Division of Business
Strategic Partnerships

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Mutual Sector MBA

AMI - The Australasian Mutuals Institute - has entered into a partnership to jointly sponsor the MBA program with the University of South Australia (UniSA) to eligible managers and supervisors working in Mutual ADIs, Credit Unions, Building and Friendly Societies.

MUTUAL ADI MANAGERS:  Apply now to your HR manager to be considered for inclusion in this program.  You can study from wherever you are working or living, as the program is undertaken entirely online - anywhere, anytime, anyplace.

Program Overview

The UniSA MBA consists of 12 courses, and is structured in 3 stages.  The first stage of 4 courses make up the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration.  Building on those 4 with successful completion of another 4 courses means the participant achieves the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration.  Successfully undertaking a further 4 means the participant will be awarded a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Each course is undertaken during an 11 week study period, and the Mutual Sector MBA is scheduled for 3 to 4 courses each year.  Assessment is continuous and online, with each course culminating in a workplace applied management project.

Transportability

Any participant can take a break from the education program at the completion of each stage in the Mutual ADI Program.  At each stage, the award (Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma or Masters) is recognised in Australia and internationally.

Note:  For those managers who are considering further studies towards an MBA, it is important to keep in mind that the individual courses within the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma are identical to the MBA courses, thus ensuring full credit for those courses will be granted.

Courses

Graduate Certificate in Business Administration

• Leadership Dynamics
• Contemporary Management Skills
• Accounting for Decision Making
• Leading and Managing People.

Graduate Diploma in Business Administration

The 4 courses completed successfully in the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration, plus:

• Creative and Accountable Marketing
• Managerial Finance
• Competitive Strategy
• any one of the following 3 courses, Managerial Economics, or International Business or Sustainable Corporate Strategy.

Master of Business Administration

The 8 courses already completed in the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, plus:

• any one of the following 3 courses, Managerial Economics, International Business or Corporate Strategy
• 3 electives

The UniSA MBA has 12 courses in total.

Teaching and Learning

The delivery of this program is online in its entirety.  Most courses develop an interactive learning environment online, challenging groups to think collaboratively about issues critical to the strategic goals of their organisation.  Individual and group projects are part of both the course work and assessment.

Assessment is linked to applied learning projects, so that theoretical concepts are applied to work situations and critical management issues.

Testimonials

'The Australasian Mutuals Institute (AM Institute) and the University of South Australia (UniSA) MBA program is highly relevant to the mutual ADI industry. Undertaking this course is particularly advantageous for smaller credit unions and building societies who can find it difficult to invest in professional development opportunities that require the absence of their staff. The flexibility offered by the UniSA MBA was critical in allowing me to balance the requirements of study with the demands of working for a small mutual.

The MBA courses were most beneficial in broadening my skills beyond the technical scope of my current role as Chief Financial Officer of ABS Building Society. The group work component of each course enabled me to work with peers from various backgrounds and was invaluable in providing me with a more balanced perspective of other industries and professions. The program has offered me so many opportunities for personal growth and has given me the confidence to further contribute to the development of the mutual industry.'

Josie Bieber, Student in MBA program
ABS Building Society

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'The course content was both relevant and interesting with the diversity of subject that could be tailored more specifically to the credit union industry.  It covered the desired range of both technical and assignment type subjects and allowed direct relation back to the workplace and comparison against other industries.  It also incorporated considerable areas of personal development and increased skill level required at management level.

The experience included appreciation of the online learning from UniSA, the content of the subjects, the value of the texts, readings, the assignments and the interaction between students, the flexibility it offered, which supported the balance that was required to complete the course.'

Margaret Snowdon
Savings & Loans Credit Union (SA) Ltd

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'The Mutual Sector MBA program is a great initiative to encourage further learning within the credit union industry.  It brings the credit union participants as a group to learn, support and explore together.

It also helps to encourage and motivate credit unions to invest in their staff as well as the individual participants to engage and exchange with other members to discuss topics and issues concerning the credit union industry.

Personally it's given me the opportunity to give back to the credit union through enhanced quality delivery of my responsibilities and be a part of the "campaign" to encourage other participants from Australian Central. We now have participants in their 1st and 2nd year of their journey towards an MBA in the program.'

Angela Tan
Australian Central Credit Union

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Online delivery

Online (or distributed) education is an integral component to the Program.  Online education involves highly interactive group learning.  Concepts on learning that underlie the method are:

• Learning is primarily derived from dialogue.  It is an interactive, collaborative process in which the learner, the lecturer and other learners work together to create and maintain a learning conversation.

• The lecturer's role is to facilitate, engage and empower learners to fully participate in a learning conversation.  Lecturers do not only transfer information: they also exercise leadership in order to facilitate and point the way along possible learning paths.

• Online education methodologies emulate the interactive classroom, tutorial and syndicate group experience.  This approach combines theory with practical application to the workplace, using familiar situations to apply concepts discussed in each of the course modules in a structured framework.

• Flexibility is built into a participant's study schedule as the courses have 24x7 accessibility, within the scheduled study period of 11 weeks of a course.

There is no need to be logged-in at the same time online as other participants.  The lecturer and participants enter the dialogue as it progresses.  Each course is constructed as a series of modules with each module completed within a set timeframe before progressing to the next.

Follow this link to view a presentation about the Online MBA Program (requires Flash Player)

Online technical requirements

As courses are conducted via the internet, it is essential that participants have email and internet access either at home or their workplace.  It should be noted that in order for participants to be able to devote an appropriate amount of time to their studies, access at home is highly recommended.  Online delivery accommodates both PC and Macintosh users.

Once you are enrolled in a course, the Program Executive Officer will be in contact by email with the URL for the course and provide assistance with accessing the system if required.

Fees and Payments

While fees are paid under employer sponsored arrangements, most participating managers will be required to pay  for their text books.

Application Forms

Please attach a recent CV with your application package and if applicable, proof of your undergraduate degree (certified transcript is acceptable).

Download Application Form
Download DEST Statistics Form

Enquiries and further information:

Sandra Walker
Strategic Partnerships,

International Graduate School of Business 
University of South Australia 
Level 5 Way Lee Building 
City West Campus 
North Terrace Adelaide SA 5000

T: 08 8302 0801 
E: sandra.walker@unisa.edu.au

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