DO YOU OFTEN get Sunday night fear? Do you dread the start of the work week?

Maybe it’s time to consider a career change – secure that promotion, start your own business, switch industry or maybe you want to go the whole way and move job and country?

An MBA, or Masters of Business Administration, can unlock all of these doors and more, while also helping you gain a new perspective and build valuable connections with business-minded people from all walks of life

Among the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School’s programmes for prospective graduates are a full-time MBA and a two-year, part-time Executive MBA (EMBA).

For the fifth year running, the school has partnered with The Journal to offer one reader a scholarship to cover 100% of tuition fees – worth up to €36,760 – for either course, starting August 2024.

Located in Blackrock in south Dublin, UCD Smurfit School is the only Irish institute to feature in the Financial Times’ leader board of the world’s top-100 MBA programmes. According to the FT Global MBA Ranking 2023, average salaries of the full-time MBA graduates increase by 74% three years post graduation.

The full-time programme attracts an international cohort of students, while the EMBA is popular with Irish-based workers with an average of 10-12 years’ experience. 

Flexibility is the distinguishing feature of the EMBA, allowing busy executives and managers to progress their careers while gaining the qualification. It is well-suited to those juggling demanding careers and for those with young families, as well as people based outside of Dublin.

Dates are locked in and modules are typically spread out evenly over the course of the programme, which allows participants to make fixed arrangements with colleagues and employers before the start of the programme. 

Launched this year, Smurfit’s LEAP programme is offered to both EMBA and MBA students to enhance their professional development, focusing on building global leadership competence and future employability. 

According to the school, the programmes are “grounded in the principles of evidence-based management” and are the “bridge between the academic and business worlds”. 

You can easily compare the programmes to find the one that’s right for your needs here. 

The closing date for scholarship applications is 30 April 2024.

For details on how to enter, including eligibility criteria, simply follow this link.

Good luck!