Master of Business
Join us in shaping the future of business. Enrol in the Master of Business and join us in advancing the boundaries of business knowledge.
The Master of Business is a research master’s degree that can be completed in just 18 months. You'll develop your understanding in a specialist field of business and learn to conduct research with the potential to make an impact on industry and society.
You undertake specialist or interdisciplinary research relevant to your interests, under the guidance of expert research academics in a supportive community for your advanced learning and development. Graduates of the Master of Business are also well placed for further study in the PhD programme.
Download programme guides
Minimum entry requirements
Completed one of the following or equivalent with a B grade average or higher in courses at level 7 or above:
- Bachelor of Business OR
- Graduate Diploma in Business
Students who studied level 7 business courses as part of a degree different than stated above may also meet the entry requirements. If this applies to you, contact us to find out more.
All final admission to the Master of Business is subject to approval by the dean (or representative).
International student entry requirements
English language requirements
- IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with a minimum score of 6.0 in each band
Postgraduate pathways to the Master of Business
You can apply for admission to the Master of Business if you're a graduate of:
- Bachelor of Business (Honours)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Business
- Postgraduate Certificate in Business
- Professional master's programmes in business
Contact us to find out more
Faculty Postgraduate Research Office
Email business.postgraduate@aut.ac.nz
Phone +64 9 9219999 ext 5280
To graduate with a Master of Business, you must successfully complete 180 points from:
- Specialisation courses
- Research methods courses
- Thesis
Any remaining courses can be chosen from courses listed in the Master of Business or other postgraduate courses with the approval of the programme director.
The class of honours awarded in the programme depends on your grade performance.
Specialisation courses (at least 30 points)
These advanced-level courses cover the latest research and theories in your chosen area of business, and help you prepare for your independent research thesis.
Click on the Specialisations tab above to view the courses you can study in each specialisation of the Master of Business.
Research methods courses (30 points)
The research methods courses explore the research process and philosophical issues underpinning the design of research . They include training in research methods to prepare students to conduct methodologically rigorous research.
*Students taking the Economics specialisation are expected to enter the programme with relatively strong quantitative skills from their entry qualification. Additional specialised techniques are taught within the relevant specialisation courses studied.
Thesis (90 or 120 points)
A thesis is a research inquiry on a topic in your business discipline or an interdisciplinary topic, under the guidance of an experienced academic supervisor. In your thesis you present an independent scholarly argument involving original research that contributes to the body of knowledge in your discipline.
*In some cases, a 60-point dissertation can be completed instead of a thesis, with the approval of the programme director.
Skills you will develop
The outcome for graduates for the Master of Business are outlines in the Graduate Profile below.
To help you make the most of postgraduate study in business, we run an induction for new postgraduate research students before the semester starts.
In this session, we welcome you to the programme and cover the information you need about AUT and your postgraduate research programme.
Covered in the induction
- Postgraduate research programmes
- Student support
- Library resources
- Introduction to Canvas
- Research skills preparation
- What is research?
- How is research conducted?
- Literature search and library skills
- Research skills seminars
($9,461 tuition fees + $1146 student services levy)
(35,400 tuition fees + $1146 student services levy)
- Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.