How long will an MBA take me?

The benefits of undertaking an MBA are huge. For example, 74% of all AIB alumni have had a salary increase since graduating, and 90% claim that they enhanced their professional value.

But that doesn’t make the choice to start an MBA an easy one. It can be daunting to think about how long an MBA will take to complete. You may have existing family or social commitments that aren’t up for negotiation. And even the most ambitious workers can struggle without a plan in place.

The Australian Institute of Business (AIB) offers a highly flexible MBA program that caters to everyone’s lifestyle. Designed for busy working professionals, our Fast-Track MBA is a fully online course that is delivered with interactive, bite-sized content and personalised student support.

So just how long will an MBA take to complete? Read our complete guide to our MBA to find out.

Why should I apply for an MBA?

Grow your professional network

An MBA expands your professional network and gives you access to a student and alumni network – both of which could offer opportunities for your career.

Whether for your employer or your own business, It’s important to grow your network to generate new revenue. Community collaboration is also beneficial for discussing and challenging ideas in your industry.

Improve your brand perception

Your professional success relies heavily on potential employers’ perceptions of you. Studying for an MBA shows your commitment to excellence and helps you to attract more high-quality clients.

Increase your marketable skills

An MBA helps you acquire highly regarded skills that are extremely valuable to businesses looking to boost ROI. Core skills that an MBA teaches include:

• Leadership
• Finance
• Marketing
• Human resource management
• Operations management.

Speak to a Course Advisor and learn more about how our MBA can benefit you.

Traditional MBA or online MBA?

A high-quality MBA will equip you with the knowledge, skills and network you need to stay ahead of the competition. And whether in-person or online, you’ll still learn many of the same ideas, complete similar assignments and have access to the most experienced and knowledgeable experts within the industry.

So what’s the main difference between a traditional and online MBA? A traditional MBA can’t offer the same flexibility an online MBA provides.

You have enough on your plate with work, family and social commitments as a working professional. Why add the constraints of physical classes to your list? An online MBA, such as our Fast-Track MBA, is designed to suit the needs of business people who are already working full time – so you can still achieve your career goals while you study.

It’s quick and easy to check your eligibility for our Fast-Track MBA.

How long will an MBA take me?

There are plenty of factors that can affect how long it will take you to finish your MBA. But a typical MBA student will take approximately twelve months to two years to earn their degree.

We’ve designed our MBA program to be as flexible and accommodating as possible. After all, we know how hard it can be to juggle your studies with work and family commitments. That’s why our MBA can be completed in stages. And to ensure that you can study at any time that suits you, our MBA course material is available online at all times – ready whenever you need it, day or night.

Read ‘Will a flexible MBA help me maintain a work-life balance?’ 

What factors will affect how long I will study?

How much time you can dedicate to studying

This depends on your commitments and availability. If you’re able to do two subjects at a time, you may be required to study up to 40 hours a week. However, if you can only fit one subject into your schedule at any given time, then you’ll need to dedicate 10-20 hours to studying each week.

We understand professionals have increasingly busier lives with work, family and social commitments. So rather than expecting your schedule to fit around us, we’ve found innovative ways to make our programs fit around you. Our MBA is delivered online through our innovative Student Learning Portal so you have the freedom to study anytime, from anywhere.

Calculate how much time you can dedicate to studying every week with our Time-To-Study Calculator.

If you’re eligible to accelerate your MBA

An accelerated MBA, like our Fast-Track MBA, is a faster way to earn your degree – but it is more intensive and has additional eligibility criteria.

To accelerate your studies, you will need to meet the following criteria:

• MBA direct entry students who are not working full time can undertake concurrent subjects from the commencement of their studies
• GCM entry students must have successfully passed at least their first two AIB subjects prior to undertaking concurrent study
• All students will need to successfully maintain academic progress to maintain their eligibility.

Students who accelerate their MBA can expect a study load of 40 hours per week – the equivalent of working full-time. But they also have the flexibility to move in and out of concurrent study to suit their needs. That’s because we understand that with work, family and social commitments, there may be times when accelerating your MBA suits you and times when it doesn’t.

Tips on how to study effectively

Time block your calendar

Time blocking is a scheduling format that helps increase your productivity by dividing your day into specific blocks of time. Each block represents the time dedicated to completing a specific task.

This will keep you task-focused and also limits the ability of others to infringe on your time.

Create a quiet study space

A designated study area free of distractions will help you study effectively and productively. So choose a space that is quiet, well-lit and low traffic. Avoid the dining room table or any other place where your family may be regularly walking in and out.

If there isn’t a suitable place at home, try your local library.

Use study apps

Download these apps to help motivate and minimise distraction while studying:

• OFFTIME – blocks your calls, texts and notifications. You can also restrict access to any apps and limit your phone usage to increase your focus.
• Forest – Plant a seed and watch it grow into a tree. Don’t shut down the app – or your tree will die.
• My Math Alarm Clock – Get out of bed on time by solving a maths sum in order to turn off your alarm.
• Study – designed to increase your productivity by masking background noise, this app produces 45 minutes of sound.
• Go Conqr Study Planner – Schedule events in a calendar, allocate time to key subject areas, and keep track of the time you spend on each subject.

So how long will an MBA take me? It all depends on your level of commitment and lifestyle. Delivered online with continual updates, innovations and new releases, the Fast-Track MBA is specifically designed for professionals like you who are looking to graduate and achieve their career goals faster. With some of our alumni reporting salary increases as early as three months into their studies, the Fast-Track MBA is the career investment that pays for itself.  Learn more about it.