CSBM MBA is not just an ordinary MBA, it’s a corporate lineage

Colombo School of Business and Management (CSBM) as the business school of the nation, is committed towards serving the corporate sector by building a generation of corporate leaders with multiple competencies. One step forward in this journey is the MBA and Top up MBA program offered in collaboration with the University of Northampton which is expected to provide a corporate lineage. 

The MBA program is a 14 months part time course ideal for the corporate executives with extensive experiences or with full professional and academic qualifications. The 16 months Top up MBA is a Masters in Business Administration combined with a Post Graduate Diploma which is more suitable for the candidates with partial academic qualifications. 

The offering university for both MBA and Top Up MBA is University of Northampton which is a University Grants Commission approved, Commonwealth University, ranked among the TOP 50 in UK Universities by Guardian University Guide 2015 and rated as an ‘Outstanding Business School’ by Times Higher Education; 2013-2015. CSBM also partners with Edulink international campus to embed an international exposure tour into the MBA experience. The postgraduate diploma under the Top up MBA is offered by ATHE, UK which is the Management Awarding Organisation that offers comprehensive university progressions with endorsements and qualification development services in UK. 

CSBM MBA program brings together the theory, practice and experience in developing leaders, both corporate and other, who are empowered to address complex problems, both systematically and creatively to improve business and management practice. The programme guides vigorous learning experience through insightful questioning, collaborative projects and interactions with corporate fraternity. The interactions occur in the form of coaching and mentoring by the prominent corporate leaders and eminent practitioners in the respective fields and disciplines. 

This will provide the MBA class the much needed lineage to shape and form their corporate personalities and leadership skills. Thus unlike any other MBA in Sri Lanka the uniqueness of the CSBM MBA is that it is delivered by the corporates for the corporates and alike using the corporate sector learnings. Thus the corporate connectivity ensures the utmost acceptance locally as well as internationally through the University of Northampton partnership. Further it ensures the highest ROI for the investment one makes by following the MBA. 

Delivered as a part time program, the MBA classes are held during the weekend or weekday evenings to cover eight hours per week. The program will have rolling intakes three times a year during September, January and May. The enrolments for the next batch will end by End September whereas the classes will commence by early October. 

The MBA will cover eight modules including Critical Issues in Business, Management and Organisational Behaviour, Managing Operations and Supply Chain, Strategic Marketing, International Business Negotiation, Financial Decision Making, Competitive Strategy and Innovation, Entrepreneurship Report and to top it up with a Business Research Project. The assessments are student cantered which will comprise of coursework, presentations, research project and in class assessments. 

Entry into the CSBM MBA is restricted with the requirements of a relevant first degree (1st class or 2nd class) from a recognised university or a recognised Professional Qualification or a Part qualification with 5 years of Executive work experience or with 10 years of Executive work experience. The MBA will assist corporate sector employees with extensive executive experience to join, enabling their professional, personal and career progression while paving the way for a diverse thought simulation among the CSBM MBA fraternity. 

Also the CSBM Top up MBA is offered to those with limited work experiences yet wishes to pursue the corporate lineage. Thus those with relevant first degree from a recognised university or a recognised professional qualification or with part qualified professional or academic qualification with two years of executive level work experience or for those with minimum of three years of executive level work experience. 

The Top up MBA gives the participants with an enhanced opportunity to pursue a globally recognised MBA by recognising the corporate experience and exposure which is then systematically and creatively blended with theory in developing world class leaders with strategic insight, perspective and interactions with corporate fraternity. 

The CSBM Top up MBA offers a dual qualification where the participants will first follow a postgraduate diploma covering eight modules of Strategic Planning, Finance for Strategic Managers, Research for Strategic Development, Organisational Behaviour, Personal Development for Leadership, Strategic Management, International Business Environment, Managing Continuous Organisational Improvement and International Marketing. Then the eight modules will be further enhanced through four additional modules of Critical Issues in Business, International Business Negotiation, The Entrepreneurship Report and Business Research Project to top up the postgraduate qualification to MBA. Thus overall the top up MBA class will cover 12 modules through their 16 months duration. The course is offered as part time during weekends and weekdays to cover eight hours per week lecture time similar to the MBA. 

The faculty leads of both the MBA and Top up MBA include, Prof. Ranjith Bandara, Head of the Business School, CSBM, Dr. Ruwan Jayathilaka, Economist and International Researcher, Mahendra Jayasekara, CEO Lanka Tiles, Ravi Opatha, General Manager IWS Holdings, Ruwan Keragala, Director Finance, MAS Intimates, Hafeez Rajudeen, Former CEO and MD Arpico Finance and Merchant Credit, Dr. Ajith Rohana Colonne, Former Head of Sri Lankan Intelligence, Sriyamal Gamage, Director Finance, Hayleys Advantis, Eng. Gamini Nanda Gunawardena, Management Consultant and thought leader and Dr. Nayana Dehigama, Chairman EPIC technology group. Other than the above the participants will also be exposed to a coaching faculty comprised of Dian Gomes, Chairman Hela Clothing and CSBM, W.K.H. Wegapitiya, Chairman, Laugfs Holdings, Lalith Weeratunga, Former Permanent Secretary to the President of Sri Lanka, Sarath Ganegoda, Group Director, Hayleys Group, Dumindra, Chairman Board of Investments, Gen Daya Ratnayake, 20th Army Commander of Sri Lanka and Dasantha Fonseka, Chairman Vision Care. The coaching faculty will conduct sessions with the participants with the aim of providing the MBA class with the much required corporate lineage. 

The MBA and Top up MBA classes will be conducted at the corporate campus premises of CSBM in Ward place, Colombo 07. 

Both these world class, life changing, personality shaping qualifications are offered at an affordable investment while proving a generous scholarship scheme for the deserving students and corporate sector partners to ensure the availability and accessibility to quality business education in Sri Lanka and the region.