Masters in Business Administration
"The most valuable aspect of my AUAF education has been the opportunity to learn in a supportive and challenging environment. I have gained knowledge, critical thinking skills, and a broader perspective on Afghanistan and the world. It has also helped me grow personally and prepared me to make a positive impact in my community."
MBA Student
The Masters of Business Administration (MBA) is a two-year graduate degree program that includes courses on Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing and Law. Students complete their MBA with a rigorous capstone project, during which students set up a business or introduce a new product or service to the market. Courses and student life are hosted live and online alongside an array of digital resources, esteemed faculty and world-class instruction.
About the MBA
About the MBA
The Masters of Business Administration (MBA) is a graduate degree program that prepares graduates to be able to make sound management and business decisions. The general management curriculum threads entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship into all courses, incorporating real-world practice and the Afghan context. AUAF MBA graduates will be positioned to take on management and specialist roles and/or create new enterprises for social or commercial purposes. Courses and student life are hosted live and online alongside an array of digital resources, esteemed faculty and world-class instruction.
Accreditation
The Masters in Business Administration (MBA) program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
An accredited MBA degree offers increased job market competitiveness, as employers often prefer candidates from accredited programs. This internationally recognized accreditation also makes transfer credit and articulation agreements with other ACBSP institutions easier for students.
Following the Baldrige model, the ACBSP focuses on recognizing teaching excellence, determining student learning outcomes, and continuous improvement. The student-centered teaching and learning approach, which is measured and analyzed for quality, ensures that students gain the right skills from their educational investment.
History
The MBA program was introduced over a decade ago and has since prepared students to excel in diverse and rewarding fields both inside and outside Afghanistan. Our graduates work for a variety of businesses, non-profit and educational institutions.
For 20 years, the American University of Afghanistan has been offering internationally accredited liberal arts degrees to Afghanistan's emerging leaders. Despite immense challenges - bans against women’s education beyond the 6th grade, terrorist attacks against students and faculty, and the COVID-19 pandemic - the AUAF community has demonstrated extraordinary resilience. Today the university operates virtually, with all courses, advising, mentoring, student life and support services online. AUAF has over 1000 students enrolled, 75% women, plus over 2,200 alumni, and offers degree programs in Business Administration, Computer Science, Development Studies.
Spring 2027 Application Timeline
MBA applicants who apply by the October 1 deadline will only be considered for the Spring 2027 start. Applications for a Fall 2027 start are separate and will be announced at a later date.
Opens September 17, 2026. There is no application fee.
*For your application to be considered complete, you must submit both the online application form and respond to all email requests for documents by the Office of Admissions (admissions@auaf.edu.af) before the deadline.
OCTOBER 1
MBA application priority deadline*
OCTOBER-JANUARY
Select applicants are invited to interview
SEPTEMBER 17
MBA application opens
for Spring 2027
Applicants are notified of admission
JANUARY
Program Eligibility
🔷 Applicant is Afghan 🔷
🔷 Applicant has completed a baccalaureate degree at AUAF or another accredited higher education institution 🔷
Attested copy of diploma and transcript (undergraduate)
Copy of your Tazkira (and Passport if available)
Completed AUAF Online
Application Form
Updated resume/CV
2 reference letters from teachers, employers or coaches
English Score from TOEFL iBT, IELTS, TOEFL PBT or Duolingo
Graduate Program Application Materials
After you have completed the online application form with your basic information, the Office of Admissions may contact you via email (admissions@auaf.edu.af) requesting additional documents such as, but not limited to, identification documents, test scores, formal or informal proof of attendance at educational institutions. The University may require additional or unofficial supporting documents to make an admissions decision.
No scholarships are available to MBA applicants at this time. Admitted students should be prepared to self-fund the entirety of the 2-year program.
Admitted students will be provided with payment instructions and deadlines prior to the start of the academic semester. Deposits and transfers must be for the total amounts owed. Bank charges and currency conversion fees, when applicable, are the responsibility of the student.
Tuition
Masters in Business Administration (MBA) Tuition
Spring 2026-Fall 2027
2-Year Program Cost*: USD $15,399.72
Annual Cost*: USD $7,699.86
Per Credit Cost: USD $427.77
*The standard MBA course load is 9 credits per semester. That is 18 credits per year (Spring + Fall), totaling at 36 credits for the full two-year MBA program (4 semesters).
Featured Faculty
Arni Thor Arnthorsson
Associate Professor
Dr. Arni Thor Arnthorsson, a native of Iceland, specialized in Marketing with a Ph.D from the University of South Carolina, USA. His work has expanded to the fields of leadership, diversity, motivation and research. He has worked and lived in nine different countries in his career, including the last eight years with AUAF. He was in administration roles from 2018-23, but was always connected to the classroom, teaching when he could.
Dr Arni is a full time professor in the Business Department. He firmly believes that education will make a difference, and that Afghan students are the most inspirational and motivated students he has had the privilege to work with. He currently lives in Madrid, Spain, where he works remotely and tries to learn the language with limited success.
Mohamed Bouterra
Assistant Professor of Finance
Dr. Mohamed Bouteraa is a Finance faculty member at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF), with more than a decade of academic, research, and professional industry experience. He holds a PhD in Finance from the internationally recognized University of Sydney - Australia. His professional experience also includes working as Head of the Strategic Planning Unit at HSBC Limited in Sydney, Australia.
At AUAF, Dr. Bouteraa teaches Financial Management, Investment Analysis, FinTech and Blockchain, Money and Capital Markets, Comparative Finance, and supervise BBA and graduate Capstone final projects. His teaching connects financial theory with real-world business applications, helping students develop practical analytical and decision-making skills.
He is also an active international researcher, with publications in Scopus- and Web of Science- indexed journals. His research interests include FinTech, green and sustainable finance. He has also participated in international research projects, conferences, and academic workshops.
Research Profiles:
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6xPbYwQAAAAJ&hl=en
Scopus [ID 57224967283]: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57224967283
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohamed-Bouteraa
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4834-8973
“An MBA is not only about earning a degree; it is about developing the financial, analytical, and strategic thinking skills needed to make better business decisions and create value in a changing global environment.”
Mohamed Bouterra
Assistant Professor of Finance
Featured Courses
ECO 500: Managerial Economics
This course deals with Managerial Economics, the application of the economic concepts, theories, tools, and methodologies to solve practical problems in a business. In other words, managerial economics is the combination of economics theory and managerial theory. Both macro and micro economic analysis is used in managerial decision-making.
Featured Instructor: Lutfi Rahimi
MGT 530: Strategic Management
This MBA course develops the analytical concepts for creating competitive advantage. Topics include techniques used to evaluate the business environment, assess an organization’s strengths and capabilities, and decide on competing strategies. The case study method is used to explore strategic alternatives, implementation options, and evaluation methods.
Featured Instructor: Belal Kaffi
MGT 500: Decision Making Management
This course covers decision making management from the perspectives of behavioral economics and change management emphasizing the transition or transformation of an organization's goals, processes or technologies.
Featured Professor: Arni Thor Arnthorsson
"The most valuable aspect of my AUAF MBA education was the development of critical thinking and ethical leadership within a rigorous, American-style academic environment. Beyond technical management skills, AUAF emphasized analytical reasoning, evidence-based decision-making, and accountability—skills that are especially vital in complex and fragile contexts. The diversity of perspectives in the classroom, combined with case-based learning and faculty mentorship, strengthened my ability to lead, adapt, and engage with real-world challenges at both local and international levels."
AUAF Alumni
"A female graduate from AUAF’s business program was working at a private international bank in Afghanistan as the point person for an external auditor. The auditor was very impressed with her prompt communication, ability to anticipate what the auditor needed, and her mastery of the English language. The auditor asked whether she had studied in the UK or the US, and she proudly answered that she was an AUAF graduate. The auditor immediately recognized AUAF and complimented her excellent education."
Employer Testimony