MBA Master of Business Administration

Summary 2012/13

• Develop your existing skills to management level;
• Apply your learning in a company and in real life business situations;
• Gain a strategic perspective on business.

This MBA has been designed for those ready to make the leap into management roles from an existing job and those who are aspiring to become managers.

The programme will give you a broader understanding of business by considering issues such as human and financial resources, customers and the business environment.

Applicants are welcomed from any discipline and from a wide range of job roles. Many entrants to an MBA have a science or technology qualification so it is not necessary that you have studied business or management before.

2012 Entry Requirements

To join this MBA you should have a degree equivalent to UK lower second class honours. For overseas applicants, IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. Ideally you should also have two years relevant work experience gained after graduation although well qualified and motivated candidates without this will be considered.

Summary 2013/14

• Develop your existing skills to management level;
• Apply your learning in a company and in real life business situations;
• Gain a strategic perspective on business.

This MBA has been designed for those ready to make the leap into management roles from an existing job and those who are aspiring to become managers.

The programme will give you a broader understanding of business by considering issues such as human and financial resources, customers and the business environment.

Applicants are welcomed from any discipline and from a wide range of job roles. Many entrants to an MBA have a science or technology qualification so it is not necessary that you have studied business or management before.

2013 Entry Requirements

To join this MBA you should have a degree equivalent to UK lower second class honours. For overseas applicants, IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. Ideally you should also have two years relevant work experience gained after graduation although well qualified and motivated candidates without this will be considered.

Details

What will I gain from this programme?

Making decisions in organisations requires that you consider a broad range of issues. These include human and financial resources, customers and the business environment.

As such, this MBA will help you to gain a broader understanding of business by exposing you to different aspects and also showing you how it all fits together. Importantly, we take a strategic perspective on business and management and help you to develop the skills to contribute to major decisions made by organisations about their future.

This course will have an additional focus on the marketing discipline and help you develop the skills needed to contribute to strategic marketing decision making.

The MBA is not, however, simply an academic course. Organisations will present real-life problems for you to resolve and there is a requirement that you have a short placement within a company towards the end of the programme. At Edge Hill Business School you will not simply learn about management - you will practice it.

How we will support you

Full support will be provided to help you get the most from your learning experience. You will be assigned a personal tutor and there is a range of other support options available. Extensive use is made of information technology to support classroom activities.

For students from overseas, the Centre of International Education exists to help you deal with any problems you may have and provides support to ensure that you get the most benefit possible from your stay.

What will I study?

The MBA is designed to allow you to develop an understanding of key aspects of business and management. You will therefore study aspects related to accounting and finance; human resource management; marketing; and operations. By the end of these modules you will have an understanding of these critical aspects of business. Teaching is set in an international context with examples and illustrations drawn from the global economy. Throughout we will also take a strategic focus, concentrating on the major decisions that organizations have to make to determine their overall direction. Finally you will be exposed to a range of contemporary issues of interest to all managers. These will include such things as globalization; ethics; and social responsibility. At the end of the taught element you will undertake a work placement during which time you will undertake a project on behalf of the host company which you will then write up as a report.

How will I study?

As well as preparing for and attending lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops, you will spend time reading and completing coursework, including written assignments, portfolios and presentations.

Working with business is a strong theme of the programme and the workplace will be brought into your study as well as you having the opportunity to go out into the workplace. Learning from your colleagues is an important part of the course and many exercises will require you to work in teams.

Placement

The course provides a placement opportunity after the second semester. This is an unpaid period of time spent with an employer, either singly or in a group, where you will undertake a project of strategic value to that organization. On completion of the project you will then write-up the work as the final piece of assessment undertaken on the programme. This is a vital part of the MBA. It allows you to demonstrate what you have gained from your study and allows you to show some UK work experience on your cv when applying for jobs.

Who will be teaching me?

All our staff are passionate about student learning and development. The degree is delivered by specialists in Accountancy, Marketing, Human Resource Management, E-Commerce and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, among others. The team includes active researchers who publish in academic journals, and academically and professionally qualified staff. All team members are people with an energy and enthusiasm for their subject areas.

How will I be assessed?

Throughout the programme, there is a combination of different forms of assessment to test intellectual development, vocational capability, and critical thinking. Coursework often involves both individual and group-based working. Case studies and problem solving exercises are used. Examinations take a variety of forms, using both seen and unseen questions.

What are my career prospects?

An MBA helps to equip you for a range of career opportunities in both general management and specialist functions. Typical MBA careers include accountancy, administration, banking, education, finance, human resource management, marketing, public and private sector management, retailing and enterprise.

Related Programmes

• MA Management
• MSc Management Development
• MBA Master of Business Administration (Finance)
• MBA Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management)
• MBA Master of Business Administration (Marketing)

A Great Study Environment

Edge Hill University’s stunning £8m Business and Law building provides state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities for students in the Business School and Department of Law and Criminology. The three-storey building offers modern seminar and meeting rooms and social learning areas which encourage a more informal and interactive style of learning. A roof garden and atrium are other attractive features along with a 100-seater lecture theatre.

Based in 160 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, the Ormskirk Campus is a unique and inspirational place to study. Industry standard resources and cutting edge technology combine to make an interactive and highly advanced teaching and learning environment. Everything you could want is on one site with fantastic modern spaces in which you can study and socialise and 25 acres of sport and leisure facilities.

The University library gives you access to thousands of books, journals, online resources and extensive PC and media provision. You'll get all the support you need to succeed, reflected in Edge Hill University being ranked in the top two in England for students' personal development, and the top three in the country for assessment and feedback, in the 2011 National Student Survey. The University is also featured in the top four in England for graduate employment.

How do I apply?

Apply online at www.ukpass.ac.uk.

Visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/applyukpass for more information on the application process.

Fees and Finance

Tuition fees for this programme are £7,650pa for UK and EU students and £11,900pa for international students in academic year 2012/13.

Edge Hill graduates joining an eligible postgraduate programme at the University in academic year 2012/13 could benefit from a 20% reduction in tuition fees. If you're a UK or EU student and will be paying the fees yourself, you might be eligible to receive this discount. See www.edgehill.ac.uk/reducedfees for more information.

Where can I find out more?

If you would like to receive a copy of our prospectus or be kept updated about forthcoming events, contact the Course Information, Advice and Guidance Team by emailing study@edgehill.ac.uk or calling 01695 657000.

If you want to attend one of our open events held throughout the year, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/postgradopendays to book your place.

You will also find Edge Hill University staff at many postgraduate study fairs taking place across the UK and Ireland.

Still want more?

If you have any questions you would like to ask the programme leader about this course, please contact:

• Gillian Rawlings, Edge Hill Business School, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP
• Tel: 01695 657646 / 01695 657644
• Email: postgraduate@edgehill.ac.uk

Overseas students should contact the Centre of International Education by calling +44 1695 584489 or emailing international@edgehill.ac.uk with any queries.

Modules

Strategic Human Resource Management. An increasing number of organisations are recognising the need for strategically integrated people management policies that inform all major decisions. This change requires greater strategic awareness from Human Resources (HR) managers. Indeed, the UK HR professional body, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has encouraged all HR professionals to be cognisant of their role in the effective achievement of organisational strategy. By building on your prior experience, this module will enhance your knowledge of, and competence in, strategic human resource management to help you meet increasing demands for a strategically sensitive approach to people management.

Financial Decision Making. All managers will be expected to have a clear understanding of the financial information an organisation produces and the uses of this information. This module provides a platform for managers, developing from basic financial systems to evaluating financial information and its uses in making decisions. The module will allow you to reflect on some of the current critical debates about the role and positioning of financial information in organisations; being able to place financial information and decision-making in the wider context of organisations and their roles in society.

Contemporary Issues. As a student in management and business you need to be aware of the challenging contemporary issues facing organisations in the 21st century. In particular you require an appreciation of the alternate economic and social structures applicable throughout the world. These differences conflict with and collude with the development of the global economy and an ability to manage these tensions is an important element in the manager’s toolkit.

Strategic Marketing. All organisations, whether profit-making or not-for-profit, operate within a dynamic marketing environment. It is imperative that they understand this environment and develop the marketing strategies to survive and prosper within it. This module aims to equip you with the knowledge, expertise and a critical appreciation of the strategic marketing process, how to develop marketing strategies and then implement and evaluate them.

Strategic Management. The module provides a critical, reflective and evaluative examination of historic and contemporary debates relating to business strategy and strategic planning. It focuses on the decision-making process with regard to strategy formulation and implementation and contextualises and evaluates the process through examination of business approaches and practices. The module will develop your ability to formulate and implement strategy in order to maximise organisational effectiveness and business performance. In addition, you are encouraged to evaluate the impact and influence of sometimes complex strategic decisions and actions on a range of organisational stakeholders.

Research Methods. The ability to both undertake and evaluate research are key skills in both academic and vocational contexts. In the academic context of the MBA, you are asked to undertake and produce research, for example in work-based learning and dissertation contexts.

Furthermore, an understanding of the factors underpinning the production of research (and therefore theory) enhances your ability to critically analyse published research and theory in all aspects of your work.

In a vocational context, the ability to apply a critical analytical approach to researching and investigating relevant issues is a key managerial skill which can be developed by an understanding of the main issues and skills surrounding research.

Dissertation. In writing up a dissertation you are developing your skills and capabilities as a researcher and independent learner. The dissertation (as well as the work placement) also enables you to develop a range of academic and vocational skills that are relevant to your future employment or further studies. For example, you will develop skills in analytical / critical thinking, problem solving, creative thinking, collecting and analysing information, time management and both written and oral communication.

Work Placement. You will have the opportunity to undertake a placement in semester 3. The placement provides you with the chance to gain experience of the world of work and allows you to undertake a piece of research based on or linked to this placement (which is arranged by the Business School). The pairing of work based learning (WBL) with the dissertation enables you to make links between theory and practice. Please note, if you do not undertake the work placement, you must complete the alternative module, Reflective Practitioner.

Reflective Practitioner. If you elect not to complete a work placement, it's important to still consider issues relating to employability. This module will require you to focus on yourself and work, professional practice and professional issues in the workplace, taking a reflective stance.