From the Director
Welcome to the Curtin Graduate School of Business
The Curtin Graduate School of Business (CGSB) was founded in 1993 and is one of the largest executive business schools in the Asia-Pacific region serving over 1300 post-experience students. The CGSB is the only graduate business school physically situated in the Perth CBD with close ties with industry, strong international connections and offers a unique set of programs. Our reach in the academic world is vast; our own excellent faculty is complemented by visiting interstate and international professors who teach at the school on a regular basis. We are proud to be partners in an intellectual exchange with some of the world’s most eminent schools who welcome our staff as guest lecturers.
The programs offered at the CGSB are delivered by highly qualified and experienced facilitators, who are lauded for their commitment to engaged learning. Our award-winning MBA is internationally accredited by the UK-based Association of MBAs (AMBA) and continues to hold a strong position at #58 globally in the Which MBA? survey as published by The Economist, the only West Australian business school to enjoy these honours. The MBA is also accredited through the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) holding two accreditations: the teChnology Enhanced Learning (CEL) for our online programs and EPAS (EFMD Programme Accreditation System). EPAS is based on the same principles as its EQUIS accreditation; i.e. how well the assessed program meets its criteria of successful internationalisation and its high standards in the areas of academic rigour, corporate relevance and quality assurance. We are also the home of Master of Business Leadership program which seeks to inspire present and future leaders with its engaging and challenging curriculum.
The CGSB is located in Perth, a key global energy hub. In addition to the generalist MBA the school offers a specialist MBA in oil and gas management. The latter is run in partnership with the Aberdeen Business School at Robert Gordon University in the UK. The CGSB is also host to the Master of Science (Mineral Economics), the only degree of its kind available in the Asia-Pacific region and also the double masters degree, Master of Science (Mineral Economics) /Master of Business Administration (MSc/MBA), the only degree of its kind in the world. With our strengths in energy and resources, we also have proud associations with other educational leaders in the field, the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Chile.
With a mission to develop leaders who can creatively and responsively lead sustainable organisations, the CGSB is recognised for its excellence in integrating social and environmental stewardship into its programs. The CGSB is ranked at #80 by The Aspen Institute on its list of the Top 100 business schools globally, one of only four Australian universities listed and the only West Australian institution to appear in the ranking. While many MBA rankings exist, only one looks beyond reputation and test scores to measure something much more important: how well schools are preparing their students for the environmental, social and ethical complexities of modern-day business. The MBA curriculum includes core units in critical thinking, philosophy, ethics and leadership in local and international arenas. Students are able to choose from a variety of optional units focussing on sustainability, legal issues, risk and safety management, entrepreneurship, scenario planning and natural resource economics.
The CGSB’s commitment to social and environmental stewardship is also reflected in its research activities. The CGSB is currently project leader for the Regional Futures project for the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Mineral Futures Collaboration Cluster. Lead by Professor Fiona McKenzie as Chief Investigator, the CGSB also have involvement in the Regional Economies division of the newly established national Remote Economic Participation Co-operative Research Centre (CRC). The CRC, established in July 2010 was awarded $32.5m in funding until 30 June 2017. The research from the CRC is designed to be transformative and lead to improved outcomes across a range of areas including in health and education. Through the CGSB’s Centre for Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility other related projects include "The Incidence of Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in Australia" and the "Adoption of Sustainability Standards by Australian Organizations". Social responsibility is also a theme of research undertaken through the CGSB’s WiSER (Women in Social and Economic Research) unit and the CGSB’s Maureen Bickley Centre for Women in Leadership. The CGSB is also home to a vibrant and dynamic population of HDR students, with 56 higher degree by research Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and PhD students with social and environmental issues central to most theses.
The School enjoys a high level of industry support and has an Advisory Board comprised of senior executive personnel from a diversity of sectors including the private, public and not-for-profit.
We recognise the value in providing our students with access to practitioners in the business world. At the CGSB, this interplay between academic and practitioner provides the necessary balance between theory and practice for which we are renowned and gives our students a unique educational experience. This is further supported by the range of workshops, guest speakers and targeted networking events we offer our students. Students at the CGSB are exposed to a range of extra-curricula activities including the Aspen Institute's Annual Business & Society International MBA Case Competition. In 2012, the CGSB sent the only non-US team to New York to participate in the finals of this competition. We are very proud of the success of our team in reaching this stage. Other activities include the CGSB Chapter of Toastmasters (with an annual debate doubling as a fund raising activity for a local charity); a regular Business Leaders Seminar program (with a series of lectures directed at social and environmental considerations) and opportunities to provide supervised pro-bono consultancy research for not-for-profit groups.We are dedicated to creating a hospitable and engaging learning environment and recognise that our students, mostly working professionals, need flexibility around how, where and when to study. Our online delivery enables us to service students in all corners of the globe as well as those closer to home seeking to balance work, family and study commitments. Our flexibility in unit delivery, designed around our students’ needs, is one of our greatest strengths. It is a pleasure and an honour to be the Director of such a prestigious, engaging and inspirational school.
If you're not already involved with us please browse through our site to find out more or contact us through either through email or by telephone. We'd love to hear from you and look forward to welcoming you at the CGSB.
Professor Alison Preston
Director, Curtin Graduate School of Business
