Build the expertise, strategy, and acumen to excel in financial leadership
University of Gloucestershire’s 100% online MBA Finance strengthens your expertise in financial markets and the strategic management of financial institutions. Across three specialised modules, you will learn to evaluate project investments and corporate valuation, explore effective capital-raising strategies, and assess the financial challenges faced by entrepreneurial ventures. Additionally, you will examine international financial regulations and develop strategies for effective risk management.
This course is crafted to fit in around professional and personal commitments preparing you for leadership roles across industries—whether in established multinational corporations, dynamic start-ups, or entrepreneurial ventures. You'll gain the financial acumen and strategic insight needed to drive business success in a rapidly evolving global economy.
Course overview
Gain deep insight into the financial systems that drive business performance. This course is designed for those aiming to lead in banking, investment, or corporate finance roles. You’ll explore investment decisions and funding strategies in the Corporate Finance module and examine capital raising and valuation in entrepreneurial contexts through Entrepreneurial Finance.
You’ll also evaluate global financial systems and crises in International Financial Regulation. With these skills, you’ll be prepared to influence strategic financial decisions in complex business environments.
Skills and knowledge
Graduates of this course will be able to:
Evaluate investment decisions using net present value analysis
Create strategic plans integrating finance and entrepreneurship
Analyse historical and modern influences on global finance systems
Assess economic and regulatory factors for ethical business growth
Use quantitative data techniques to reduce risk and drive strategy
Entry requirements
To study Gloucestershire’s 100% online MBA Finance, you will need to have completed:
A 2:2 undergraduate honours degree (or international equivalent)
OR
A minimum of three years of relevant work experience (CV required, including one reference).
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, or if your most recent education or work experience was not conducted in English, you must demonstrate proficiency through an approved English language test. This includes IELTS (minimum overall score of 6.0, with no individual component below 5.5) or an equivalent qualification.
Modules
Corporate Finance
Gain a comprehensive understanding of corporate finance, built around two key questions: how to raise capital and how to invest it wisely. You’ll explore six foundational ideas—many recognised with Nobel Prizes—and apply them to real-world decisions involving investment analysis, company valuation, and capital structure. You’ll also consider the importance of corporate governance and learn how to navigate imperfect markets. On completion, you’ll be equipped to make sound financial decisions that drive business performance and value creation.
Entrepreneurial Finance
Explore how financial decision-making impacts the success of entrepreneurial ventures. You’ll examine each stage of business growth—from start-up to maturity—alongside the financial challenges and opportunities these firms face. You’ll learn to analyse cash flow constraints, working capital needs, and funding options such as private equity, venture capital, and institutional finance. By integrating concepts from entrepreneurship, economics, and finance, you’ll develop a practical framework for evaluating risk, securing capital, and supporting long-term SME growth.
International Financial Regulation
Investigate how international financial regulation has evolved in response to major economic crises, including the 2007–2008 global financial crash. You’ll study the liberalisation of financial markets, regulatory frameworks, and the role of institutions such as the IMF and World Bank. Exploring historical turning points—from Bretton Woods to Herstatt—you’ll gain insight into the balance between financial innovation and risk control. You’ll also examine how regulatory developments impact global investment, savings, and risk management practices.
Leadership and Organisation behaviour
Explore what it means to be an effective leader and learn how to navigate change and lead ethically within multicultural and diverse settings. You’ll focus on emotional intelligence, reflective leadership, and responsible decision-making. Drawing links between classical leadership theories and modern-day challenges, you’ll build a toolkit to lead with integrity and purpose in complex organisational environments.
Economics for Managers
Explore key economic concepts, models, and analytical tools to support sound managerial decision-making. You’ll study supply and demand dynamics, market structures—from perfect competition to monopoly—and the theory of the firm at a micro level. At the macro level, you’ll examine fiscal and monetary policy, along with broader topics such as international trade, financial markets, economic growth, and externalities. By applying economic reasoning, you’ll learn to evaluate trade-offs and make choices that align with organisational objectives.
Finance for Managers
Develop the essential financial knowledge to support day-to-day operations and long-term strategic planning. You’ll explore the time value of money, investment options, capital expenditure decisions, and financial structuring. With a focus on cash flow management and asset allocation, you’ll gain the skills to guide your organisation’s financial sustainability and growth.
Strategic Decision Making for Managers
Develop your capacity to make informed strategic decisions by examining how organisations build capabilities to compete effectively. You’ll study decision-making frameworks drawn from global business practices and apply them across a range of firm sizes and industries. You’ll strengthen your ability to align strategy with the external environment while fulfilling long-term objectives.
Business Strategy
You’ll gain a clear understanding of strategic thinking and how it supports long-term organisational success. This module introduces key theories, models, and analytical tools that help general managers make sound, value-adding decisions. Whether in the public, private, or non-profit sectors, you’ll learn to assess competitive positioning, build strategic capabilities, and lead your organisation with a forward-thinking mindset.
Operations Management
Explore the core elements of operations management and their critical role in business success. You’ll analyse areas such as process and capacity planning, quality management, materials and facilities planning, and operations strategy. Whether you work in consulting, start-ups, or corporate leadership, you’ll build the skills to optimise resources and drive operational efficiency.
Research Methods for Business and Management
Develop a solid foundation in both academic and consultancy-based business research. This module guides you in identifying research problems, conducting literature reviews, and designing effective methodologies. You’ll learn about philosophical underpinnings, research ethics, and practical methods for gathering and analysing data. By the end, you’ll be ready to produce a rigorous, well-designed research proposal.
Applied Research for Business and Management (30 credits)
Develop and apply your knowledge of research methods to tackle a real-world business issue. You’ll define a research problem, design your study, gather and analyse data, and deliver practical recommendations. Whether you pursue a thesis or project, you’ll demonstrate your ability to conduct independent, applied research that adds value to your field.
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