MBA (Global Healthcare Management) top-up
Course Overview
Modern healthcare is interconnected on a global scale. Expert healthcare managers facilitate effective person-centred care at the local level, appreciate the broader national and international contexts of sustainable services, and recognise and respond to global trends in their local context. If you’re an existing healthcare professional with a Postgraduate Diploma in Healthcare Management, then the University of Bolton’s MBA Global Healthcare Management (top-up) aims to further develop your understanding of the nature, business and management of healthcare provision to meet these demands.By combining study and training across the three areas of healthcare, management and research, we will guide you as you gain a deeper understanding of business administration in the healthcare context. We’ll support you to develop your knowledge of global health challenges and how they can be addressed, as well as how healthcare systems can respond effectively, and the place of business management within health practice. Primarily this course will focus on developing your strategic thinking and practice-focused research skills, as well as highlight tools and resources that can help you to develop practical solutions and transferrable skills.
The University of Bolton’s MBA Global Healthcare Management (top-up) programme will support you to develop a critical understanding of global healthcare management perspectives and how these shape business management practices in a local setting. Throughout the course, you’ll have the opportunity to cultivate your intellectual capabilities of research, critique, synthesis and innovation, culminating in a master’s level dissertation. We’ll support you to gain a critical understanding of healthcare systems and decision-making, preparing you to improve business and management practice in your workplace.
Overall, as a graduate of this MBA, you’ll have the knowledge you need to be an effective manager with the skills and confidence to make excellent business, management and leadership decisions that advance your workplace and your career in the healthcare sector.
Highlights
- This practice-relevant postgraduate management course focuses on developing your ability to operate effectively in one of the biggest public and economic sectors – healthcare.
- You have the opportunity to join a well-established postgraduate community and study alongside fellow professionals engaged in careers within healthcare management.
- Teaching and supervision are delivered by an industry-relevant and academically-experienced faculty team.
- The MBA Global Healthcare Management (top-up) champions high-quality person-centred health services in a systems context.
- The University’s excellent libraries, 24/7 IT facilities, WiFi and learning areas are freely available for your use.
Key Features
- The course focuses on extending your research and analysis skills, preparing you to research and write your master’s level dissertation, and ultimately use these skills to enhance your career in healthcare leadership.
- You’ll explore contemporary approaches to global, national and local developments in healthcare that influence and supports the development of evidenced-based business practice.
- Additionally, depending on your prior qualifications, you may undertake modules that cover systems design and decision making (including leadership, innovation and change management) in a quality improvement context, as well as healthcare markets and marketing within financial and business planning contexts.
- Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work at home and ensuring in-class learning is highly interactive.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- You should have both of the following: a UK Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) in Healthcare Management (120 credits at Level HE7), or a recognised equivalent in a healthcare, medical or nursing management subject; AND at least two years’ credible and relevant experience in the health and social care sector in a relevant profession or occupation (for instance, doctor, physician associate, advanced practitioner).
- You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- We'll also consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
The MBA Global Healthcare Management (top-up) course aims to deepen your critical understanding of the problems and challenges facing healthcare organisations at the global, national and local level, and gain the analytical and critical knowledge and skills to identify and implement solutions. By combining studies in health, management and research, this Master in Business Administration programme offers ambitious doctors and other healthcare professionals the skills and understanding to become effective managers in this vital sector.
The course links essential business administration know-how with specific healthcare management knowledge and advanced skills in research and critical thinking. By offering a global view, we aim to help you avoid the pitfalls of provincial thinking and make the most of international collaboration and global developments, helping you progress not only your career but the health and wellbeing of your staff and the communities that your organisation serves.
What can I do with this qualification?
We expect that most MBA Global Healthcare Management (top-up) graduates will gain employment managing local healthcare services. However, regional and national roles will be within reach, and global organisations such as the World Health Organisation, professional bodies and ministries of health may also offer opportunities for employment. As a graduate, you may choose to move into related areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical device development and marketing, health policy or commissioning. Alternatively, you may wish to pursue further studies in the form of a PhD by Research.
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. For some of these roles, both relevant experience and/or postgraduate study may be required. Some of these careers include:
- Management consultancy
- Social enterprise
- Healthcare start-ups
- Healthcare organisations
- General management
- Government procurement and resourcing
- Teaching and education
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
Click here for more information on our Master's Bursaries.
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
International Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
Partner Organisation Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
Teaching & Assessment
We aim to offer an inspirational student experience and the University of Bolton’s ‘Teaching Intensive, Research Informed’ approach underpins the design and delivery of this MBA. We’ll take a blended approach that stimulates individual and collaborative learning and allows you to learn at times, places and a pace that works effectively within your schedule. We fully appreciate that you have considerable prior practice experience and education and we’ll build upon and draw from your current knowledge and experience as you develop at master’s level.
A variety of teaching and learning strategies will be used to help you acquire and develop appropriate concepts, knowledge and skills. The University’s virtual learning environment (for instance, Moodle and other platforms) will host a range of online learning resources and communication tools to support your studies. These resources will be combined with face-to-face/synchronous sessions that will be focused on developing subject knowledge, theoretical perspectives and professional/practical applications in a collaborative context. You can expect lectures, presentations, simulations delivered by tutors, seminar discussions, case study discussions and debates, small group workshops, small group tutorials and one-to-one tutorials.
You’ll also be expected to spend a significant amount of time in guided independent study, such as general background reading, preparing for seminar activities and working on assignments. We are committed to supporting you throughout your learning journey, but as time progresses our guidance will become less structured and prescriptive. It‘s expected that you’ll demonstrate significant independence in your study, taking responsibility for the management of your own learning time and increasing in autonomy as your progress through the programme.
The assessment strategy for the programme is designed to help you achieve the overall aims of the programme, as well as the learning outcomes for individual modules. As well as being a way to assess your achievement, assessment also helps you to organise and develop your learning. Assessment feedback can help you develop your skills and an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.
The types of assessment you’ll be required to complete fall into two general categories, formative and summative. Formative assessments do not contribute to your overall module grade, but they are an integral part of the learning strategy for a module and you will be required to complete them. They will be marked and you will receive feedback on your level of achievement. Summative assessments will contribute to your overall module grade. You’ll also receive feedback on them so that you know where you’ve done well and where you can improve. We’ll use several different kinds of formative and summative assessments, such as coursework (usually essays), reports/case studies, oral presentations, research proposal and the dissertation.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Research and Study Skills
- MBA Research Methodology
- MBA Research Methods
- Dissertation
- Global Healthcare Markets
- Healthcare Systems and Decision Making
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 80% Practical exams 20% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | Guided independent study 86% |
| Level 1 | Scheduled learning and teaching activities 14% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
