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When Mathias Javangwe-Nomboka was challenged with creating a podcast for his online MBA, it was, as he says, “a real step outside my comfort zone”. An assistant audit manager, he’d spent most of his career in finance. Now, he was collaborating with classmates in Canada and the UAE to produce a podcast for a healthcare business. “I’m from accounting; an auditor. I’d never done anything like this before,” he says.

Javangwe-Nomboka’s assignment illustrates the forward-thinking ethos of the University of Birmingham’s online MBA, a two-year programme which is triple crown accredited (a mark of excellence shared by only 149 business schools) and ranked among the world’s top 15 online MBAs by the Financial Times.

By equipping students with skills across marketing, accounting and HR – sometimes making them face their fears – the MBA is helping shape the multifaceted, ethically responsible business leaders of tomorrow. As Javangwe-Nomboka, who aspires to become a CFO, says: “In my career, I need something to take me from finance into strategy – this helps me do it.”

Earning potential

This arsenal of abilities also propels lucrative careers: the average salary of the University of Birmingham’s online MBA students is $136,926/£110,000 three years after graduating.

Demand for online MBAs has soared since the pandemic, as professionals seek ways to balance studying around time-pressed careers. More than half of students are interested in study that involves some element of online study, according to a CarringtonCrisp survey last year.

“Today’s online MBA student is usually a working professional who wants to progress without stepping away from their career,” says Dr Anandadeep Mandal, the MBA’s programme director (distance learning). “They’re looking for flexibility, relevance and applying what they learn straight away … Online MBAs give them the opportunity to upgrade their skills without breaking their regular income cashflow.”

To match this interest, the University of Birmingham refreshed its online MBA in 2024. The updated curriculum now has a greater emphasis on the challenges business leaders will face in the years ahead, such as digital transformation, sustainability and geopolitical uncertainty. Students might study cryptocurrencies one week or develop environmental, social and governance (ESG) scorecards the next.

Most online classes take place live fortnightly on Saturdays at 8am and 4pm GMT (to accommodate students across different time zones), with recordings available for those who can’t attend.

The university suggests students spend 12-15 hours a week studying. Javangwe-Nomboka squeezes reading into his commute between Welwyn Garden City and London, before knuckling down for “heavy studying” at weekends. As for support, students can email tutors with any questions, or access 24-hour online help.

Traditionally, one of the biggest selling-points of MBAs has been networking: the chance to forge lifelong relationships with other students, giving them a Rolodex-like contacts list to draw upon after graduation.

Networking is equally robust in online degrees, with connection carefully built into the programme’s design, says Mandal, adding “all group assignments are networking assignments”. Students can also attend on-campus sessions, engage with guest speakers from companies such as Google and McKinsey, or take part in global immersive experiences, spending a week embedded with businesses in Barcelona, Mexico, Singapore and Dubai, for example.

Career prospects

The career prospects for graduates are encouraging, with 90% of global employers planning to hire MBA-educated talent, according to a 2025 Global Management Admissions Council (GMAC) survey. Not all students follow the blue-chip corporate path: some will launch startups inspired by ideas developed during their course: the University of Birmingham helps bring these ambitions to life through its UOB Elevate incubator, offering expertise and funding.

Students are also discovering one of the online MBA’s biggest benefits is they can immediately apply the knowledge they’re learning within their day jobs. For Javangwe-Nomboka, this is reflected in improved leadership skills at the accounting firm where he works. “I’ve learned to become more patient managing younger members of staff,” he says. “I realise I can’t expect juniors to be professional experts, so I’ve improved how I deliver coaching.”

It’s not the only way the course is prepping students for stellar business careers. Mandal says core modules such as “purposeful leader”, “sustainable operations” and “global perspectives on responsible business”, encourage students “to think about the kind of leader they want to become and develop the judgment needed to make commercially-sound, ethically-grounded decisions”.

It resonates with Javangwe-Nomboka, who volunteers as a trustee for a South African nonprofit. “When searching for MBA courses, I looked for ones offering sustainability or ESG,” he says. “The University of Birmingham really stood out … it creates opportunities for people in this area.”

AI is another key feature. Students explore AI within the curriculum – whether building their own AI agents or examining ethical considerations, but also using tools such as Microsoft Copilot and Canva.

Like the West Midlands city it’s based in, the online MBA has a truly global community: 68% of students are international, from more than 90 countries. “This internationalism is important for entrepreneurs, as it builds cultural awareness, sharpens communication and creates a mindset needed to operate confidently in an increasingly connected business environment,” says Mandal.

Above all, the programme opens doors for professionals who might otherwise be unable to study an MBA due to cost or time constraints.

“Because MBAs are usually self-funded, I didn’t think I could study one without leaving my job,” says Javangwe-Nomboka. “Surely this online MBA is creating opportunities for many of us who are unable to attend traditional classrooms … It’s helping me become a much more confident leader too.”

To find out more about the University of Birmingham’s MBA, visit landing.birmingham.ac.uk/uob/mba/