students concerned. Other award management programs are also on offer including PhD, Doctor of Business Administration, and Graduate Diploma in Management and Graduate Certificate in Management.