Curtin is supporting more women to study a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with 10 dedicated scholarships available.
The Women in MBA scholarship program (WiMBA) is a joint initiative from Curtin’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) and four other leading Australian business schools, to address the gender imbalance in MBA study.
About the WiMBA program
Time and cost are the primary factors that prevent many women from undertaking tertiary study – factors compounded by the gender gap. The WiMBA scholarship promotes diversity in leadership by partnering with businesses to identify top female employees and supporting them financially and logistically to complete their MBA.
The scholarship is driven by an employer of an industry partner, who nominates female company staff who they believe have the potential to be future leaders in the company.
Employer support
Support from the employer is twofold:
Financial: The 10 scholarships that GSB offers to women each year to complete their MBA is in a partnership with the recipients employer. Each scholarship covers 60 per cent of course fees – GSB contributes 40 per cent and the employer contributes 20 per cent.
On-the-ground: The employer provides the recipient with flexible time arrangements so they can attend classes, complete assignments, and undertake additional study and group work.
MBA leads to stronger career outcomes
Studying an MBA offers valuable networking opportunities. You’ll be able to expand your network across a range of industries, and it’s common for our MBA students to advance their careers before finishing their program.
For Sarah Kahle, the WiMBA Scholarship opened a career pathway that was otherwise impossible.
“The convenience of the city location and flexibility offered by Curtin made the idea [of an MBA] very tempting, and then the incredibly generous Women in MBA Scholarship made my idea a reality,” Sarah explained.
WiMBA Scholarship recipient Sarah Kahle
Sarah completed her MBA in 2023 while working in a local government role. She says her exposure to design thinking and innovation techniques in the MBA program proved useful in numerous scenarios at work. Sarah has since progressed her career to Manager of Entrepreneurship Programs and Community at Curtin University.
“As a woman juggling a career, family life and work, having something I was doing just for myself became an important part of my MBA experience. It allowed me to take time out from my other responsibilities and concentrate on what I needed to do for my course – and for me.”
Helping to change industry attitudes
The WiMBA Scholarship plays a vital role in getting industry to think in the right way about women’s potential and to back women to achieve that potential.
The Government’s 2024 Status of Women Report Card shows that women in Australia are diverse, educated and hardworking – and that we have the fourth highest level of tertiary-educated women in the OECD. And it is recognised that increasing female workforce participation is key to boosting Australia’s productivity and innovation. In fact, a 2018 projection by KPMG found that if the workplace gap between men and women were halved, Australia’s annual GDP would increase by A$60 billion in just 20 years. Yet, women still earn less than men, do more hours of unpaid care and are less likely to be in leadership positions.
For Davina Hunter, the WiMBA Scholarship took the financial factor out of her decision to study an MBA.
How to apply for a WiMBA Scholarship
If you’re interested in applying for a WiMBA Scholarship, visit the WiMBA Scholarship page to check eligibility criteria and application dates. Then, chat with your manager about the program and your leadership goals. Your employer must agree to contribute 20 per cent of the MBA course fees.
If you have any questions about the scholarship, email the Curtin Graduate School of Business: mba_programs@curtin.edu.au.
