In partnership with UBI Business School & Porto Business School
A single integrated MBA experience in partnership with Porto Business School — triple-accredited and ranked in the Financial Times’ global top 10 for its Global Online MBA — and leading to two internationally recognised degrees.
PBS Global Online MBA FT Ranking 2026
UBI MBA – QS EMBA Rankings 2026 (Joint Programmes)
Sep · Nov · Feb · Apr · Jun*
*Visa applicants: Sep & Feb only
12 or 24 months + 4 at PBS
English
Brussels / Porto / HyFlex (Online)
About This Programme
The Double MBA is a distinctive and exclusive programme delivered by UBI Business School and Porto Business School — a triple-accredited institution holding AMBA, AACSB and EFMD accreditation, and ranked in the Financial Times’ global top 10 for its Global Online MBA.
It represents the most ambitious offering in UBI’s programme portfolio: an exclusive academic experience across two internationally accredited, globally ranked institutions, designed for professionals who demand the highest level of credentials, networks, and international exposure.
The programme sits at the intersection of two distinct yet complementary academic cultures — UBI’s technology-focused, HyFlex-delivered MBA and Porto Business School’s corporate-oriented, internationally networked Executive MBA — combining them into one coherent journey that yields two internationally recognised awards and access to two world-class professional ecosystems.
Upon successful completion, participants are awarded the MBA degree from Middlesex University London in collaboration with UBI Business School, and the MBA diploma from Porto Business School.
You will graduate with:
Awarded by Middlesex University London · Delivered by UBI Business School · Brussels / HyFlex
Awarded by Porto Business School · University of Porto · Porto / HyFlex
Of schools hold AMBA + AACSB + EFMD
Maximum class size
Nationalities in the current student population
International Business Experience destinations — choose one
Why “Double” — not “Dual”? A dual degree typically means one programme split across two institutions. The UBI Double MBA is different: you earn two distinct, standalone MBA credentials — the UBI MBA (Middlesex University London) and the Porto Business School Executive MBA Diploma. Both are independent qualifications, each carrying the full weight of their institution’s accreditation and global recognition.
Who is this Programme for?
The Double MBA is open to professionals at different points in their MBA journey. Whether you are starting fresh, currently enrolled at UBI, or already hold your UBI MBA, there is a clear, structured pathway to the Double MBA for you.
You have not yet started an MBA. You can apply directly to the UBI Double MBA as your programme of choice from day one. You will complete the UBI MBA first (12 months, Brussels/HyFlex), then move immediately into the PBS module at Porto Business School (4 months, Sep–Dec). The whole journey is planned from the start.
Entry Requirements: Undergraduate degree · Minimum 5 years’ professional experience · IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT · Interview
You are already enrolled in the UBI MBA. Once you complete your core modules (by July 2026), you can activate the Double MBA pathway and proceed to Porto Business School for the September 2026 intake. Your UBI academic record determines your eligibility and — for scholarship applicants — your tuition reduction level.
Entry Requirements: Core modules completed before the September PBS start · Good academic standing
You already hold the UBI MBA degree awarded by Middlesex University London. You can activate the Double MBA pathway — your existing final project counts toward the PBS requirement, and your UBI degree satisfies the academic entry condition. Special alumni financial conditions apply.
Entry Requirements: UBI MBA degree · Existing completed project eligible for PBS
Programme Structure
The core MBA curriculum is delivered by UBI Business School — a British degree awarded by Middlesex University London, and ranked #19 in the QS EMBA Rankings 2026 (Joint Programmes). UBI’s online learning is EOCCS-certified by EFMD Global (2025–2028), making UBI one of only 16 institutions worldwide with EOCCS-certified courses. In the MBA, the certified course is Integrative Management, the programme’s capstone, confirming the quality and consistency of its online design and delivery. Students experience that learning through HyFlex, UBI’s signature delivery model: the same live class, on campus or online.
Participants then continue at Porto Business School, where they complete four specialised elective modules between September and December. Classes are scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays and are available in person, online, or in a hybrid format.
The programme concludes with the presentation and defence of the final project developed at UBI Business School, presented before a Porto Business School academic panel. This may be completed in person at Porto Business School or online. Students may continue working on their project during the PBS electives phase or complete it beforehand.
For a full overview of the programme structure, including both the UBI core curriculum and the PBS specialisation modules, view the programme guide here.
How the two Combine
The Double MBA is delivered across two sequenced phases. A formal credit recognition agreement between UBI and PBS means your UBI coursework and joint final project count toward both degrees — no repetition, no second dissertation.
Phase 1 · UBI Business School · Brussels / HyFlex
Core MBA Curriculum
The core MBA curriculum covers strategy, finance, marketing, operations, technology, ethics, and leadership — with a distinctive focus on management of technology and AI. Delivered through UBI’s EOCCS-certified HyFlex ecosystem with AI-enhanced learning (Alexandr.ia). Groups of no more than 35 students. Ranked #1 for Career Outcomes in Belgium and #2 globally — QS EMBA Rankings 2026 (Joint Programmes).
12 / 24 months · Brussels / Online
Phase 2 · Porto Business School · Porto / HyFlex
Four Specialised Elective Modules
Choose four modules from Porto Business School’s executive elective catalogue — spanning AI and digital, ESG and sustainability, advanced strategy and finance, and entrepreneurship. All electives carry 2 ECTS. The catalogue is reviewed annually, and only electives meeting a minimum enrolment are delivered. Available in person in Porto, hybrid, or 100% online. Classes on Fridays (morning/afternoon) and Saturday mornings.
4 months · Porto / Online
Phase 3 · UBI/PBS · Joint Capstone Project
Joint Integrative Management Project
The Integrative Management project developed at UBI Business School is presented and defended before a joint UBI–PBS panel. There is no second dissertation.
4 months · Porto / Online
How the two Combine
The Double MBA is delivered across two sequenced phases. A formal credit recognition agreement between UBI and PBS means your UBI coursework and joint final project count toward both degrees — no repetition, no second dissertation.
Phase 1 · UBI Business School · Brussels / HyFlex
Core MBA Curriculum
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12-24 months · Brussels / Online
Phase 2 · Porto Business School · Porto / HyFlex
Specialised Elective Modules
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4 months (Sept – Dec) · Porto / Online
Phase 3 · UBI/PBS · Joint Capstone Project
Joint Integrative Management Project
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6-12 months (Can be completed alongside UBI Modules or later) · Brussels / Porto / Online
Programme Highlights
Whether you are starting fresh or continuing from the UBI MBA, each reason below is grounded in what the market rewards, what employers notice, and what two elite institutions make possible together that neither could offer alone.
Delivered by UBI Business School in partnership with Porto Business School, two internationally accredited and globally ranked institutions, leading to the Middlesex University MBA degree and the PBS MBA diploma upon successful completion.
Two internationally recognised MBA awards from two world-class institutions, at a total investment that reflects the premium and exclusive nature of the programme while representing outstanding value relative to the academic and professional return.
Participants gain access to two distinct professional and alumni networks: UBI’s global community and Porto Business School’s extensive corporate ecosystem spanning Europe, Iberia, and Latin America.
A top-ranked MBA diploma from Porto Business School, consistently featured in the Financial Times global rankings, strengthening professional standing with employers worldwide.
Access to top employers across Europe and an expanded international network spanning two internationally connected school communities.
Porto Business School’s corporate DNA, shaped by its network of major European enterprises, combined with UBI’s entrepreneurial and technology-focused academic environment.
Competencies and Career Outcomes
The Double MBA extends the UBI MBA’s executive skill set with PBS’s distinctive strengths in applied leadership, corporate governance, ESG, and Iberian/international business strategy.
Leading technology-driven change within your function
Technology is integrated into each discipline rather than treated as a separate subject. Finance, accounting, operations and marketing are taught as they are practised now, with the systems and data that support them. The objective is to develop the judgement to identify what should change within the function you lead, and the credibility to carry that change through.
Governing artificial intelligence and its use across the organisation
Adoption raises questions of accountability that belong to senior management: where automated decision-making is appropriate, who answers for its outcomes, and how to lead teams whose work is increasingly shared with intelligent systems. The programme treats artificial intelligence as a matter of governance and leadership, not only of capability.
Anticipating geopolitical, regulatory and demographic change
Markets are shaped by forces that become visible in results only once they have taken effect. You examine how geopolitical shifts, regulatory movement and demographic change alter demand and competitive position, and how strategy can account for them in advance rather than in response.
Capital allocation and investment judgement
Valuation, corporate finance and managerial economics provide the basis for determining where capital is deployed, on what evidence, and against what accepted downside. Elective work at Porto Business School extends this into private equity, venture capital and value-based management.
Delivering and defending work at board level
Current
Progression into general management
Participants typically join with responsibility for a single function and leave positioned for broader accountability — division, country or business-unit leadership, where the remit extends beyond one discipline to the performance of the whole.
Current
Founding, ownership and non-executive positions
Participants who use the programme to establish or acquire a business, or to take up advisory and non-executive roles where the contribution is governance and direction rather than day-to-day management.
Current
Senior finance, corporate development and investment
Movement from financial management into positions concerned with where capital is deployed — corporate development, investment appraisal, mergers and acquisitions, and value creation across a portfolio.
Current
International and cross-border responsibility
Regional or multi-market positions requiring judgement on market entry, expansion, and the management of operations across regulatory and cultural boundaries.
Emerging
Leadership of technology and AI transformation
Roles carrying responsibility for how an organisation adopts data and artificial intelligence: transformation directors, heads of digital, and functional leaders mandated to modernise the operation they run.
For UBI MBA students and alumni, the Double MBA is an optional pathway to graduate holding two internationally recognised MBA credentials — strengthening your executive profile and unlocking career opportunities that a single MBA simply cannot match. Built on curricular synergies and credit recognition between UBI and Porto Business School, it is far more time- and cost-efficient than pursuing two programmes independently.
Receive the UBI MBA degree (awarded by Middlesex University London) plus Porto Business School’s Executive MBA Diploma — credentials from two triple-accredited institutions.
Study in Porto, one of Europe’s most vibrant business and entrepreneurship hubs — expanding your professional network across two elite international institutions.
Access top employers across Europe with credentials that signal executive readiness and international breadth to recruiters and hiring managers.
Complete the PBS add-on in just 4 months — built on credit recognition from your UBI MBA, so you only take four electives plus present your existing UBI final project.
Why “Double” — not “Dual”? A dual degree typically means one programme split across two institutions. The UBI Double MBA is different: you earn two distinct, standalone MBA credentials — the UBI MBA (Middlesex University London) and the Porto Business School Executive MBA Diploma. Both are independent qualifications, each carrying the full weight of their institution’s accreditation and global recognition.
Two World-Class Study Destinations
The Double MBA is taught across two cities. Brussels is the capital of the European Union, home to more than 1,000 international companies, and around two hours from London by train. Porto is Portugal’s second-largest city and, on FT / fDi Intelligence’s 2025 assessment, Europe’s leading large city for foreign investment — long the country’s business heart, from multinational enterprises to hyper-growth startups. You study in both, or in either, from anywhere, through HyFlex: the same live class, on campus or online.
UBI Business School
Brussels is one of Europe’s most internationally connected cities — home to the European Union institutions, NATO headquarters, and a dense concentration of multinational corporations and international organisations. UBI Business School is based at the heart of this environment, offering participants direct exposure to the business and policy landscape that shapes global decision-making. The core MBA curriculum is delivered through UBI’s HyFlex ecosystem with an AI-enhanced learning experience, providing working professionals with executive-level flexibility without compromising academic rigour. The UBI MBA is awarded by Middlesex University London, ranked #19 worldwide by QS.
Capital of the European Union
International companies based in Brussels
Per week student work rights
Population
Porto is one of Europe’s most vibrant and livable cities — a unique blend of history, culture, innovation and coastal lifestyle, all within a compact and affordable environment. It is a growing business and entrepreneurship hub, home to multinational companies, scale-ups and a dynamic start-up ecosystem, and consistently ranks highly for safety, lifestyle and English proficiency. Porto Business School holds triple international accreditation from AMBA, AACSB, and EFMD, placing it in a global elite of fewer than 1% of business schools worldwide.
Best city for Foreign investment in Europe
City with the best English skills in Southern Europe
Largest city in Portugal
Population
Admission Requirements
This programme is open to all applicants with a minimum of five years' professional experience. Three years may be considered for exceptional candidates, at the Programme Director's discretion. Candidates may enrol directly into the Double MBA from the outset, beginning with the UBI MBA core curriculum before proceeding to the Porto Business School phase. Current UBI MBA students and UBI MBA alumni who have already completed the ten core modules may join the Porto Business School phase directly.
As Porto Business School operates a single September intake for elective modules, students who complete the UBI core modules outside of this window will join the following September cohort at Porto Business School.
With transcripts, in English or French. Spanish is accepted for Spanish-track programmes.
Valid passport copy and recent passport-sized ID photograph
IELTS 6.0, or TOEFL iBT overall 4 on the new scale (minimum 72 on the old scale). Medium of Instruction letters are not accepted.
500 words: why this programme, why UBI, why Belgium.
This programme requires all applicants must have a minimum of five years’professional experience in administration, corporate or related fields.
A secondary-school diploma with a minimum 13/20 (65%) average, plus the high-school certificate and transcript. This is a Belgian immigration requirement, not a UBI academic condition.
Application Deadlines for Fall 2026:
EEA and Online Students: no application deadline — you can join up to the start of any intake. The Fall 2026 intake remains open until 15 September 2026.
Visa-required applicants: September and February intakes only. For Spring 2027, the recommended deadline is 30 September 2026 and the final deadline is 30 October 2026. Apply around six months ahead — visa processing averages four to six months. Students awaiting a visa start fully online and transition to campus once approved.
International students already residing in Belgium can typically follow the EEA deadlines.
Once the application is submitted, the admissions team reviews each file to assess eligibility and overall suitability. Selected candidates are invited to a 30-minute Zoom interview with the Programme Director, and receive their offer within seven days of the interview.
Fees and Scholarships
UBI Business School offers various entry scholarships and tuition support programmes for prospective and currently enrolled students. Please refer to the section above.
Note to EEA/UK candidates: The Double MBA carries a total tuition fee of EUR 36,500. Merit-based scholarships are available to recognise academic excellence and support high-potential candidates. Scholarship conditions are offered on a closed-price basis; for further details, please contact the admissions team.
Two awards: the MBA degree awarded by Middlesex University London in collaboration with UBI Business School, and the MBA diploma from Porto Business School, University of Porto.
No. The Porto phase runs on Friday mornings and afternoons and Saturday mornings, and is available in person, hybrid or fully online. The UBI phase runs through HyFlex — the same live class, on campus in Brussels or online, and you can switch at any time.
Four months, September to December. Porto Business School runs a single September cohort each year.
No. The Integrative Management project you develop at UBI is presented and defended before a joint UBI–PBS panel.
Yes. Current students activate the pathway once the core modules are complete. Alumni can activate it too — an existing final project counts toward the Porto Business School requirement, and special alumni financial conditions apply.
Entry is through the UBI MBA, which has five intakes: September, November, February, April and June. Visa-required applicants can start in September or February only.
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