12 Month MBA Online: One Year Fast Track!

Yes. A small number of Australian universities offer fully accredited 1-year Master of Business Administration programs online. Doing an MBA in one year requires a full study load and continuous study (i.e. no extended break over the summer). See Ducere’s MBA degrees for examples.

In Australia, accredited online MBA programs take from 12 months to 3 years to complete – assuming no time is taken off by the student.

• A 12-month MBA online program requires a student to go continuously for 12 months with a full study load.
• A 1.5 year online MBA program means the student studies full-time but for no more than 2 semesters in a year, with no study scheduled over the summer months.
• A 2-year MBA online requires students to study continuously with a part-time load.
• A 3-year online MBA program means the student studies part-time for 2 semesters each year.

Under the Australian Qualifications Framework, a Master of Business Administration, like most other masters degree by coursework, takes 1.5 or 2 full-time academic years.

However, the standard duration is 1.5 full-time academic years. Most business schools either (i) require applicants to have a relevant degree or significant experience or (ii) allow students to gain advanced standing after doing a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration. The use of advanced standing reduces the required length of an MBA from 2 years down to 1.5 years. In theory, an applicant without a business degree or significant experience could only enroll in a 2-year MBA program.

The standard length of an Australian MBA program is 12 units / subjects (or equivalent). Full-time study equates to 4 units per semester and there a 2 semesters in the standard academic year.

An accelerated MBA is where the Master of Business Administration program allows students to study continuously year-round. Compared to a study rate of 4 subjects part-time or 8 subjects full-time per year, accelerated MBAs allow 6 to 12 subjects to be completed each year.

Accelerated online MBA programs limit scheduled breaks to less than a month and can be completed in two-thirds of the normal time.

Traditionally, Australian universities teach over two semesters each year and have a long break over the summer months. Accelerated programs may add a third, summer semester. Alternatively, an accelerated MBA program could consist of a sequence of several study blocks per year, each block separated by a break of no more than a week or two.

In Australia, a 1 year MBA is a full-time program whereas a 2 year MBA is usually a part-time program. They will normally both consist of 12 subjects or equivalent.

Some Australian universities also offer 2-year full-time MBAs. These are extended programs that consist of 16 units (or equivalent) rather than the standard 12 units. They correspond with 48 credit hours (in US terms) rather than the standard 36 credits.

Related: How Many Credits for an MBA? Survey Results

In Australia, a 1-year MBA means accelerated full-time study online while a 2-year MBA is accelerated part-time study online. A 1-year MBA is better if you want to finish quicker and can handle a full study load. A 2-year MBA is more compatible with working full-time. More courses are available in the 2-year, part-time format.

1-year MBA programs are relatively cheap and affordable, with costs in line with most online MBA programs. They tend to be cheaper because they are offered online, which acts to reduce tuition fees somewhat.

1-year MBAs are significantly cheaper than extended MBAs that consist of 16 subjects instead of the usual 12 subjects. Extended MBAs are expensive both because of the larger number of units and because they are usually offered as premium degrees.

Completing an MBA in one year means studying continuously (year-round) in the online format with a significant study load. Students who are able to do this find that it is worth it because they can handle the study load and are able to fast track their studies. One-year programs are flexible enough to allow students to take time off or reduce the study load if and when this is required. There is no extra cost or risk from enrolling in a one-year MBA program.

Most online MBA students find accelerated programs are worth it. Accelerated MBA studies is the preferred method for most students who enrol in online MBA programs. “Accelerated” means pushing through to complete your degree more quickly by studying year-round. An academic year may consist of three trimesters or six study periods, spread across the year to include summer months.

In terms of motivation, it may be easier to get into a study routine and stick with it than to take long breaks, thereby causing disruption and dragging out your MBA degree. A popular feature of accelerated courses as well is that they avoid end-of-term exams. You avoid this stress through continuous assessment, relying on assignments, projects, short quizzes, etc.

Yes. Online MBA degrees are take seriously. See this article for more information.

In summary:

1. Employers won’t notice your MBA was online. It’s not written on your degree.
2. Earning an MBA through online learning is actually an achievement to be proud of.
3. Employers rate most business schools about the same, whether they offer online degrees or not.
4. Prestigious Australian universities offer MBA degrees online.