Master of Business Innovation and Leadership

Our Master of Business Innovation and Leadership (MBIL) is a distinctive programme designed to complement your existing qualifications, whether in HR, project management, retail management, or other fields. It builds on your prior expertise equipping you with transferable leadership and innovation skills.

You’ll build these skills, the mindset, and the confidence to drive and oversee creative change and business innovation, by shaping the future – whether in launching your own ventures or leading within already established organisations.

Over one year, of three trimesters, this practical, hands on programme blends in-person seminars with flexible distance learning. Guided by the principle of ‘doing it for real,’ you’ll learn by creating, experimenting, and applying your ideas in authentic and dynamic business contexts.

Every element is focused on applied learning, ensuring you graduate with experience that’s directly relevant to the challenges of today’s business landscape.

The MBIL empowers aspiring entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and established professionals to become bold innovators and robust leaders

From the outset, you’ll develop an agile, adaptable mindset by exploring risk, resilience, and the psychology of failure - learning to view setbacks as essential opportunities for growth. You’ll gain the tools to manage uncertainty, how to adapt to change, and you’ll be solving those complex problems creatively and assuredly.

As a MBIL graduate you’ll be ready to create sustainable businesses, become innovative leaders within large organisations, or drive social and community-focused enterprises. You’ll be primed to work across borders, lead in job creation and contribute economically, socially, and environmentally. A global citizen.

Whitecliffe College is New Zealand’s highest-ranked and most awarded institution in the private education sector. Established in 1984, it is a long-standing Category One Private Training Establishment (PTE), recognized for its excellence and innovation.

Whitecliffe stands as a cornerstone of New Zealand’s private education landscape, with a rich combined legacy of over 130 years dedicated to outstanding teaching and academic excellence across the fields of Fine Arts, Design, Fashion Design, Information Technology, and Creative Arts Therapies.

The merger of three of New Zealand’s oldest PTEs has strengthened Whitecliffe’s position as a leading force in tertiary education. Offering a comprehensive range of programmes — from certificates and undergraduate degrees to master’s qualifications (Levels 4–9) — Whitecliffe is synonymous with academic distinction and is deeply committed to shaping students into global citizens and future leaders in their chosen professions.

At Whitecliffe, we actively collaborate with industry partners to ensure work-integrated learning, deliver high-quality academic programmes, and prepare our graduates for successful, fulfilling careers.

Our graduates are innovators and trailblazers, confident in their skills and ready to lead the future.