College of Business & Finance

The College of Business & Finance at Ahlia University is the largest College within the University and offers five undergraduate programmes and one postgraduate programme. Our mission at the College is to enable our students to become the business leaders of tomorrow, learning not only the theoretical knowledge required but also cultivating the technical skills demanded by 21st century business.

The College trains our students to become entrepreneurs, able to lead organisations competing in the international marketplace, by providing the latest knowledge and cutting edge skills required in conceptual understanding, problem solving abilities and analytical thinking skills.

We aim to convey the knowledge, attitudes and skills vital to succeed in today’s globalised business landscape where the new global economy, knowledge and information are keys to success to a lucrative future. If you are ambitious to become a world business leader of tomorrow, the College of Business & Finance can help you achieve your dream.

Our Vision

To be the college of choice in business and finance education in Bahrain and the region.

Our Mission

To foster a vibrant learning environment in business and finance education to prepare students for professional success in their career.

Our Goals

Impact –Offer curricula and deliver programs, teaching techniques, and research that produce employable and socially responsible graduates who are committed to lifelong learning.
Innovation – Offer innovative, relevant and up-to-date programs to meet market needs.
Intellectuality – Make contributions to applied research by our diverse faculty and students.
Community Engagement – Promote community engagement and foster relationships various stakeholders including strategic partners in academia, industry and build network with business practitioners as well as orchestrate entrepreneurial activities and public events of salient interest across the community.
Faculty and Student Development – Sustain faculty and student competency by empowering them to excel in teaching, research and service.

Dean's Message

Dear all, I am honored to be entrusted to serve as dean of the Business and Finance college, Ahlia University’s largest college. Established in 2003, our college will continue to play an influential role among students and faculty. With rigorous efforts and high-quality education, we aim to qualify our students to be future leaders in business and management in their communities in Bahrain and across the region. Although being a young and small university, we dream big in terms of providing the apogee of quality education to our students through our imparting competencies and life-long learning skills that will enable them to shape their future careers throughout their lifetime.

We believe this will help them become outstanding contributors not only to industry and but also to academia as well. Our faculty is a subject of our pride. Boasting diverse educational and occupational backgrounds, the faculty serves the university as an essential asset bringing to fruition international educational standards locally. In line with Ahlia University’s vision regarding scientific research, our college will continue to graduate professionals, steeped in research skills, able to best serve their community. Creating a challenge for us and our students that we are ready to tackle in order to achieve our goals, scientific research we regard as the core mission of any university. Scientific research, as a driver of innovation, contributes, to a major extent, to the sustainability of any business. In addition, scientific research informs public policies that bring positive outcomes to individuals as well as whole communities.

We believe in the integration of all branches of knowledge; accordingly, we aim to equip our students with skills derived from all functional business branches (Economics, Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, and MIS). Other innovative programmes of current salience are in the process of being launched to serve future market needs. To our postgraduate students, we believe you are an important asset for Business and Finance College. We put a premium on endowing you with analytical skills, research competencies and decision-making skills that will serve you throughout your professional career. Once again, I am delighted to serve as dean of the Business and Finance College of Ahlia University, where all faculty members are united in the endeavor to achieve ever higher standards of business education, professional practice and scientific research.

Accreditations & Exemptions

All of our programmes within the College of Business & Finance are designed to produce graduates that are highly knowledgeable and capable of meeting the demands of today’s increasingly competitive labour market. As such, many of our business courses and programmes are accredited by leading professional bodies and offer students exemptions from modules and papers of highly sought-after professional qualifications such as ACCA, CIMA, and CIM. This ensures that our graduates are highly employable upon entering the workforce and equipped with all of the requisite knowledge and skills that are relevant to today’s workplace.

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is one of the world’s most recognized professional accountancy bodies that is dedicated towards strengthening the profession and protecting the public through increased transparency in accounting practices all over the world. Ahlia University has partnered with the ACCA in 2013 and now offers students the opportunity to gain exemptions towards numerous papers that must be completed to acquire this reputable professional qualification. With an ACCA qualification, Ahlia graduates can enter the workforce with a strategic mindset and a professional designation that is highly sought-after within the professional network of accountants all over the globe.

Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) is the leading professional body for marketers worldwide and exists to develop the marketing profession, maintain professional standards and improve the skills of marketing practitioners. Ahlia University has joined forces with CIM to give students the opportunity to gain professional qualifications through the CIM Graduate Gateway. CIM qualifications are highly sought after by employers, and their content is reflected in our own degrees which ensures we are equipping students with the best opportunities for a successful marketing career.

Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is the world’s leading professional body of management accountants that exists to enable organizations around the world to develop their management accounting capabilities and to promote excellence, trust, and transparency within the accountancy sector globally. Ahlia University has partnered with CIMA by giving students the opportunity to earn exemptions from several CIMA examinations, in turn paving the way for a quicker route to the coveted CIMA Professional Qualification that is recognized and highly sought-after by employers all over the world.

Our Programmes

Undergraduate Programmes

Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting & Finance (BSAF)

The Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance (BSAF) has been designed to provide students with an undergraduate qualification, preparing them for a career in accountancy or finance.

Bachelor’s Degree in Banking & Finance (BSBF)

The programme is designed to equip students with the intellectual skills and the knowledge they need to work after graduation in the dynamic, growing, highly demanding, fast-changing financial services sector in the region and worldwide.

Bachelor’s Degree in Economics & Finance (BSEF)

The Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Finance (BSEF) programme has been developed to enable students to gain economic reasoning, quantitative skills and practical experience that would qualify them to become business leaders in today’s market.

Bachelor’s Degree in Management & Marketing (BSMM)

The programme aims to provide students with sufficient knowledge to enable them pursue a career in management or marketing, and /or advanced further study.

Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems (BSMIS)

This programme integrates information systems with a managerial perspective, to equip graduates with the subject knowledge and ethical standards required for project management in any level of an organisation.

Postgraduate Programmes

Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA)

Ahlia MBA programme is known for its high-quality curriculum and the distinctive learning experience it offers. The curriculum has been specifically designed to be aligned with the current and the future economic trends and labour market needs and to extend the students’ breadth and depth of knowledge.

Collaborative Programmes

Brunel University London, PhD Without Residence

The PhD without Residence (PhD(WR)) is a three-year research degree programme, offered by Brunel University London (Brunel) in collaboration with Ahlia University (Ahlia), Bahrain, leading to the award of a Brunel University London PhD.