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Key Executive MBA

A unique program for business owners and top-level (C-level) managers that teaches how to make asymmetric decisions and strategize 10 years ahead.

The program prepares participants for global challenges, developing unconventional strategies and scaling businesses in the context of global competition and social responsibility.

Autumn 2025
Program start
22 months
Program duration
1 200 000 UAH
Price
1 080 000 UAH
Early Bird Price

Who is this program for?


Why is it worth studying?

  • You develop asymmetric thinking and learn to make unconventional decisions
  • You master global strategies and learn to compete in international markets
  • You work on real business cases
  • You create sustainable business models that combine profitability with social responsibility

You will become part of:

Owners and top-level (C-level) managers of companies

Business leaders who aim to scale their companies in Ukraine and international markets

Leaders who make strategic decisions

Those responsible for managing a business that has been operating for over 5 years in the market

Visionaries and innovators

Those who think strategically, seek unconventional solutions, and are ready to change themselves and their company

Leaders with shared values

Participants who share UCU values and aim to develop a business with long-term positive impact

The value of the program

Key Executive MBA is designed for owners and top managers who aim to scale their business, compete in global markets, and build long-term development strategies. The program helps develop asymmetric thinking, implement unconventional solutions, and foster leadership based on Guidance.

What will you gain after completing the program?

  • Asymmetric thinking — learning to make unconventional decisions and compete in conditions of uncertainty.
  • Global vision — acquiring skills in managing business in international markets.
  • Strategic management — building long-term development strategies for the company.
  • Leadership based on Guidance — becoming an inspiration for change within the organization and society.
  • Worldview depth — applying knowledge from history, culture, and philosophy in business decisions.
  • Social responsibility — integrating sustainable business models that combine profit with impact.
  • Preparedness for global competition — gaining tools for effective management in a global environment.
  • Business project implementation — developing practical skills in executing large-scale projects.

Admission Requirements


  • Management experience — 7-10 years in a position as an owner or C-level manager
  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in any field (foreign degrees require recognition)
  • English at B2+ level (recommended level for study)
  • UCU values — you share the principles of ethical leadership and social responsibility
  • Project idea— readiness to present the idea of a transformational project or a new business

If you meet these criteria —
apply now!

Learn more about admission

Олена Тревого

Academic Leader of the Program

PhD, Associate Professor at Lviv Polytechnic National University, Economist-Analyst at Fama Custom Research Agency

Even in turbulent times, one can dare to do something great, embrace new challenges, and multiply the surrounding light!

Learn more

lecturers

The task of the lecturers is to provide students with access to current professional expertise in both the Ukrainian and global context, as well as best practices, adapting the learning process to the needs of the group. This contributes to the development of practical skills and strategic thinking.

Olena
Olena Levshun
Visiting Lecturer
Bernd
Bernd Kirschner
Visiting Professor
Mykola
Mykola Skyba
Visiting Professor
Olesya
Olesya Zhylynska
Visiting Lecturer
Olena
Olena Sozanska
Visiting Lecturer
Gerard
Gerard Seijts
Visiting Professor
Andrii
Andrii Hrynchuk
Lecturer
Sophia
Sophia Opatska
Associate Professor
Serhii
Serhii Potapov
Assistant Professor
Valerii
Valerii Pekar
Guest Professor

The structure of the program


On-campus learning

  • Main program modules (each lasts 3-5 days, once a month)
  • Lectures and seminars from practicing teachers from Ukraine and foreign institutions
  • Elective courses that allow you to build an individual learning trajectory

Off-campus learning

  • Processing materials for pre-reading
  • Reflections on completed modules and execution of mini-projects after completing the courses
  • Development and defense of the thesis project

curriculum:

Main thematic blocks
Global Focus
  • International markets, geopolitics, and geoeconomics
  • Scaling Strategy
  • Asymmetric competition
  • Export Strategies, Negotiations, and Deals
  • Innovation as a strategic advantage
  • Future Preparedness (future interactions)
  • Asymmetric Thinking
Organizational Focus
  • Business design
  • Business thinking
  • Finance and investments for managers
  • Legal aspects of doing business
  • Business analytics for top executives
  • Process efficiency and management
  • Strategic communications
  • Strategic marketing
  • Organizational development
  • Crisis management
  • Corporate governance
  • Transformational leadership
Worldview Focus / Focus on Thinking
  • Environmental
  • Historical
  • Philosophical
  • Cultural
  • Ethical
  • Guidance-based
Elective courses

Program participants have the opportunity to choose elective courses from the list of courses offered by the Business School to deepen their knowledge in areas that best meet their professional goals and challenges.

Preparation and defense of the final project

The final business project is an opportunity to develop your own business or launch a new project. Throughout the program, you will work on the real challenges of your company, applying the knowledge and tools you’ve gained.

With the support of mentors and practitioner lecturers, you will develop a strategy, test ideas, and find solutions for scaling or transforming your business. This is not just a learning case but a concrete step towards realizing your ambitions.

Academic Council

The Academic Council’s task is to become an influential stakeholder in shaping the trajectory of the program’s strategic development, which will best meet the needs of the market and the challenges of time, as well as global trends in business education.

Sophia
Sophia Opatska
PhD, Founding Dean and Chairman of the Board, UCU Business School (LvBS) Vice-Rector for Strategic Development, Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU)
Yaryna
Yaryna Boychuk
CEO UCU Business School
Myroslav
Myroslav Marynovych
Rector’s Advisor of the Ukrainian Catholic University
Andriy
Andriy Kostyuk
Lecturer of Master’s programs, member of UCU Business School Supervisory Board
Serhii
Serhii Lesniak
Сo-founder of «Aistra» in Shanghai
Lev
Lev Holubec
Partner at PwC (Chicago, IL, USA)
Vitalii
Vitalii Koval
Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, a graduate of the Key Executive MBA program.
Oleh
Oleh Baran
Co-founder and CEO of Barkom company, graduate of the Key Executive MBA program

International opportunities for students of UCU Business School

Through international partnerships, you will be able to study on exchange programs at prestigious business schools around the world: France, Germany, Spain, the USA, and other countries, gaining unique knowledge and experience.

Expand your horizons with us!

Learn more

Admission process

Registration on our website

The first step to studying in the master’s program
of UCU Business School is registration on the website (filling out the form «I want to apply»). Hurry up to register at an early price

Attend an introductory meeting with the program director/academic leader

Attend an introductory offline or online meeting with the program director/academic leader

Register and take entrance exams

To enter the master’s program at UCU Business School, you must pass the mandatory entrance exams:

  • Bachelor’s degree: Single Entrance Exam and a Single Professional Entrance Exam in management and administration
  • Masters/Specialists: Single Entrance Exam and a Single Professional Entrance Exam in Management and Administration or replace with internal exams: foreign language and professional test

Prepare in advance and take the next step towards your studies!

Enrollment in the program

Review your admission results (if you pass the exams successfully, you will receive a recommendation for admission) and fulfill the requirements for admission (submission of documents, conclusion of a study agreement, and payment of the first installment) within the established deadlines

Alumni reviews

MARIANNA BILYK-TOMASHEK

Graduate of 2024, owner of “BiSh Company,” head of the NGO “Dental Front.”

UCU Business School became a scale for me. Would I have honestly done what I’m doing now without UCU Business School? No. I would have done it, but at a scale 100 times smaller.

If you doubt yourself—don’t go! But I know for sure that once you take the first step, it’s hard to stop. This school gives you momentum, a community, and networking. And the system itself provides such a strong push that you start to soar. But taking that first step—that’s on you. No one else can give you the courage to do it; you have to find it within yourself.

OLEKSII HAVRYSH

Graduate of 2024, Deputy Director of the IT Project and Process Management Department at Crédit Agricole Bank.

This is a community that pushes you forward, people who are willing and ready to be agents of change in Ukraine, to change the country for the better and make it successful through the development of businesses and companies. Ukrainian business and Ukrainian companies have much more experience in overcoming crises and working in conditions of uncertainty

OLESIA ZHULYNSKA

Graduate of 2024, Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer PrivatBank

We all want success, but we never realize what steps we have to go through to achieve it. The Key Executive MBA program, despite all the stupor I was in at the beginning of the war, gave me back my ambition.
Teachers, students, the whole environment creates a feeling that you have a newfound ambition and desire to overcome internal obstacles and fears

TARAS VASYLYSHYN

Graduate of 2024, Co-founder & CEO Digital Agency Panem

We have a super-powerful community that drives you and motivates you to keep going, set ambitious goals, and move forward. The key idea that was broadcast throughout my diploma was whether to scale or become stronger. And it was the change of mindset and focus on making the company resilient and stronger that was the translation of my two years of study

VLADA NEDAK

Graduate of 2024, Executive Director of the All-Ukrainian Women’s Jewish Organization “Project Kesher”

Imagine you received a prize of $15120, how would you spend it? Would you settle a few small financial issues or buy something important? That’s exactly how much – 15120 hours or 630 days or 21 months – it takes to study for a master’s degree at UCU Business School. That is how much we, who are receiving this degree today, have invested in ourselves.
How can we measure the changes during this time of study? The knowledge gained has become important not only in terms of volume, but, above all, in terms of understanding what to invest in next. The speed of movement through life has not changed, but it has accelerated where the importance of making management decisions affects long-term plans. My worldview has become so broad that the modern picture of the world and the historical path of our country have gained new meaning and understanding of future processes. The values that guided me in life became the basis for building my business in the future

OLESIA DIACHYSHYN

Graduate of 2022, COO/HRD Thundermark Games

I entered the program in 2020. It was a very difficult year, and I also had to close two companies. I was looking hard for how to build and what to do next. I came to the UCU Business School with a lot of questions, I was looking for answers. And after the first semester I found them in myself. In fact, I learned how to look for them, I learned not to be afraid of challenges. For me, UCU is about trust.

During my studies, I became a co-owner of a company for the third time, and it was founded in the right way. It took 17 years of iterative search. But now I already know that the company we are building is doing it right. So, while I was at UCU, a third company was founded, and with each step of my studies I added a brick to it

HALYNA HRYVNAK

Graduate of 2021, Founder and СЕО Fin Impact

I was only looking for deepening my knowledge. But, as it turned out over these two years, it was an incredible adventure of finding myself, the environment, and finding the power to fulfill old dreams that sit deep inside you, you feel them, but something inside you holds you back and you don’t have the strength to find them.

The UCU Business School and the Key Executive MBA program were just the strength that is instilled in you and with which you can go on. In my opinion, it was an incredible 2 years and it is the best investment we can make in ourselves – studying at the MBA program

YULIIA POPOVYCH

Graduate of 2020, managing partner АО Юс Колегіум

The Key Executive MBA is art, like an artist who can make a unique work of art out of good, high-quality material, giving it a completely unique form and content. It’s about creativity, because every idea, every project is a unique project, and for me it is a work of art.

I sincerely advise studying at UCU Business School for the insane inspiration you can get here, for systematizing knowledge, for giving your experience a special form and content, for the global nature and scale of thinking, for the values, for the unique community of very talented entrepreneurs and managers.

studying with us

Benefits of the program

100 concepts in 20 months

Exploring key business models, management approaches, and strategies through the lens of real participant cases in partnership with practitioner lecturers

International teachers and experts

Lecturers with international experience, who are carriers of fundamental theories and modern management methods

Principles of asymmetric business

Mastering the concepts of asymmetry to create non-standard strategies, effective solutions and competitive advantages

Knowledge at the intersections

Integration of worldview knowledge to effectively solve complex business problems that arise at the intersection of different areas and approaches

End-to-end work with thinking

Focus on developing strategic thinking and changing approaches to decision-making

Strong business environment

Belonging to the UCU community and UCU Business School. Participants become part of an active network of alumni, faculty, and entrepreneurs

FAQ


Still not clear? Check out the most frequently asked questions or contact us for a detailed consultation.

How to take advantage of the early bird price?

A limited number of participants can take advantage of the early bird rate.

The early registration price is secured for applicants who meet the following conditions:

  • early registration on the website of the master’s program;
  • an introductory meeting with the program manager by May 23;
  • successful completion of entrance exams and getting into the TOP-5 applicants according to the ranking lists of admission results.

The early registration discount cannot be combined with other discounts.

How is the tuition fee paid?

Payment is made in semesters, which allows you to distribute the financial burden. Other payment options are also available – for more information on flexible terms and options, please contact the program managers.

Is there a possibility to use special terms of payment for education?

UCU Business School offers special payment terms for certain categories of applicants. Current information about the conditions for 2025 is available at [link]. Fill out the registration form for the program, and the manager will provide details on additional opportunities.

What experience is required for admission to the program?

To apply, you need to have 3-5 years of work experience in the technology sector (IT, R&D, biotechnology, military tech, etc.).

Is it possible to enter with a diploma obtained abroad?

A foreign diploma requires a procedure of recognition (nostrification) in Ukraine. Program managers will advise you on the necessary steps and documents for successful admission.

How does the learning process go?

The program is taught in a modular format: 3-5 days a month from 10:00 to 18:00 (including coffee breaks and lunch). In addition to the main modules, students have inter-module blocks, home projects, business cases, etc. This allows for deeper learning and application of the acquired knowledge in practice. The program is adapted to the needs of students, so changes in the schedule are possible, which are informed in advance by managers.

Is knowledge of English required?

The recommended level of English is B2+ or higher. Many courses are taught by foreign experts, and the course materials are presented in English. A high level of language proficiency will help you maximize your knowledge and effectively interact with teachers and classmates.

What does a diploma project include?

This is a real business project that you work on during your studies. It can be corporate (company transformation), consulting (development of solutions for a client), launching a new product, or even setting up a company. The whole process takes place with the support of mentors – teachers and program experts who help you structure your idea, assess its viability, and bring it to practical implementation.

Where does the program take place?

The program is offered in modern academic buildings of UCU located in Lviv:

  • Kozelnytska, 2a – Office of the UCU Business School;
  • Sheptytsky Center, 29 Stryiska St;
  • St. John Paul II Avenue, 35a;
  • 17 Sventsitskoho Street.

These locations are equipped with everything necessary for effective learning: comfortable classrooms, modern technology, and cozy areas for teamwork.

Do you still have questions?


We are on the Connection

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Mail: olena.trevoho@ucu.edu.ua