UNIVERSITY OF BRADFORD
School of Management
Programme title: Master in Business Administration
Final award: / Master in Business Administration
[Framework for Higher Education Qualifications level 7]
Postgraduate Diploma [Framework for Higher Education Qualifications level 7]
Postgraduate Certificate [Framework for Higher Education Qualifications level 7]
Programme title: / Business Administration
Programme accredited by: / AMBA
Duration: / Full-time: 12 months
Accelerated: 10 months
Relevant subject benchmark statements(s):
FHEQ Level: / Business and Management (2007)
7
Date produced: / March 2010
Last updated : / June 2015
Introduction
In accordance with the University’s mission ‘Making Knowledge Work’, the School of Management aims to provide programmes that educate individuals as managers and business specialists, and thereby improve the quality of management as a profession.
The School’s first MBA programme was launched on a full-time basisin 1975 and is one of the oldest MBA programmes in the UK. Currently, in addition to theFull-timeprogramme, the School offers Executive,Distance LearningandAcceleratedversions of the MBA programme.
All versions share a common structure and content and differ only in the form of assessment and delivery mechanism used. The Bradford MBA consists of 3 distinct stages (see below for further details) representing 1800 hours of study, through which students accrue the 180 UK credits necessary for the award of a Master’s degree.
Full-time
As a full-time student on this version of the MBA programme you can expect to attend classes and study during the normal working week, although some shorter periods of evening and weekend working may be necessary depending on the optionmodules chosen. Currently, this programme has a September entry point.
Accelerated
As a student on the accelerated programme you will have similar backgrounds and managerial experience to those on the full-time programme but have the drive, energy and commitment to undertake an intensive period of full-time study. This programme has a single point of entry (January),which is delivered over a 10 month period using components of the full-time programme, thus you can expect to be engaged in weekly, evening, and block work.
Delivery points
The Bradford MBA programme is also offered in Italy (Perugia University), Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila and Dubai. Opportunities to take modules at these institutions are available and student exchanges between Bradford and its partner institutions are encouraged.
Programme Aims
The aim of the Bradford MBA is todevelop management professionals equipped with the knowledge, skills and expertise to provide the strategic leadership necessary to effect the transformational change to create and maintain a sustainable business future for national and international organisations.
The general management focus of the Bradford MBA is concerned with developing management professionals who can provide effective and ethical leadership in business.
Programme Learning Outcomes
When you have completed the programme you will be able to:
LO1. A systemic and critical understanding of management knowledge and awareness of contemporary business issues, and current research and practice in business administration;
LO2. A broad but rigorous understanding of the concepts, constructs and frameworksapplicable to business administration and of the tools and techniques used to support decision making;
LO3. Specialist knowledge of international business activities and the practical implications cultural differences can bring to business conducted across national boundaries;
LO4. The ability to critically appraise current research and advanced scholarship in managementto support the formulation of solutions to contemporary business problems;
LO5. The ability to critically evaluate and develop investigative designs that will facilitate the collection of data to support the construction and presentation of business cases;
LO6. A personal and critical understanding of sustainability and to be able to make business decisions, taking into account the complexity of the sustainability agenda in its broadest sense;
LO7. Adaptability and originality in tackling and solving problems, and the ability to work cooperatively with others and provide ethical leadership in bringing about strategic transformational change;
LO8. To exercise personal initiative and responsibility in effecting solutions to complex strategic business problems surrounding by uncertain business intelligence and incomplete data;
LO9. The ability to assess on-going professional and career development needs and to take action to maintain the knowledge and skills required to practice.
Curriculum
The MBA is delivered in three stages, the first of these stages covers the core modules which introduce students to the functional disciplines of management. Core modules provide the knowledge, skills and techniques that are fundamental to the area of management and provide the foundations for stage 2 of the programme.
In stage two, students study a number of specialist modules that build on the core modules taught in the previous stage of the programme. The range and availability of modules in this stage varies each year according to demand and the availability of specialist staff. All programmes are subject to annual review, which determines which modules will be available. The degree of choice also depends on the programme. During this stage students also take modules in Strategic Management, which is an integrative module and Business Research, which provides students with the tools and techniques to undertake the management project.
The third and final stage of the programme involves the completion of a management project. The management project requires students to apply their knowledge and expertise to real and challenging organisational issues. These may be suggested by the student, i.e. could be based on previous experience or anticipated future business engagement, or be a project proposed by a local enterprise/organisation.
Sustainability and ethical management is a central tenet of the Bradford MBA. Consequentially, students can expect to be confronted by these issues throughout the programme. Foundation modules encourage students to reflect on how the performance of core management activities such as operations, marketing and human resource management impact on the environment, society and the economy, e.g. through purchasing decisions, marketing strategies and recruitment policies, etc. In the second stage of the programme, modules designed to develop specialisms provide students with the opportunity to explore their emerging understanding in more detail, e.g. by studying material recovery mechanisms in supply chains and considering the role of consumer behaviour in sustainable business models.
Stage one:
The modules studied by programme are shown below:
Full-time
Module Code / Module Title / Type / Credits / Level / Study periodMAN4101M / Business Economics / C / 10 / 7 / Sep – Dec
MAN4055M / Business Accounting / C / 10 / 7 / Sep – Dec
MAN4045M / Marketing / C / 10 / 7 / Sep – Dec
MAN4050M / Operations Management / C / 10 / 7 / Sep – Dec
MAN4230M / Managing People / C / 10 / 7 / Sep – Dec
MAN4094M / Strategic Management / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Apr
MAN4214M / Business Research / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Apr
MAN4512MSustainability and CSRC107Jan - Jul / Sustainability and CSR / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Jul
MAN4314M / Managerial and Professional Development / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Jul
MAN4074M / Business Simulation / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Jul
Accelerated
Module Code / Module Title / Type / Credits / Level / Study periodMAN4101M / Business Economics / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Apr
MAN4055M / Business Accounting / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Apr
MAN4045M / Marketing / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Apr
MAN4050M / Operations Management / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Apr
MAN4230M / Managing People / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Apr
MAN4094M / Strategic Management / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Apr
MAN4214M / Business Research / C / 10 / 7 / Jan - Apr
MAN4512M / Sustainability and CSR / C / 10 / 7 / Jan - Jul
MAN4314M / Managerial and Professional Development / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Jul
MAN4074M / Business Simulation / C / 10 / 7 / Jan – Jul
Stage two:
Full-time: students taking this programme have a choice of four option modules (see appendix), which are taken in stage two of the programme. These are available from January through to June. Additional option modules are available at partner institutions as part of the student exchange programme.
Accelerated: students taking this programme also have a choice of fouroption modules, which can be taken between April and June.
A list of typical option modules available at Bradford is shown in the appendix. Additional option modules are also available at partner institutions during this period.
Stage three:
On completion of stages one and two,students complete a MBA Management Project.
Full-time
Module Code / Module Title / Type / Credits / Level / Study periodMAN4068Q / MBA Management Project / C / 40 / 7 / July–Sep
Accelerated
Module Code / Module Title / Type / Credits / Level / Study periodMAN4068Q / MBA Management Project / C / 40 / 7 / July - Oct
On successful completion of 180 credits students are eligible for the award of MBA. Students who successfully complete 120 credits or more but less than the 180 credits required for the MBA award are eligible for the Postgraduate Diploma in Business and Management. Students who successfully complete 60 credits or more but less than the 120 credits required for the Postgraduate Diploma are eligible for the Postgraduate Certificate in Business and Management.
In addition to the assessed components of the programme, there are a number of skills-based non-assessed programmes available to students on programmes delivered in Bradford. These students also have the opportunity to attend sessions on study and presentation skills in order to assist with the preparation of their personal development portfolio.
The curriculum may change, subject to the University's programme approval, monitoring and review procedures.
Teaching and Assessment Strategies
The Bradford MBA programme aims to integrate applied and theoretical knowledge with assessment processes that test knowledge, application and analysis of the disciplines.
Teaching on the programme comprises a combination of formal lectures, group discussions, tutorials, seminars, directed reading and personal research. Case study analysis and discussion is used widely to contextualise the learning and the application of techniques. Students are assigned to small study groups for this purpose, which encourage participative learning, provides experience of working with people from different cultures and helps develop leadership, organisational and project management skills.
Each module represents approximately 100 hours' study time of which typically 30 hours is contact time with the programme tutor(s). One or more texts provide the basis for most modules but students are encouraged to develop theirunderstanding by making use of the School’s library and online facilities to undertake personal research.
Additionally, a detailed manual is provided with each module which includes details of the preparatory work required. Additional support materials – cases, video clips, audio recording, lecture notes/slides, etc. are also provided via the School’s VLE.
To effectively assess whether a student has achieved a module’s learning outcomes a combination of assessment approaches are typically used on the Bradford MBA, e.g. group work and presentations may be used to assess a student’s leadership and communication skills and ability to make a convincing business case; individual assignments and written reports may be used to assess a student’s ability to conduct personal research, to make sense of and synthesise current research and advanced scholarship, to critically evaluate options and present solutions; case studies and business simulations may be used to assess a student’s understanding of a body of knowledge, the ability to make business decisions with incomplete information and to work as an effective team member; whilst the project is used to assess a student’s overall capacity to apply learning in realistic situations and develop original solutions to complex problems. Because, each module will support several learning outcomes, multiple methods of assessment may be applied in each module.
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
The University of Bradford is committed to providing its students with opportunities to learn about sustainable development (SD). The School of Management sees sustainable development as a key business issue and recognises the need for all its graduates to be aware of sustainable development issues, and to understand the way in which their discipline and professional practice can impact on sustainability. The School is working to explicitly integrate ESD into its Learning Teaching and Assessment strategy; in the current EQUIS accreditation documentation the following is stated -as a School we are:“committing ourselves to the principles of education for sustainable development within the curriculum, in line with the University's position as an 'Ecoversity'’ (p5)
In the context of Ecoversity and the University’s commitment to ESD, the School has reflected on the issues confronting management education and practice related to SD and has concluded that, where possible and appropriate, there is pedagogic value in incorporating ESD throughout the programme’s modules. This approach supports the programme’s emphasis on developing philosophical understanding, critical thinking and research as a method of problem solving.
The key issues that will be emphasized under ESD have been developed through a curriculum review process, referenced against the UNESCO framework for ESD. The key issues, drawn from the UNESCO framework for ESD, are:
- Respect for the dignity and human rights of all people throughout the world and a commitment to social and economic justice for all
- Respect for the human rights of future generations and a commitment to intergenerational responsibility
- Respect for cultural diversity and a commitment to build locally and globally a culture of tolerance, non-violence and peace
- Respect and care for the greater community of life in all its diversity which involves the protection and restoration of the Earth's ecosystems.
These represent the foundations on which critical thinking is developed. Many of the programme’s lecturers and supervisors are critical management theorists, whose goal is to root out the (often unthinking) oppression, indignities and injustices that feature in organisational life. For students working and managing organisations, how their activities contribute to SD is brought into focus by addressing these issues in their taught modules and in their personal research. Throughout, a critical approach to SD is adopted and students are encouraged to consider the nuances of the SD statements, the contradictory research evidence that surrounds the SD debates, and how theories and knowledge become legitimised.
The University’s policy on SD, the School of Management’s policy, and the UNESCO statement are in the Programme Handbook.
Assessment Regulations
Whilst this Programme conforms to the general principles set out in the standard University Assessment Regulations for Postgraduate Programmes which are available at the link below, there is one exception to these regulations, which is detailed below.
Waiver
On completion of the taught element of the programme and at the Interim Exam Board, a student who has 50 credits or more requiring supplementary assessment will not be permitted to proceed to the dissertation stage of the programme. The decision to allow progression will only be reconsidered at the Supplementary Exam Board.
Admission Requirements
The University welcomes applications from all potential students regardless of their previous academic experience; offers are made following detailed consideration of each individual application. Most important in the decision to offer a place is our assessment of a candidate’s potential to benefit from their studies and of their ability to succeed on this particular programme. Entrance requirements for each programme will vary but consideration of your application will be based on a combination of your formal academic qualifications and other relevant experience.
If you have prior certificated learning or professional experience which may be equivalent to parts of this programme, the University has procedures to evaluate this learning in order to provide you with exemptions from specified modules contained within the curriculum. Please talk to us if you do not fit the standard pattern of entry qualifications.
We are continually reviewing and developing our practices and policies to make the University more inclusive, but if you are disabled we may need to make some adjustments to make sure that you are not disadvantaged. We would advise you to contact the programme leader before you apply to discuss these.
Applications for the School’s taught postgraduate programmes are made directly to the School and are processed through the recruitment office.
All applications are considered on their individual merits and will be assessed using a portfolio approach, which takes into account professional status and experience as well as academic achievement.
An acceptable profile of an applicant with formal academic qualifications would be:
At least 3 years postgraduate work experience including experience in a supervisory, managerial or business capacity; evidence of numeracy and literacy competences, e.g. a satisfactory GMAT[1], which is valid for the year of entry; a good first degree or equivalent overseas qualification from a recognised institution, and; an approved test in English, if English is not the applicant’s first language.
An acceptable profile of an applicant with recognised professional qualifications would be:
At least 5 years work experience in a professional capacity, post qualification; evidence of numeracy and literacy competences, e.g. a satisfactory GMAT, which is valid for the year of entry, and; an approved test in English, if English is not the applicant’s first language.
An acceptable profile of an applicant without formal academic or professional qualifications would be:
Significant managerial or business leadership experience (normally 8 years); evidence of numeracy and literacy competences, e.g. a satisfactory GMAT, which is valid for the year of entry; an academic recommendation based on a one-to-one Interview, and; an approved test in English, if English is not the applicant’s first language.
As the programme is delivered entirely in English, applicants must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language thus, UK educated students must have a GCSE grade C or above. Non-native speakers must have a 6.5 score on IELTS test of English, 94 in the internet-based TOEFL or a score of 60 or more in the Pearson English Test – exceptionally, holders of a UK degree awarded within 2 years prior to entry to the Bradford programme may be exempt from these English test requirements.
Applicants may be invited to take an online numeracy and literacy test and to discuss their application with a member of the Bradford admissions team. Test results, references, and the overall quality of an applicant’s profile will determine whether an offer of a place is made.