AMBA, the Association of MBAs, has accredited Swansea's full-time and Executive MBAs to its prestigious and internationally recognised global standard for postgraduate management education.
And the AMBA recognition means that Swansea University's Business School is the only one in Wales to offer accredited full-time and part-time MBAs. The only other accredited MBA in Wales is the full-time programme at the University of Wales Aberystwyth. Other MBAs offered by Welsh institutions have not been assessed against AMBA's high standards.
As MBAs are degrees designed to enhance professional career development, AMBA only accredit programmes where students accepted onto the courses have a minimum of three years' professional experience, which is seen as essential to gaining maximum value from the course.
Nahla Hassanein, 31, a Sudanese student studying on Swansea University's one year full-time MBA, has previously worked as an Administrator in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan, and followed a career in banking and as an interpreter in the Sudanese Embassy.
She said: "My studies give me the opportunity to take a serious look at myself and identify the gaps in my skills and knowledge so I can take on more responsibilities and realise my full potential."
"I believe that the MBA is the key to my personal career development. Being part of the Association of MBAs will have a significant impact on my career. The Association supports MBA graduates and its international accreditation service enhances my prospects of getting a better job. It also ensures the value of my qualification for employers."
Mark Goode, Academic Director of the Executive MBA programme, said: "At Swansea, our students have an average more than six years' experience as managers, but we know that other institutions in Wales accept recent graduates from undergraduate degrees with no professional experience at all."
"The AMBA accreditation is an unequivocal mark of quality. It places us in a very different league, alongside some very prestigious, internationally recognised institutions."
"AMBA also offers the only professional membership association for MBA students, which means that our students and graduates now have access to an exclusive membership organisation, which will undoubtedly help their career prospects."
Swansea University's Executive MBA is run on a part-time basis and is aimed at middle to senior managers who wish to achieve their full managerial potential. The two and a half year course is taught outside of the normal working week and draws students from diverse cultures.
Dr Robert Owen, Director of Accreditation Services at AMBA, said: "The Swansea University MBA is a high-quality programme of study aimed at the preparation for strategic leadership and transformational roles in organisations."
"The programme of study is rigorous and intellectually demanding and offers opportunities for professional and personal development. The Executive MBA will undoubtedly contribute to the growth of the regional economy and promote excellence in management and leadership throughout Wales and beyond."
The structure of the MBA programme allows a blending and sharing of management and leadership experiences from around the world, while at the same time providing a thorough grounding in the Western approach to the teaching of business management.
The MBA has a strong emphasis on management skills and personal development, delivered through the use of learning teams, a central skills development component and a case study emphasis to link business and management theory with practical application.
One of the programme's key strengths is the level of engagement with research active staff at the University, blending the research base with a practical focus for the lasting benefit of the regional economy.
Professor Andrew Henley, Head of the School of Business and Economics, said: "It is an outstanding achievement to receive the AMBA accreditation, particularly as we are now the only University in Wales to offer accredited MBAs for both full-time study and part-time for managers who wish to study while remaining with their current employers."
"The accreditation is a strong endorsement of the academic quality of our flagship programmes, and the evidence suggests that Swansea University can justifiably claim to provide the best management education in Wales. Achieving top-quality skills in management and leadership is essential in Wales if the nation is to see its economic prosperity improve."
Further information about Swansea University's MBA programme can be found at http://www.swansea.ac.uk/sbe/pgrad/.