The MSA (Hons) is designed exclusively for senior leaders in the automotive industry who have already mastered operational performance and are now ready to lead strategically.

✅ Dealer Principals, Regional Directors, and General Managers who want to elevate their authority and influence at board level.
✅ C-Suite executives and board members seeking to strengthen their mastery of strategic leadership, governance, and long-term business growth.
✅ OEM and National Sales Company leaders who need to unite networks, stakeholders, and dealer groups behind a clear strategic vision.

This is the Strategic Leadership Accelerator for the automotive C-Suite. It is purpose-built for leaders who want to rise above daily operations and shape the long-term success of their organisation.

The MSA (Hons) is the definitive step up for accomplished leaders who are ready to sharpen their boardroom presence, influence stakeholders at the highest level, and deliver measurable value through visionary leadership.

(Hons) stands for Honours. In a traditional university degree, Honours usually refers to a higher level of academic achievement, often linked to a grading scale or additional year of study. It is a recognition of performance in an academic setting.

In the MSA (Hons), Honours means something much more powerful. It is not about grades or essays, and it is not awarded for attendance or completion alone. It is awarded only when you apply your learning in the workplace and demonstrate measurable results.

Completion earns you the qualification. Application earns you the Honours.

When you achieve the MSA (Hons), you are recognised not only for your knowledge but for your ability to turn that knowledge into tangible impact. It proves that your leadership has delivered change, improvement, and measurable value in the real world.

That is why (Hons) is the ultimate recognition of achievement. It sets you apart from those who simply complete. It shows that you do not just study leadership, you live it, apply it, and prove it.

No. The MSA (Hons) is a professional qualification, not an academic degree. It has been created exclusively for the automotive industry and is benchmarked at the highest level of leadership and management.

Unlike a university programme, the MSA (Hons) is built around real automotive business challenges such as OEM–dealer dynamics, Agency Models, electrification, aftersales disruption, and digital retail. Every element is applied directly in the workplace to deliver measurable strategic impact.

As one delegate explained:

“I am studying an MBA at university, but as you know, it is just not enough! It gives only general information in management. No one is specific, and no one has the experience in automotive, nor do they have the knowledge that you provide.”
— Amr Abdullah – Saudi Arabia

The MSA (Hons) is not about essays or generic theory. It is about proving your ability to lead at board level, influence stakeholders, and shape the future of an automotive business with authority.

There is also an important difference in intention. A university degree may be necessary if you want to support applications for immigration or residency, but a professional qualification exists for a different reason. It is designed to accelerate your career, strengthen your credibility, and make a measurable difference in your workplace. The two serve very different purposes, and the MSA (Hons) is focused entirely on professional advancement in the automotive industry.

At the same time, the qualification carries recognised academic credits. This means that if you choose to pursue a university MBA later, you can transfer credits and shortcut the route, gaining both the professional recognition of the MSA (Hons) and the academic standing of a Master’s degree.

A university degree demonstrates academic achievement, but it is often broad and general in scope. A professional qualification is different. It is designed to prove that you can apply advanced leadership skills directly in your industry to deliver measurable results.

For the automotive sector, this distinction is critical. A degree may show that you understand management theory, but the MSA (Hons) shows that you can lead through the realities of OEM–dealer dynamics, Agency Models, electrification, digital retail, aftersales disruption, and talent challenges.

The benefit of a professional qualification is career acceleration. It strengthens your credibility with boards, OEMs, and investors because it demonstrates mastery of the very challenges they care about. It does not just confirm that you studied leadership; it proves that you applied it and made a measurable difference in your workplace. Many leaders hold both, but here the major difference between them: 

💡 “A university degree may have helped you start your career, but a professional qualification like the MSA (Hons) ensures you rise to the very top of it.”

It is designed, facilitated, and awarded by the Jeff Smith International Business Academy, a multiple award-winning business school dedicated exclusively to the automotive industry. The President is Jeff Smith, arguably the most respected author, mentor, and facilitator in the global automotive industry. He is also recognised as the most successful author in history on the subject of KPI and business management, making this qualification uniquely anchored in world-class expertise.

The MSA (Hons) also incorporates the CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice, awarded by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the only chartered awarding body of its kind in the world, and fully regulated by Ofqual, the UK government’s official regulator of qualifications.

This provides the best of both worlds:
✅ Exclusive automotive focus and professional recognition through the IBA, under the leadership of Jeff Smith.
✅ International credibility and formal regulation through CMI and Ofqual.

The result is a professional qualification that accelerates your career in the automotive industry and carries weight across brands, borders, and business landscapes worldwide. The MSA (Hons) stays with you for life, wherever your career takes you.

No. You do not need academic qualifications to enrol in the MSA (Hons). This is a professional qualification built on experience and impact, not academic theory.

✅ If you have successfully completed any of our Advanced Masterclasses, you hold a distinct advantage because we understand your ability.
✅ If you already hold a Professional Accreditation in Automotive Management (AIBA or AIBA Hons) issued exclusively by the Jeff Smith International Business Academy, you will also enter with a distinct advantage.
✅ If you are a C-Suite executive or have significant senior management experience in the automotive industry, you may qualify through professional recognition and a short interview with us.

Academic qualifications can be a bonus, but they are neither a prerequisite nor an automatic entry. What matters most is your professional experience and your ability to apply learning directly to the challenges of leading an automotive business.

The MSA (Hons) is designed to recognise leaders, not restrict them. It ensures that the opportunity is open only to those who are already making an impact in the industry making this a truly elite pathway reserved for proven automotive leaders.

Yes, you absolutely do! When you achieve the MSA (Hons) you earn the right to use these prestigious post-nominal letters after your name. They are a public mark of recognition that you have mastered strategic leadership at the highest professional level in the automotive industry.

These letters are yours for life. They are not tied to a single employer, brand, or region. They travel with you wherever your career takes you, across organisations, across borders, and across the global automotive industry.

Just as importantly, they signal that you are part of an exclusive community of leaders who have achieved the world’s first government-recognised professional qualifications in automotive management. They are proof that you do not just lead operations, you shape the future of the industry itself.

Most delegates complete the MSA (Hons) within 18 months to 2 years, depending on their pace, work commitments, and project delivery. Officially, you are granted up to 3 years to complete the programme if required.

In practice, the majority of learning takes place within the first 12 months through a structured series of masterclasses, virtual modules, CORE Forums, and video-based training. From there, you will submit a series of assignments, but unlike traditional academic exams, these are real-world, work-based projects. You are not adding extra work to your role, you are capturing and presenting the strategic impact you are already delivering, or planning to deliver, within your business.

This performance-focused format means the programme fits naturally alongside your leadership responsibilities. It allows you to apply new learning directly in your role, creating immediate value for your organisation and a realistic timeframe for you to complete the qualification without stepping away from your career.

The MSA (Hons) offers an executive-level blended learning experience that combines in-person masterclasses, virtual learning, peer forums, one-to-one mentoring, and internationally recognised accreditation — all designed specifically for the strategic demands of the automotive industry.

🌍 Cohort-Based Learning
You will join a cohort of senior automotive leaders, creating a powerful peer group for shared learning, debate, and accountability. The network you build here often becomes one of the most valuable aspects of the programme.

🎓 Induction & Strategic Leadership Masterclass (3 Days)
Your journey begins with a 3-day, in-person masterclass. Here, you will be formally registered with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), complete your induction, and begin your first module on Strategic Leadership in the Automotive Ecosystem. You will also begin your first applied assignment, directly linked to your business context.

💻 Ongoing Support: The CORE Forums
The Cohort for Online Results and Education (CORE) is our exclusive online forum, held every six weeks. CORE Forums keep you on track with:
✅ Progress reviews and accountability check-ins
✅ Expert Q&A and peer-to-peer problem solving
✅ Guest speakers on strategy, governance, leadership, and industry disruption

This is your space to stay engaged, connected, and focused on strategic performance.

📊 Global Trends and Strategic Impact Masterclass (5 Days)
Around three months into the journey, you will attend a 5-day masterclass led by Jeff Smith. This focuses on Balance Sheet strategies and a live case study on the forces reshaping the automotive world; OEM–dealer dynamics, Agency Models, electrification, digital retail, and aftersales disruption. You will complete a project-based assignment that applies these global insights to your business, ensuring immediate relevance and impact.

🗣 Leading Strategic Change Masterclass (3 Days)
At around nine months, you will join a 3-day masterclass on strategic leadership, governance, and executive communication. This enhances your authority to influence stakeholders, and your clarity in leading transformational change. You will then complete a work-based assignment aligned to your leadership role.

🔍 Reflective Practice & Mentoring
Through a virtual Reflective Practice Masterclass and one-to-one mentoring, you will analyse your own leadership performance, sharpen your self-awareness, and design a strategic personal development plan. Your assignment will focus on how reflection drives continuous improvement in your leadership practice.

📝 Final Strategic Project
By the end of year one, most delegates have completed the majority of modules and assignments. Your final submission is a Strategic Business Project, supported by a video presentation, evidencing how your leadership has delivered measurable outcomes for your organisation.

Most delegates complete the programme within 2 years, but you have the flexibility to accelerate, or extend up to 3 years to suit your own pace and working environment.

Yes, absolutely. The MSA (Hons) has been purpose-built for senior professionals in the automotive industry who are leading full-time. The programme is structured so that learning and work are not competing priorities, they are integrated.

✅ Blended format: in-person masterclasses, interactive virtual sessions, on-demand video training, and practical projects all delivered through our powerful Learning Management System.
✅ Real-world application: your business becomes the case study. You choose the topic for your assignments, and you remain in control of what happens. Every module, assignment, and project is designed to deliver measurable improvements in your workplace.
✅ Flexible structure: assignments are focused and manageable, with step-by-step guidance. They are not academic essays, they are evidence of the impact you are already making.

Unlike traditional university programmes, which rely on case studies from unrelated industries, the MSA (Hons) is built entirely around the challenges you face every day such as OEM–dealer dynamics, Agency Models, EV disruption, aftersales transformation, and digital retail.

The result is that you are not adding extra work to your career, you are building the qualification around the very objectives you are already responsible for delivering. It is practical, purposeful, and designed to fit seamlessly into your leadership role.

leading Professors, interactive virtual sessions via Zoom, on-demand video training you can access at your own pace, and practical, work-based projects, all delivered through our powerful Learning Management System.

What makes this qualification truly unique is that your business becomes your case study. You’re not trying to balance work and study as separate priorities; they’re fully  integrated. Every module, assignment, and project is designed to deliver real-world performance gains in your own business.

Unlike traditional university programmes, which use case studies from unrelated industries and academic theory, this qualification starts with your real-world challenges and builds the learning around them. It’s practical, purposeful, and directly aligned with your business goals.

And yes, you will have time to study alongside your career because you’re working on the very same business objectives. The only additional commitment is a series of assignments, which we’ll guide you through step by step. They’re focused, manageable, and designed to fit around your professional life.

No. The MSA (Hons) is a collaborative learning journey designed for senior leaders who want to grow alongside their peers.

✅ Cohort-based learning: you will join a select group of automotive leaders who are on the same path, creating a powerful network for support, challenge, and shared insight.
✅ The CORE Forums: every six weeks you will connect online with your cohort for progress reviews, accountability, and problem-solving, supported by guest speakers and expert facilitation.
✅ One-to-one mentoring: you will receive personal guidance to ensure your learning is applied effectively to your own business.

You will have every opportunity to collaborate, share experiences, and learn from others facing the same industry challenges. At the same time, your assignments are unique to your role and organisation, which means you are always in control of your own progress.

The result is the best of both worlds: individual recognition for your applied impact, and a powerful peer group that supports and inspires you throughout the journey.

There are no traditional exams. The MSA (Hons) is assessed entirely through practical assignments, reflective practice, and strategic business projects, all based on your current role and responsibilities.

You will complete a series of written assignments, each one supported with step-by-step guidance, video tutorials, and assignment templates to make the process clear and manageable. All submissions are uploaded via The Centre of Excellence Online, and are formally assessed by qualified professionals.

To keep you supported throughout, you will receive:
✅ Personalised feedback and a clear grade for every submission
✅ Short quizzes to check your understanding along the way
✅ An online Grade Book to track your progress from enrolment to graduation

Because every assignment is built around your workplace, you are not writing essays for the sake of theory. You are capturing the measurable improvements you have made in your business and presenting them as evidence.

That is why completing the MSA (Hons) means more than passing assessments. It means proving your leadership impact in the real world and earning recognition for strategic decisions that shape the future of your organisation.

Yes. Many delegates have their MSA (Hons) fully or partially funded by their employer because the qualification is designed to deliver measurable business impact. Unlike generic training, every assignment and project is directly applied to your workplace, meaning your organisation benefits from immediate performance improvements while you study.

Employers see the value in supporting this programme because it:
✅ Strengthens leadership capability at the highest level
✅ Improves profitability, governance, and long-term strategic direction
✅ Demonstrates a clear return on investment through applied business projects

We can provide supporting documentation, including programme outlines, to help you secure funding approval from your company. Many employers view this as an investment rather than a cost, since the benefits are seen in real time throughout your learning journey.

We can issue an invoice directly to your company for full payment, and you can have a payment arrangement with them, or we can set up a split payment arrangement between you and your employer; whichever works best for you. We’re flexible and will tailor the process to suit your needs.

Yes. Several vehicle manufacturers, OEMs, dealer groups, DMS providers, systems companies, and paint brands have created Scholarship Programmes to support leaders in the automotive industry.

Some scholarships are designed for individual applicants, while others are offered to support entire companies or dealer groups, allowing multiple team members to benefit.

Scholarships are awarded selectively, often based on leadership potential, business need, or a commitment to measurable improvement. They are intended to open doors for ambitious leaders and to strengthen organisations that are serious about strategic transformation.

If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, contact us and we will connect you with the relevant organisation, check your eligibility, and guide you through the application process.

The right investment in your development delivers the highest return, both for your career and for your organisation. The MSA (Hons) is not just a programme of study, it is a transformational journey that equips you with the real-world knowledge, credibility, and strategic authority required to operate at the very top of the automotive industry.

You can choose to:
✅ Pay in full via bank transfer and receive the most favourable rate
✅ Spread the investment through a flexible instalment plan
✅ Secure funding from your employer, with our full support in preparing the business case

To put this into perspective, a reputable university Master’s degree typically costs between £30,000 and £67,000 and is usually broad and generic in content. The MSA (Hons) is priced at £21,000 for the full 3-year programme, including all modules, mentoring, assessments, certification, and materials.

Special Launch Offer:
Delegates who enrol early save £3,000. This means you can secure your place on the MSA (Hons) for just £18,000.

👉 If you are ready to move forward and wish to take advantage of this launch offer, enter your name on the official Automotive Qualifications Waiting List, and we will contact you when a cohort place becomes available.

If you have any questions not answered on this page, you can contact Jeff Smith directly at jeff@jeff-smith.com.

Many leadership programmes are dated and generic, using the same materials everywhere in the world. Some go a stage further and are built to cover a specific region. But none are built like this.

The MSA (Hons) has been created exclusively for the automotive industry and is designed to be relevant everywhere because it adapts to suit your own business within both global and regional influences. Your organisation becomes the case study, your assignments are chosen by you, and every project is applied directly to the challenges you face in your market.

✅ Automotive-specific: built around OEM–dealer dynamics, Agency Models, electrification, digital retail, aftersales disruption, and talent retention
✅ Tailor-made to your business: Dubai is different from Dammam, and Riyadh is different from Muscat. We adapt to your market, your data, and your decisions
✅ Dual recognition: issued by the Jeff Smith International Business Academy and incorporating the CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice, fully regulated by Ofqual
✅ Performance-focused: the value is measured in real-world impact, not academic essays
✅ Prestige of Honours: completion earns you the qualification, application earns you the Honours

The MSA (Hons) is the definitive professional recognition for senior leaders who want to prove their authority at board level and shape the future of the automotive industry.