MBA celebrated its 40th anniversary

Monash's elite Master of Business Administration (MBA) program enjoyed a double celebration in 2008, marking the 40th anniversary and being ranked one of the world's best for developing future leaders.

The Monash MBA's 40th year celebrations took place in Melbourne.  More than 200 Alumni attended the event to celebrate the longevity, success and status of one of the top MBA programs in the Asia Pacific region.

Monash MBA Director Associate Professor Peter Reed said the impressive rankings of being in the top 50 in the world were the result of a strategy to develop an MBA with enough flexibility and diversity of choice to develop leadership skills in people from a range of professional backgrounds.
 
"We've firmly taken the view that, over and above the technical business knowledge that is gained by studying an MBA, it is just as important for MBA students to maximise their personal leadership capabilities," Professor Reed said.

"We've really focused on reshaping our program to develop people as individuals so they can go on to become leaders in their field," Professor Reed said. "We've had many examples of people really transforming their lives by doing a Monash MBA"

The Monash program is one of the oldest in the world outside North America. It includes 10 double degrees that allow students to combine units from their area of professional interest with core business units such as accounting, marketing and economics.

Students are given career counselling and undergo self-awareness, skill and psychographic assessments to tailor a personal professional strategy. They also participate in a series of leadership forums and workshops. Students have the choice of full or part-time programs.

Professor Reed said about a third of MBA students were professional people with a business background looking to climb the corporate ladder, but the program also attracted students from sport, the law, politics and information technology.

Prominent Monash MBA alumni include Telstra and Wesfarmers Director Charles Macek, former Federal Communications Minister Richard Alston, Hawthorn Football Club coach Alastair Clarkson, Royal Women's Hospital chief executive Dale Fisher, former Transurban managing director Kim Edwards, and influential author and entrepreneur Rameshwari Ramachandra.

Former directors of the Monash MBA program include Professor Allan Fels, formerly chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Professor Reed said the Monash MBA program would continue to evolve and adapt. "There is a current trend towards increasingly focusing on entrepreneurship and globalisation, and our course will evolve to meet those needs," he said.