The MBA Education Center focuses on the recruitment of MBA students. It is one of the pioneers in China to recruit and educate MBA students and award MBA degrees. Currently, the Center is also one of the largest bases for MBA education in China.

MBA Education at Xiamen University began in the 1980s. In 1983, with the approval of the State Education Commission ( now the Ministry of Education), Xiamen University became one of the 8 universities in China to participate in the China-Canada Management Education Program (CCMEP), under the auspices of both the Chinese and Canadian governments. Xiamen University established academic exchanges in modern business administration with Dalhousie University and Saint Mary's University. Between 1983 and 1992, Xiamen University sent over 70 faculty members to the Canadian universities’ business schools for research, as visiting scholars or to complete a degree program. Upon completion of their study, they returned and revolutionized XMU business education, contributing greatly to its future development. In 1986, according to the Phase Ⅱ China-Canada Management Education Program (CCMEP), the MBA Education Center was launched in XMU and recruitment of the first business administration masters students began. It was a Sino- Canadian joint program cooperating with Dalhousie University and Saint Mary's University, for a term of five years.

In 1991, authorized by the State Education Commission (now the Ministry of Education), Xiamen University became one of the first nine pioneering universities to recruit MBA students. The same year, the University designated the Center as a teaching and research entity with a faculty of its own, responsible for educating MBA students, including the Sino-Canadian Joint Program students. The center offers specializations in eight areas: corporate finance, accounting, investment, marketing management, human resources management, information management and E-commerce, operations management, entrepreneurship and new ventures.

In 2000, the MBA program of Xiamen University Ranked 6th in the nationwide MBA program quality assessment conducted by the National MBA Education Supervisory Commission of the Academic Degree Office of the State Council.

In recent years, SMXMU full-time MBA and part-time MBA programmes have been ranked top 10 by Business Week (China) and Forbes (China) and the School has obtained 5-year AMBA accreditation.