The programme develops future-oriented leaders capable of transforming organisations while creating long-term value for business, society, and the planet.

Why is expertise in strategic leadership and business transformation needed?

The world is entering an era defined by interlinked crises and rapid transformation. Climate change, biodiversity loss, artificial intelligence, geopolitical instability, health emergencies, demographic change, and economic restructuring are no longer isolated challenges.

In this era, leadership must evolve beyond traditional approaches. The question is no longer whether organisations and business need to transform, but how can leaders successfully guide that transformation.

Who is the MBA programme suitable for?

This future-oriented online master’s programme is designed for professionals and managers who want to lead organisations through uncertainty and drive business transformation in response to sustainability transitions, technological disruption, and systemic change.

The programme is suitable for professionals and managers working across businesses, public sector organisations, and civil society who desire to advance their careers. They may already hold, or aspire to move into, managerial, team leadership, project leadership, or business development roles and seek new capabilities to navigate complexity and lead continuous transformation.

How does the MBA programme support career development?

The master’s programme in Strategic Leadership and Business Transformation for Sustainable Futures prepares graduates to act as strategic leaders, transformation managers, innovation drivers, and change agents capable of leading organisations in today’s complex world.

The programme focuses on a range of highly relevant themes, including strategic thinking and leadership, global and business economics, alternative economic models, business transformation, systems thinking, innovation, and future literacy. The programme also integrates sustainability and AI-enabled approaches into strategic and transformation processes.

Excellence in strategic leadership and transformation

By participating in the programme, graduates gain practical skills, tools, and strategic competencies in:

  • leading organisations strategically in uncertain environments
  • personal leadership development and reflective practice
  • making informed decisions by applying strategic and financial analysis tools as well as foresight and systems thinking methods
  • designing, leading, and evaluating business innovation and transformation initiatives.
  • designing sustainable business models that create long-term value contributing to the planetary and societal well-being.

The programme is 90 ECTS credits.

The master’s programme in Strategic Leadership and Business Transformation for Sustainable Futures consists of 1) core competence studies and 2) profiling competence studies.

The core competence studies (60 ECTS) included in the programme are:

  • Strategy and Leadership under Complexity and Uncertainty, 5 ECTS credits
  • Economics and Finance for Strategic Decision-Making, 5 ECTS
  • Post-Growth Economic Models and Systems Thinking, 5 ECTS credits
  • Business Innovation for Sustainable Futures, 5 ECTS credits
  • Future Literacy for Strategic Business Transformation, 5 ECTS credits
  • Business Research and Development Methods, 5 ECTS credits
  • Master’s Thesis, 30 ECTS credits

The master’s thesis is a working life-oriented, research-based development project that addresses a real-world complex challenge, ensuring a meaningful synthesis of knowledge, skills, and applied impact.

Profiling competence studies (30 ECTS) are selected from the diverse offerings of Lapland UAS’s Master School. The range of profiling competence studies allows students to create a personalised study plan that best supports their competence needs and career path.

The master’s degree programme will conform to the requirements knowledge, skills and competencies for the level 7 of European Qualification Framework, EQF(7).

This degree qualifies graduates for doctoral studies at a university. A master’s degree from a university of applied sciences qualifies the holder for public office and positions that require a master’s degree.

The programme is designed so that students can study online while working. Online learning takes place both individually and in groups. Online sessions require online attendance. Generally, courses include guided online instruction for the entire group on 1–3 evenings per month. In addition, some courses require weekly group work.

The programme adopts a challenge-based and transformative pedagogy that reflects the realities of complex environments. Challenge-based learning (CBL) in the era of polycrisis is an educational approach in which students learn by engaging with real, complex, and interconnected challenges. The programme aims not only to transfer knowledge, but to fundamentally transform how to think, act, and understand the world.

As the programme contributes to the development of working life, and the learning assignments are closely linked to related development tasks.

The programme has an interdisciplinary focus. The interdisciplinary nature of the program means that during your studies, you will have the opportunity to work in interdisciplinary student groups, as experts from different fields are studying together in the same group.

Building your own study path begins as soon as you accept your place in the programme.

Guide for new students

Guide for MBA students

Tuition Fee at Lapland UAS

Read more about tuition fees at Lapland UAS