Business Administration with Professional Placement

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Central Lancashire

Program Overview

The MBA with Professional Placement at UCLan is designed to give you a solid foundation in business while letting you gain real-world experience. It’s perfect if you’re looking to boost your career in management, leadership, consulting, or even start your own business — whether you’re coming straight from your first degree or already have some work experience.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1
In your first year, you’ll explore the essentials of modern business through modules like Business Functions, Strategic Business Futures, and Postgraduate Learning and Reflection. These will help you understand how different parts of a business — from finance to marketing to HR — work together, while also developing your critical thinking and self-directed learning skills. You’ll also dive into Leadership and Management and Preparation for Graduate Employment, giving you a head start in shaping your personal leadership style and getting ready for the professional world.

Year 2
The second year is all about applying what you’ve learned. You can take on an Applied Management Project, tackling a real business challenge with your peers, which sharpens your problem-solving and teamwork skills. If you choose the professional placement, you’ll spend up to 10 months in a paid role, gaining hands-on experience and seeing firsthand how businesses operate. If you prefer, you can also pick from modules like Creative Commercial Development, Enterprise, Innovation and New Venture Creation, Work-Based Learning and Inquiry, or a Research Project, giving you the freedom to explore new ventures, innovation, and business research in a way that suits your interests.

Focus areas: Leadership, strategy, business operations, innovation, entrepreneurship, and real-world application through professional experience or projects.

Learning outcomes: Graduates leave ready to understand and manage complex business environments, make strategic decisions, lead teams effectively, solve real-world business problems, and step confidently into professional roles with hands-on experience.

Professional alignment (accreditation): Delivered by UCLan’s School of Business & Enterprise, this program blends academic learning with professional experience, ensuring you graduate with skills employers value.

Reputation (employability & recognition): UCLan’s MBA with Professional Placement is highly regarded by employers and has a strong reputation for preparing graduates for management roles across private, public, and voluntary sectors.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The MBA with Professional Placement at UCLan isn’t just about learning business theory — it’s about doing business. From day one, you’ll be gaining practical skills, working on real challenges, and learning how businesses operate in the real world. The programme is designed to make sure you leave ready for leadership roles, with hands-on experience and support every step of the way.

Here’s how you’ll get that experience:

Professional placement of up to 10 months – Spend up to 10 months in a paid role with a company, applying what you’ve learned in class and seeing first-hand how businesses operate.
Applied projects and entrepreneurial modules – If you don’t take a placement, you can still work on real-world challenges through modules like Creative Commercial Development, Enterprise & Innovation, or a Work-Based Research Project.
Industry-informed guidance – UCLan’s work-based learning system supports you in finding placements, understanding industry expectations, and getting the most out of your professional experience.
Campus facilities and resources – Access UCLan’s large, modern campus with libraries, social and study spaces, and support services that make learning easier and more enjoyable.
Career support – Benefit from tailored career advice, CV and interview help, and connections with employers to help you step confidently into the workplace.
Group and leadership activities – Take part in practical exercises, team projects, and an intensive residential event to build leadership, teamwork, and reflective skills in real-life contexts.

With all of this, your MBA journey at UCLan blends academic learning with real-world application, helping you graduate not just with knowledge, but with confidence and experience that employers value.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates from UCLan’s MBA with Professional Placement leave ready to take on leadership roles and make a real impact in business. Many go on to exciting careers as business analysts, project or operations managers, management consultants, or even start their own ventures. Because the programme combines academic learning with up to 10 months of real-world professional experience, you’ll graduate with confidence, practical skills, and a strong edge in the job market.

Here’s how UCLan helps you get there:

Tailored career support – UCLan’s Careers Service offers one-to-one guidance, CV and cover letter help, mock interviews, career fairs, and access to online job platforms like CareerEDGE/Handshake to get you ready for your next step.
Strong employability record – The university reports that 95.5% of its full-time graduates enter employment or further study within six months, giving you confidence in your future opportunities.
Industry links and work-based learning – Through the professional placement and UCLan’s real-world learning approach, you’ll build valuable networks and gain hands-on experience that employers value.
Long-term value of the MBA – UCLan’s MBA is widely respected across private, public, and voluntary sectors, giving you flexibility to climb the corporate ladder, switch industries, or launch your own business.

Further Academic Progression:
If you want to keep learning, you could continue to doctoral-level study, such as a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), or pursue other research-based programmes. Your MBA experience — combined with real-world placement — gives you a strong foundation in business theory and practice, setting you up for advanced research or an academic career in management or related fields.