Masterclass schedule – Master of Business Administration (Executive)

Intensive weekend masterclasses that will enhance your hyperflexible learning journey.

Your MBA Executive provides you with unmatched flexibility through self-paced online delivery. To complement this approach, we’re offering a series of intensive weekend masterclasses at our London campus throughout 2026. These sessions bring together academics from Charles Darwin University with senior professionals like yourself. You will have the opportunity to meet the academic teams face-to-face and engage in practical experiences to supplement your online learning.

Each weekend masterclass focuses on practical application. You’ll work through real business scenarios, engage in executive-level simulations, and tackle challenges that mirror what you face in your own organisation. You can bring your own business challenges to share and gain insights from Faculty and fellow students.

Masterclass 1

Strategy Management Meets Marketing in Action

Led by: Dr Chrystie Watson
Available: 11-12 April 2026
Links to: MAN500, MKT504

You’ll explore how marketing and management concepts work together in real-world business challenges. By the end of this masterclass, you will be able to:

Apply strategic management frameworks to marketing problems.
Integrate consumer insights into business decision-making.
Manage resources and teams to deliver market success.
Respond to market crises with adaptive leadership.

Hands-on elements: Real case studies from companies navigating competitive threats, interactive brand strategy workshops, crisis management simulations, and peer-to-peer learning sessions.

Masterclass 2

Investment Strategy in a Volatile Economy

Led by: Dr Debajyoti Chakrabarty
Available: 4 – 5 July 2026
Links to: BUS508, ECO500, FIN504

This session puts you in the shoes of an investment committee facing a major capital allocation decision during economic volatility.

Your challenge: Working in small groups, you’ll evaluate a significant investment opportunity using real financial data and economic indicators. Your task culminates in presenting your recommendation to a mock board of directors.

Skills you’ll develop:

Advanced financial analysis techniques including NPV and sensitivity testing.
Interpreting macroeconomic signals for investment timing.
Using data analytics to stress-test assumptions.
Communicating complex financial concepts to non-financial stakeholders.

Masterclass 3

Global Human Resource Management Under Organisational Change

Led by: Dr Tianyi Long
Available: 12-13 September 2026
Links to: HRM504, HRM506

Global organisations face unique challenges when implementing change across different cultures and regulatory environments. This masterclass tackles these complexities head-on.

What you’ll experience:

Mapping the interests of stakeholders across different cultural contexts.
Redesigning HR policies for implementation in different jurisdictions.
Managing virtual teams through organisational transformation.
Learning from real organisational change case studies.
Redesigning aspects of HR policy with a global lens.

Focus areas: Building employee resilience during uncertainty, adapting management styles for different cultural contexts, maintaining engagement during transformation, and creating sustainable change processes.

Masterclass 4

Mastering Sustainability Project Consulting

Led by: Dr Michael Odei Erdiaw-Kwasie
Available: 14 – 15 November 2026
Links to: BUS622, BUS521

Step into the role of a sustainability consultant working on real organisational challenges. This masterclass bridges theory with practice through actual project work.

Your project: Teams work on live sustainability challenges faced by real organisations. You’ll receive guidance from an experienced practitioner while developing actionable recommendations. This will be of particular relevance to your applied business project.

Skills development:

Analysing complex sustainability problems.
Creating roadmaps for the implementation of organisational change.
Balancing commercial and environmental objectives.
Presenting findings to an expert panel.

Why these sessions matter

Add in-person experiences with industry leaders to make the most of your study.

Direct academic support

You will work directly with the academics who designed your course content. This will allow you to seek clarification on complex concepts or areas of study that you are finding challenging.
Peer networking and support

Masterclasses facilitate you connecting with other senior professionals tackling similar challenges to you. Share experiences, learn from different industry perspectives, and build lasting professional relationships.
Assessment preparation

The activities in masterclasses often support your completion of assessments in your taught units. You’ll leave with practical experiences and insights that can enhance your academic work.
Immediate application

Take your learning straight back to your workplace. Many participants find solutions to current workplace challenges during these sessions
No additional cost

These sessions are included in your course fees – a valuable bonus to your self-directed learning experience.

Making your choice

Masterclasses can complement rather than replace your self-directed learning. Some students attend all sessions for their course, others choose the classes most relevant to their immediate needs. Both approaches work effectively within our hyperflexible framework.