Women in leadership roles will now have greater access to Deakin’s MBA.
A new agreement between Deakin Business School (DBS) and Women and Leadership Australia (WLA) will provide a fast-track pathway for women to complete Deakin’s highly-recognised MBA program.
WLA is one of Australia’s largest training initiatives and offers a range of leadership development programs for women including the Advanced Leadership Program.
Women who complete this program will now be eligible for two credits points towards Deakin’s MBA with a further two credit points if undertaken with a DeakinCo LEAD credentials.
MBA Director Dr Andrea North-Samardzic says it’s a significant agreement because it allows women to receive up to 4 credit points of recognition for prior learning which is a third of Deakin’s world-class MBA program.
‘It’s important to recognise the valuable professional development that people undertake as part of their careers and outside of the classroom,’ she says.
‘Many women are encouraged to undertake extra professional development to be seen as more competitive for promotion and in the marketplace. We want to recognise the valuable professional development that women do through programs through WLA and provide credit into our program, giving greater access and opportunity for women to complete the Deakin MBA. An MBA is a globally-recognised degree with many organisations now requiring applicants to have this qualification before being considered for senior leadership roles. The more women who have MBAs, the more qualified they will be for more senior roles.’
WLA has just celebrated its 15th anniversary and during that time has connected with women across more than 10,000 organisations, ultimately guiding 60,000 Australian women in their leadership journey.
It hosts some the nation’s most-highly regarded leadership events as well as the Australian Awards for Excellence in Women's Leadership with national winners including Gail Kelly (2018), Ann Sherry AO (2017) and Elizabeth Broderick AO (2016).
Dr North-Samardzic says the flexible nature of the Deakin MBA is ideal for women, particularly those who have family and carer responsibilities.
‘You can do the whole MBA online or you can mix and match study modes to suit your needs. We also offer residential programs and international study tours which are great networking opportunities. It is essential for women to network for career success.’
WLA’s Global Executive Director, Suzi Finkelstein, says the organisation is delighted to be partnering with Deakin to offer world-class study pathways for Australia’s female leaders.
‘The quality and agility of Deakin’s internationally-accredited MBA makes it a clear choice for WLA and a compelling fit for our high-calibre participants.’