MBA class of 2009 reach the finish line

The 2009 Full-time MBA class has completed their last intensive learning experience and yesterday celebrated their achievements at the annual Top MBA Awards. The final stage of the program is the residential capstone course which this year was held at Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast. Based around an in-depth case study, the capstone course requires students to study and understand the challenges faced by a real organisation and apply the year's learning to formulate strategy in response to the case. Not-for-profit expert Professor Ken Wiltshire said the case study partner for 2009 was Lifeline Community Care Queensland. "Executive Director Trevor Carlyon and Director of Corporate Services Rick Hiley briefed the students on some of the organisation's current and future challenges two weeks prior to the capstone course," he said. "Student groups then had three days at the residential to develop a presentation detailing their understanding of the case and explaining their recommendations. "Interestingly, each group came up with a different set of options for the organisation." Mr Carlyon said he was very impressed with the students' work. He said, "Some of the recommendations reflected our own thinking at the board level while others were interesting because, while they hadn't been canvassed internally, they were clearly worth exploring further." "We will certainly be pursuing many of the ideas generated by the students." Last night's Top MBA Awards recognised outstanding performance academically with the Top MBA Award (two winners this year), the Margaret Mittelheuser/RBS Morgans Finance prize, and six Academic Excellence Awards, as well as a Director's Award for Leadership and a Service to the Community Award. Applications for entry to the Full-time MBA program in 2010 close on 31 December 2009. For more information see www.uq.edu.au/mba.