Unlock diverse leadership pathways with a Deakin MBA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA) isn’t just for corporate careers. Students in Deakin’s online MBA program come from an impressive range of industries and roles, bringing fresh perspectives to every discussion.
This mix of traditional and unconventional backgrounds is what makes Deakin’s Master of Business Administration program so dynamic.
If you’re driven to expand your capabilities and ready to learn from academic experts, business leaders and a diverse cohort of peers – now could be the perfect time to take the next step.
Shaping a new, more diverse MBA program
In the past, Deakin’s online MBA students would largely come from financial, accounting or general management areas of the corporate world. However, Dr Paul Harrison, director of the Master of Business Administration program at Deakin, saw a more widespread need for business administration education and expanded its intake to include a greater variety of participants.
We now have people from sectors and life experiences that would once have been rare in an MBA.
Course Director, Master of Business Administration
'We now have people from sectors and life experiences that would once have been rare in a Master of Business Administration. This shift has changed not just who’s in the room, but how the room works, in the conversations, the assumptions being challenged and the kind of learning that takes place,' Dr Harrison explains.
Today, students in Deakin’s MBA come from non-traditional sectors such as healthcare, tourism, the arts and not-for-profit organisations, alongside those from the corporate sphere, creating a dynamic learning environment.
This professional, and personal, diversity has now become a defining part of Deakin’s program.
What are the benefits of pursuing an online MBA program?
The subjects that make up Deakin’s program can be applied across multiple industries, but they all derive from the same aim – to make leaders who stand out from the rest, with the knowledge, passion and professional experience to move the dial.
Core subjects cover everything from leadership and personal development to financial decision making, sustainability and governance, marketplace behaviour, human resources, and managing value and risk. And the outcomes they create contribute real strengths across a plethora of sectors, not just the corporate world.
Take for example Deakin Master of Business Administration alumni Evan Newnam, a gastroenterologist and clinical leader prior to embarking on the program. His studies enabled him to step up to become acting director of clinical operations for Eastern Health – a senior leadership role of enormous scope and impact.
He found the learnings extremely relevant to his field. ‘While the philosophy might have come from that more corporate side of things, it was highly applicable to a non-corporate environment,’ Evan explains.
'There were a number of unexpected things that came along doing the MBA that proved themselves to be very beneficial. [And] being able to sort of take those technical skills to the real world of what you were living and breathing at work was hugely valuable.'
From medicine to management
From applying technical skills in real time to building strong professional connections, Evan Newnham shares how Deakin’s MBA benefitted his development as a senior leader in healthcare
Deakin MBA graduates drive impact across sectors
Evan Newnham is just one example of students who are using their Master of Business Administration to find rewarding new career pathways, says Dr Harrison.
‘A lot of them aren’t necessarily using the degree to achieve promotions or higher salaries after graduation,’ he says. ‘Instead, many have changed sectors, taken on new challenges or reoriented their work toward something that feels more meaningful. They are, quite literally, living the idea of being a catalyst for positive change in the world.’
Dr Harrison cites many inspiring success stories from those who’ve undertaken the program at Deakin, including the doctor who is now the head of a major regional hospital service overseeing operations across multiple sites, an alumna who heads up the international cabin crew operations for a large airline and another who has taken what they’ve learned at Deakin and transformed the work they do managing a domestic and family violence shelter.
Kate Clarke is another example of someone who wanted to use their studies to enrich their workplace. The owner of her own veterinary practice, she was passionate about focusing on the “people side” of her enterprise, she says. 'And how to effectively connect and build relationships with our customers.'
‘What I love about the Master of Business Administration is that it gives you so many options. You get to try a little bit of every aspect of management.’ And coming from a non-traditional background wasn’t an issue at all.
‘I kind of imagined that MBAs were full of senior corporate executives and [wondered] would I fit in. But there were people from all different roles, different backgrounds so I felt very at home quickly.’
An MBA for anyone
Find out how Kate Clarke quickly discovered a supportive, diverse community and an MBA course that gave her the tools to grow as a leader and empower others.
How diverse perspectives strengthen your Deakin MBA experience
Deakin Master of Business Administration students agree that a cohort drawing from a range of backgrounds – both corporate and beyond – makes for a richer learning environment.
‘Learning alongside professionals from different sectors and cultures pushed me to think more inclusively and creatively,’ says 2025 graduate Mel Kerin, now head of global communications for CSL Seqirus.
It was a constant reminder that there’s rarely one ‘right’ answer – just different lenses through which to view a problem. The connections I built, both online and in person, created a sense of community that made even the most challenging units enjoyable.
Deakin alumni and Head of Global Communications at CSL Seqirus
Likewise, Kali Harris, who undertook her studies while working for the Queensland Ballet, found that any concerns about whether she was in the right place quickly dissipated.
The variety of her classmates also had an impact, Kali says. ‘Everyone’s ideas were welcome, and the breadth of perspectives was enriching. It was interesting to see that despite different careers, we all faced similar work challenges, just in different shapes and sizes.’
‘The degree bolstered my knowledge and provided clear frameworks, structures and theories that I could apply daily.’
For 2023 MBA alumna Nicole Sheikh, an accountant and small-business owner, the exposure to different sectors and career streams was fascinating.
‘It was great learning about how a pharmacist would do their job, [or] a nurse, a miner…just different walks of life, different people with different work experiences, but still facing the same problems that I was,’ she says. 'It was a beautiful experience to meet all of those people.’
Transform your career with a Deakin MBA
Deakin's MBA proves that meaningful leadership can emerge from any sector. With its diverse cohort, industry-aligned curriculum and strong track record of graduates stepping into high-impact roles, our online MBA program equips you with the strategic insight and practical capability to create lasting change.
Discover how the Deakin Master of Business Administration can support your professional growth and open doors to new possibilities.
