About

The Business Administration Department is one of the departments under the Faculty of Commerce. It offers one post-graduate degree and several undergraduate degrees, which are discussed in below.  

What We Currently Offer

The Bachelor of Business Administration (Generic) degree is the flagship degree programme in the Department. It was introduced in 1990 to address a huge demand for business managers. Broadly speaking, the program aims to train high quality business managers who can analyse and provide solutions to business problems facing Malawi. In this vein, the programme instructs students on how they can analyze, understand, plan and implement effective changes to business operations and organizational design to ensure business success in a competitive and demanding business environment.

Relatedly, the Bachelor of Business Administration (Marketing) degree was introduced later after noting that many graduates of the generic programme were actually working as marketers. The programme provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to develop marketing strategies, including applying the latest research methods for marketing decision-making, and using buyer behavior theory as a basis for marketing strategy, thereby enabling them to be highly trained marketers. 

Besides training as marketers, students may also train to become procurement officers by enrolling in the Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics Management (BPLM) degree. It was developed in response to a demand for well-trained and ethical procurement personnel. The goal of the Programme is to develop highly trained personnel in procurement and supply chain management who will assist the country achieve its economic growth objectives by executing their functions in a transparent and objective manner. It aims to promote economic governance, transparency, and accountability in both private and public sectors while carrying out procurement and supply-chain-related functions or tasks.    

The Department also offers a Master of Business Administration (MBA), which was established in the early 2000s. It is among the most popular post-graduate degrees at the Polytechnic, training some of the very students who have graduated from the undergraduate program to become top-level managers. In doing this, the curriculum is designed to provide for managerial training directed at senior and middle level staff in the civil service, parastatal and private sector necessary for Malawi’s economic development. Ultimately, the goal is to provide a cadre of managers who will meet the demand for professionals with advanced qualifications that is rapidly increasing in Malawi and, indeed, throughout the world. 

Other Ventures

The academic members of staff in the Department are engaged in conducting academic research and consultancies. Indeed, there is quite a demand for their services from various companies and organizations.