Wits Business School, University of Witswatersrand – Johannesburg, South Africa

Wits Business School (WBS), University of Witswatersrand is a post-graduate business school that offers a broad range of certificates and executive programs.  The business school was established in 1968 in South Africa and has a faculty drawn from a number of different countries including Sweden, Great Britain, Germany, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Ireland, USA and Madagascar. WBS’s mission is to develop relevant programs and courses presented through quality faculty to graduate students with a significant local and international orientation.  The school interacts with and serves businesses, civil society, the government and the surrounding community.

WBS wants to establish a stand of excellence and continuous improvement within the classroom through providing stimulating learning environments, emphasizing cross-functional collaborative research, and developing and maintaining local partnerships. The Core Values of WBS are:

• Commitment to service delivery
• Relentless spirit of enquiry
• Equity
• Collegiality
• Honesty, transparency and trust
• Self-discipline, diligence and accountability
• “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” – “A person is a person because of people”
• Be locally formed, globally informed, and widely influential.
• Brand ambassadors
• Expecting the best
• Growth and self-development
• Enjoyment of who we are and what we do

The MBA Program consists of  attendance courses, core courses, electives, and an internship program. The one-year full-time program begins in January and the core and electives are completed that year.  The following January, students prepare a research report that they have until June to complete and present. The two-year part-time program requires students to attend two lecture a week on weekdays or evenings or on Saturday mornings.  They must also attend a three-day full-time course at the beginning of the program.  The core and electives are completed in the first two years, followed by the research report in the third. The students also have the option of completing a two month internship with an affiliated organization of their choice.  The internship is provided to students so they can integrate their new skills with real-world experiences and create reflection and internalization of business concepts and ideas.

The Executive Education Program offers management programs for senior executives.  The academics of the MBA program are combined with the finest faculty and industry experts in the industry.  Professional education is offered across the industries of finance, corporate governance, project management, marketing, strategy, leadership development and coaching. The teaching methodology combines in-company insights and industry expertise with academic research to add extensive knowledge to the courses.  Below is a glimpse of some of the programs offered in Executive Education courses, provided by WBS’s website:

The Leadership Development Center evolved out of the Management Development Unit and is focused on developing leadership within individuals and organizations.  The program places a strong emphasis on personal leadership, and offers teaching methodologies in the form of assessments, leadership quests, coaching and action learning. The program assesses each student on emotional intelligence, personality, preferences and leadership styles to design a specific program to enhance their leadership insights.  The program is offered as a certified program recognized by the University.

Wits Business School St Andrews Rd, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa t: +27 11 717 3544 ? w: wbs.ac.za