Master of Arts in Evidence-Based Management and Effective Decision Making
University of Malta
Information last verified July 2026
Program Overview
'Evidence-based’ is a term that was originally coined in the 1990s in the field of medicine, but today its principles extend across disciplines as varied as education, criminology, public policy, social work, and (recently) management. The question is how do managers select, process, evaluate and make the best use of the evidence to provide them with key essentials to ensure the best decision output and, at the same time reduce the likelihood of error. This programme, which is being run in collaboration with the Centre for Evidence-Based Management, provides important insights, tools and skills into this process and nurtures a critical competence that decision-makers ought to have. The programme is part taught and part researched. The taught component covers the major areas of interest to evidence-based management and is based on a mix of lectures and interactive discussions coupled with practical skills for development. 'Evidence-based’ is a term that was originally coined in the 1990s in the field of medicine, but today its principles extend across disciplines as varied as education, criminology, public policy, social work, and (recently) management. The question is how do managers select, process, evaluate and make the best use of the evidence to provide them with key essentials to ensure the best decision output and, at the same time reduce the likelihood of error. This programme, which is being run in collaboration with the Centre for Evidence-Based Management, provides important insights, tools and skills into this process and nurtures a critical competence that decision-makers ought to have. The programme is part taught and part researched. The taught component covers the major areas of interest to evidence-based management and is based on a mix of lectures and interactive discussions coupled with practical skills for development.
Career Opportunities
There are no specific career titles associated with Evidence-Based Management. However, as organizations (public and private) become more complex, managers need to be more than just aware of this complexity. An insightful development in EBMgt will ensure that as a future-manager, you will be able to critically understand the processes and the methods for better decision making and also understand more in depth the tools and criteria necessary to carry out such a task. On the other hand, EBMgt is still in its infancy even though its need has been felt for many years. It is hoped that this field will grow as a discipline in its own right and will trigger research opportunities to assist both organizations and managers to reduce the risk of erring in decision-making.
Program Curriculum
Year 1 Students are required to obtain a total of 90 ECTS credits over a period of 5 Semesters of part-time study. Students can opt to stop at Year 1 (30ECTS) and obtain the Postgraduate Certificate in Evidence-Based Management or else they can opt to move on to Year 2 and work on the dissertation (60ECTS) to obtain the MA. If students are already in possession of the Postgraduate Certificate in EBM, they are only required to start working on the dissertation (60ECTS). Semester 2 Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s) MGT5913 Principles of Evidence-Based Management 5 ECTS MGT5914 Systematic Approaches to Evidence-based Management 5 ECTS MGT5915 Statistical Mis/conceptions in Decision-making Processes 5 ECTS Semester 1 Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s) MGT5916 Cognitive Biases in Business Decision Processes 5 ECTS MGT5917 Stakeholders' Values and Concerns 5 ECTS MGT5918 Tools and Practices to Enhance Evidence-based Decision-making 5 ECTS Year 2 YEAR TWO Semester 2 Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s) BEM5907 * Work Evidence-Based Portfolio Project 60 ECTS * If the student is in possession of the Postgraduate Certificate in EBM, work on the dissertation is expected to start in Semester 2 of academic year 2024-25 and continue up to the end of Semester 1 of academic year 2025-26. If the student is not in possession of the Postgraduate Certificate in EBM, work on the dissertation is expected to start in Semester 2 of academic year 2025-26 and continue up to the end of Semester 1 of academic year 2026-27. This programme of study is governed by the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2021 and by the Bye-Laws for the degree of Master of Arts - M.A. - under the auspices of the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy.
Admission Requirements
Refer to the list of country-specific qualifications (1) A first cycle degree obtained with at least Second Class Honours or Category II in an area of study deemed relevant by the Board of Studies responsible for the area of study applied for. Applicants in possession of a degree with Third Class Honours or Category III may also be considered provided that the programme of study they will be following comprises not less than 30 ECTS credits for taught study-units. (2) Applicants in possession of the degree with Third Class Honours or Category III shall satisfy the Board of Studies that they are in possession of other qualifications, including relevant experience. Such applicants shall be allowed to proceed to the research component subject to the attainment of an average mark of at least 55% in the taught component. (3) Applicants in possession of a qualification deemed by Senate, on the recommendation of the relevant Board of Studies, to be comparable to the qualifications listed in paragraphs (1) and (2), may also be considered: provided that, in appropriate cases, where applicants lack essential knowledge in the area of study, the Board of Studies may require students admitted to the Course to follow and pass supplementary study-unit/s in the said area to which a maximum of 12 ECTS credits are assigned, in addition to the programme of study specified in bye-law 6 of the bye-laws for the Course. (4) Applicants in possession of the Postgraduate Certificate in Evidence-Based Management and Effective Decision Making may be allowed to join the research component of the Course in Management, if they successfully complete the Postgraduate Certificate programme with a minimum average mark of 55%: provided that such applicants may be required to follow and pass the supplementary study-units referred to in paragraph (3). (5) The admission of applicants may be made conditional on the result of an interview conducted for the purpose. (6) Interviews, if necessary, shall be co
Tuition & Financial Information
Tuition Fee
€10,800 (Non-EU)
About University of Malta
University of Malta
Msida, Malta
TheUniversity of Malta(Maltese:L-Università ta' Malta;UM; formerlyUOM) is apublic research universityin the towns ofMsidaandValletta, Malta. It serves as theflagshipandnational universityof...
University Profile- Start Date February
- Language English
- Duration 3 years
- Credits 90
