Why study business at the University of Canberra

The Canberra Business School offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

Nova, an international student from China, chose to study for an MBA at the Canberra Business School for its focus on practical learning.

“The best parts about studying at UC are its emphasis on career development and the way my professors integrate real-world business concepts into the classroom, fostering our business mindset,” she says.

The MBA program also offers Work Integrated Learning opportunities and the unique opportunity to specialise in one of the following areas:

• Human resource management
• Marketing
• International business

Nova’s business idea

While studying, Nova and her friend set out to open a Chinese restaurant in Canberra.

“My friend and I opened a Chinese restaurant because we felt that there weren’t enough options for Chinese cuisine in Canberra, and we wanted to introduce more people to authentic Chinese food,” she says.

After two months of preparation, Nova and her business partner started their restaurant in October 2024 with four staff members.

Impressively, she was still in her first semester of the MBA when the restaurant opened its doors.

Nova oversees the restaurant’s finances while her friend handles staff training and management.

How a UC MBA helped Nova’s business

Nova shares that her time at the Canberra Business School has greatly impacted her success.

“UC has been instrumental in helping me start and run this business,” she says.

But, a few subjects and elements of the program in particular have really helped her and her business thrive.

Finance

A course Nova felt benefited her greatly was the one focused on finance management.

“Through the MBA program, I systematically learned core business skills such as financial management, strategic planning and market analysis,” she says.

“These skills enable me to effectively manage the restaurant’s finances, including budgeting, cost control and profitability analysis.”

Marketing

Another was a subject that explored marketing and consumer psychology.

“The marketing course I took helped me better understand customer psychology, which has greatly benefited me in pricing and promoting our products,” she says.

Real-world knowledge

Part of the MBA program looks at relevant case studies to help students understand real-world business problems and decisions.

“The case studies and practical projects in the MBA program taught me how to solve real-world business problems, enhancing my decision-making and risk management capabilities,” says Nova.

“In the restaurant’s operations, I have been able to apply this knowledge to optimise resource allocation and improve operational efficiency, leading to stable growth.”

Leadership

Nova adds that as well as giving her theoretical and practical knowledge, her studies have helped her grow as a business owner and leader.

“The MBA program developed my leadership and teamwork abilities, which allow me to better communicate with employees, foster collaboration, and improve service quality in day-to-day management,” she says.

The future of Nova’s business

Nova’s restaurant has been open for over two months, and despite its success, she has her sights set on even bigger plans.

“In the future, I hope to grow our business into a restaurant chain, though I understand this might take many years!”

Ready to make your business dreams a reality? UC is home to Australia's #1 Business School for Career Impact*. Explore our courses!

*Australian Financial Review, 2023