10 September 2008

The University of Queensland Business School will allocate 16 MBA scholarships to outstanding international and Australian students entering the full-time MBA program in 2009.

The scholarships range from half-fee waivers through to the Charles Low scholarships (full-fee waiver plus a living allowance).

MBA Director Dr Polly Parker said the scholarships were introduced to maintain the cultural diversity and intellectual calibre of the MBA student cohort.

"Students typically learn a great deal from each other – that’s why it’s essential to actively promote quality in the student recruitment process," she said.

"These scholarships will be awarded on the basis of merit and will help ensure that high performers from Europe, China, and Latin America are attracted into the program.

"UQ Business School has also increased the stringency of its entry requirements – at a time when some schools have been under pressure to relax entry criteria in order to preserve enrolments."

The international scholarships available for 2009 consist of:
• Charles Low Scholarships (full-fee waiver and living allowance) for students from the People’s Republic of China
• Three full-fee waivers for students from selected European countries
• One full-fee waiver for a student from India
• Four half-fee waivers for employer-sponsored students from Latin America.

The Full-time MBA program for 2009 will include one full-fee waiver scholarship and four half-fee waivers for Australian students. The half-fee waivers are available only to employer-sponsored full-time students.

Dr Parker said students applying for the scholarships would have to meet all the entry requirements as well as providing a personal statement in support of the application and a professional reference and character reference.

"Applicants will also be required to attend a face-to-face interview in-country or participate in a phone interview," she said.

To find out more about the scholarships see www.uq.edu.au/mba.

Media: Cathy Stacey at UQ Business School (07 3365 6179, 0434 074 372).