Master of Business
A Master of Business is recognised as a wise investment for a senior business career, and is likely to boost earning potential and open up more career opportunities. It's also an essential qualification for those considering an academic career.
The Master of Business is a research master’s degree that can be completed in just 18 months. Throughout your studies you develop advanced research skills, as well as a rigorous understanding of a specialist business field relevant to your interests.
This business master's degree equips you with the knowledge and critical thinking skills in demand in today’s complex and changing business environments. Graduates of the Master of Business are well placed for further study in the PhD programme.
Start date: 2022
- Download our Business Research programme guide [PDF, 2.1 MB]
Start date: 2023
- Download our Prospectus [PDF, 9.9 MB]
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
- A thesis or dissertation
The class of honours awarded in the programme depends on your grade performance.
Specialisation courses (minimum 60 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 or dissertation.
Click on the Specialisations tab above to view the structure and courses on offer in each specialisation of the Master of Business.
Research Methods courses (30 points)*
The research methods courses explore philosophical issues underpinning the design of research and the research process. They include training in research methods to prepare students to conduct methodologically rigorous research.
*In the Economics specialisation you will complete 45 points of research methods courses and a minimum of 45 points in the specialisation
Thesis/dissertation
Thesis (90 points)
A thesis is an intellectual enquiry of an appropriate topic in your business discipline, presenting an independent scholarly argument involving original research that contributes to the body of knowledge in your discipline.
OR
Dissertation (60 points)**
Your dissertation is an independent scholarly investigation of an appropriate research topic that contributes to the body of knowledge in a business discipline.
**If you take the dissertation option you need to complete additional 30 points of courses taken from the specialisation or elective courses.
Detailed information about courses in this programme
Detailed programme structure and course outlines
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
27 Feb 2023
17 Jul 2023
$8,957
- This represents the approximate tuition fee based on a full-time workload of 120 points of this 180-point programme in 2022. The exact tuition fee will depend on courses selected and may exceed this figure.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for beyond 2022, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay. Learn more
$33,300
- This represents the approximate tuition fee based on a full-time workload of 120 points of this 180-point programme in 2022. The exact tuition fee will depend on courses selected and may exceed this figure.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for beyond 2022, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay. Learn more
- 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.