Master of Business Administration

Description

This internationally-recognised MBA course is designed for practising managers aspiring to higher positions. The emphasis for your learning is directly rooted in management practice ? the ?Master? in the degree title signifies your ?mastery? of the art and science of management. To achieve this level of capability the programme concentrates on strategic analysis, interdisciplinary skills, intellectual stimulation and independent judgement and builds these upon a solid foundation of core disciplines, including human resource management, organisational behaviour, accounting and finance, marketing and operations.

The MBA course is designed as an integrated programme, and balances your learning time between 75% of compulsory elements (including the final organisation-based project) with 25% from optional modules. This enables you to adjust the curriculum to suit your needs. MBA modules are challenging but will always direct you towards improving your management capabilities. You will need to have some experiential knowledge at a managerial level and/or of decision-making, so that you have a practical business base on which to build your MBA learning.

You will learn to analyse, synthesise and evaluate a wide range of situations within the broad framework of organisations, their external context and internal management. Among these you will look at economic, environmental, social and technological change issues, corporate governance, markets and customers, managing resources and operations, financing organisations, management and development of people, developing information technologies for application in business and management within a global knowledge-based economy, and development of appropriate business policies and strategies within a changing context to meet stakeholder interests.

The Open University Business School is accredited internationally by the European Foundation for Management Development, through its EQUIS programme; by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); and the MBA is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA). There are only about 50 business schools worldwide that have achieved all three accreditations.

Planning your studies

All entrants to the MBA are required to have a minimum of three years? experience in a managerial, professional or technical role. Usually this means that you are at least 25 years old as it is unusual (but not impossible) to be able to satisfy the ?experience? requirement under this age.

Depending on your previous qualifications, there are two routes into the MBA:

If you already hold an honours degree awarded by a recognised UK university, or equivalent you can begin your MBA studies by taking MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice (B716).

Various higher education and professional qualifications are considered equivalent to an honours degree. If you hold a qualification that you believe is an equivalent level to a UK honours degree please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service. The Open University Business School Masters Programme Committee is responsible for judging whether applicants? qualifications meet the requirements for admission.

If you are experienced in managerial work but do not have an honours degree or equivalent you need first to gain our Professional Certificate in Management (C31). This is also a valuable qualification in its own right.

If you have the equivalent of a UK bachelors degree without honours you may be permitted to progress on to the MBA course by taking the first part of the Professional Certificate in Management, Managing 1: organisations and people (B628). Alternatively if you have an official Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score of 640 or above, and the equivalent of a UK undergraduate degree, you will be allowed to progress directly on to the MBA. If you think either of these possibilities may apply to you, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

The MBA qualification is in two stages and typically takes three years to complete based on a regular study of 12-15 hours per week, which experience shows us is the practical limit for a full-time manager balancing study with career and family responsibilities. If you have more time to devote to your learning (perhaps you are working part-time, given time by your organisation, or even taking a career break to study full-time), then it is possible to finish the MBA in less than three years. You are allowed up to a maximum of seven years to complete your MBA.

The MBA is an integrated programme with later modules building on earlier ones. After Stage 1 (the first 600 hours/60 credits) you can vary the pace at which you progress through Stage 2.

To achieve an MBA you must successfully complete at least 1800 study hours and gain 180 credits. Through studying the modules you will accumulate study hours and gain the credits through passing the examinations (or equivalent). These two requirements are separated because sometimes an examination covers more than one module.

Stage 1

Stage 1 consists of the MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice (B716). This is a 600-study-hour, 60-credit module that takes 12 months to complete. It is an integrated module covering all the core disciplines which make up the MBA curriculum. You must pass Stage 1 before proceeding onto Stage 2.

Stage 2

Your first Stage 2 modules are Corporate finance (B831) and The dynamics of strategy (B835), the former representing 150 hours of study over six months and the latter 300 hours over 12 months. These are compulsory elements of the MBA. You can study the finance module alongside the first half of the strategy module, although if you wish to study at a slower pace (i.e. 6-8 hours per week rather than 12-16 hours) you can take the finance module before you start the strategy module. To complete this part of the programme you register for a three-hour examination which covers these two modules. On successful completion of the finance and strategy modules you will acquire 450 study hours and passing the examination ?module? will give you 45 credits.

You also study 450 hours of optional (or 'elective') modules. These are mostly rated at 150 hours of study. If you choose to include specified modules in technology management or law these are rated at 300 study hours. These modules are Business, human rights law and corporate social responsibility (WU822), Business operations: delivering value (T883) and Supply chain innovation, strategy and management (T882). It is possible for you to study two 300-study-hour modules although you can only count 450 study hours towards your MBA. It is important that your mix of optional modules (or credit transfer) integrates with the compulsory modules to form a viable and appropriate MBA graduation profile. The assessment ?module? (which gains you 45 credits) focuses on this integration.

To complete the MBA, you take the 300-study-hour compulsory action-learning based project module. This is typically undertaken in your own organisation (though this is not a requirement) which enables you to demonstrate your mastery of the art of management. Although you formally register for this module last, you will find that preparation for this begins with B716 and is embedded throughout your MBA studies.

Brief overviews of these modules are given below.

Career relevance and employability

Employers value the MBA as an indication of high level business and management skills. These skills are in demand, increasingly so in times of economic uncertainty, and employers want practical experience, a thorough grasp of business, and the ability to lead at a strategic level. AMBA?s careers survey shows that MBA students can expect their salary to increase, and the MBA to have a positive impact on their career progression, as well as bring improvements to their organisation or business.

Modules

For this 180-credit masters degree you require:

60 credits (600 study hours) from the following compulsory Stage 1 module:

Postgraduate compulsory module	Credits	Next start
MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice (B716) This MBA course will enable you make a real difference within your management practice and provide a good grounding in the core disciplines of management. See full description.	60	May 2011

And 450 study hours from the following compulsory Stage 2 modules:

Postgraduate compulsory modules	Credits	Next start
Corporate finance (B831) NEW (150 study hours) This course will help you develop the knowledge needed to tackle the main financial issues that you are likely to encounter in your organisation. See full description.	0	Nov 2011
The dynamics of strategy (B835) NEW (300 study hours) This course will help you gain an understanding of the frameworks of strategy and help you use these imaginatively within your organisation. See full description.	0	Nov 2011

And a planned 45-credit examination module covering strategy and finance

And 450 study hours from the following optional (or 'elective') Stage 2 modules and 45 credits is obtained by taking the assessment module:

Postgraduate optional modules:	Credits	Next start
Entrepreneurship: experience and perspective (B846) (150 study hours) planned for first presentation in May 2012
Leadership and management in intercultural contexts (B848) (150 study hours) planned for first presentation in November 2012
Management beyond the mainstream (B847) (150 study hours) planned for first presentation in May 2012
Managing financial risk (B841) (150 study hours) planned for first presentation in May 2012
Marketing in the 21st century (B844) (150 study hours) planned for first presentation in November 2012
Strategic human resource management (B845) (150 study hours) planned for first presentation in May 2012
Sustainable creative management (B842) (150 study hours) planned for first presentation in November 2012

And a compulsory 45-credit assessment module, Integrating learning (B837) planned for first presentation in November 2012

And 30 credits (300 study hours) from the following compulsory module:

Postgraduate compulsory module	Credits	Next start
Making a difference: the management initiative (B839) planned for first presentation in November 2012

Brief overviews of the 150-study-hour Stage 2 optional modules:

Entrepreneurship: experience and perspective (B846)

Social and commercial enterprises play an important role in today?s society, often in partnership with larger corporations and public sector organisations. This module provides rich, experience-based insights into the distinctive challenges of creating and developing entrepreneurial ventures. It helps you to gain relevant skills and underpinning knowledge. You will also develop a deeper, and more critical, understanding of entrepreneurial practices by connecting your experiences to relevant concepts and research evidence. As a result, you will be better placed to: develop your own venture; engage with other entrepreneurial organisations; and take part in wider debates about entrepreneurship in the twenty-first century.

Leadership and management in intercultural contexts (B848)

The increasing intercultural and globally connected nature of the twenty-first century business and organisations brings with it new challenges for leading and managing. The module examines conceptions of leadership and management in different cultures and the contested and value laden nature of the terms and of the expectations they raise in different cultural settings. This includes examination of visual and other media representations of leadership. The module provides opportunities to develop intercultural leadership competence through a combination of critical engagement with theory and practice, through collaborative and experiential learning in cross cultural groups and through a focused research project.

Management beyond the mainstream (B847)

The module starts from the proposition that many managers work in situations or face tasks for which the established tool kit of mainstream (Anglo-American) management and leadership ? with its ?command and control? assumptions, instrumentalism and strong financial focus - is inadequate. The module poses the question ?What do you do when ?management? is inappropriate, not enough, doesn?t work - or is simply not an option??. You will explore a variety of undercurrents in management thinking, and complements or alternatives to it ? some longstanding, some recently developed. In particular, it will surface issues and questions that tend to be neglected or underplayed by the main management disciplines. Some of these issues concern the inevitable dysfunctions of hierarchy and the alternatives to it; others have historically been particularly prevalent in public and third sector management. Nowadays, the interpenetration of the sectors means they are commonplace in all three sectors. Although the module will provide approaches and tools relevant to all MBA students, it might have a particular appeal to those working in or around government, e.g., as government contractors, or in highly regulated industries like pharmaceutical, energy and utility companies.

Managing financial risk (B841)

The global economy is still reeling from the effects of the 2008 financial crisis that witnessed the near systemic collapse of the banking system ? a crisis that was caused by flawed risk management practices. Since 2008 the focus of governments, regulators and those running private and public sector organisations has been on how financial risk management practices can be improved. This module explores the various financial risks that confront all institutions - credit risk, liquidity and refinancing risk, interest-rate risk, foreign exchange risk and operational risk. Importantly the module examines how these risks can be both measured and managed. By the end of the module you should have a full appreciation of how vulnerability to financial risks arises and how you, as a manager, can contribute to their effective management within your institution.

Marketing in the 21st century (B844)

This module aims to explore a variety of marketing issues that focus around the theme of marketing planning. This includes issues of: marketing research, marketing segmentation, targeting and positioning and marketing strategy (product, price, place, promotion etc.) This will be achieved through the use of current theories and examples that illustrate how organisations of all sizes deal with the marketing with marketing challenges facing organisations in the twenty-first century. By the end of the module you will have a full appreciation of how complexities in the organisation?s environment can be developed for the benefit of the organisation.

Strategic human resource management (B845)

This module is designed to meet the needs of managers who wish to understand and be able to influence decisions regarding the management of human resources within organisations. We consider what the subject of strategic human resource management (SHRM) covers and how it differs from personnel management. Importantly, this is not a module about the operational aspects of managing people but rather a strategic look at the factors and influences affecting the deployment and management of people in an organisation. You will work with others on SHRM issues and problems and find, review and evaluate information relevant to key aspects of SHRM in your own professional context. You will explore the ways in which work systems and organisational culture both symbolise and affect SHRM decisions. You will also explore the premise that the astute management of people can improve competitive performance and look at international examples of SHRM practice. The central dynamic of the module is a critical dialogue between module materials, wider readings and your own and fellow students? experiences of SHRM to promote reflection and, through practice-based and collaborative online learning, enable you to both understand and influence SHRM.

Sustainable creative management (B842)

This module deals with creative, innovative and sustainable ways of developing and managing organisations. The module addresses four aspect of organisation; the context in which management operates, notably environmental and cultural aspects; the way beliefs and personality affect how we manage and relate to others; ways of working more imaginatively and effectively with colleagues in our team and innovative and sustainable ways of developing small, medium and large organisations. It explains how values affect the way people manage and offers many practical approaches for developing yourself, your team and organisation. It includes a Library of over 150 techniques you can use after the module has finished. You are encouraged to focus on those aspects of the module that relate most to your situation.

Brief overview of the compulsory Stage 2 assessment module:

Integrating learning (B837)

The assessment takes place at the end of the elective study period and draws together the learning from the optional modules studied. To facilitate the assessment you are provided with resources which will help you derive a conceptual framework which you will subsequently use as the lens through which to view your learning from your studies. The assessment will require you to look at the relationship between the ostensibly different facets of your learning and to see how such integrative thinking might be of use to you in the future. The nature of the assessment is a 2500 word written assignment.

Brief overview of the final compulsory module:

Making a difference: the management initiative (B839)

This module integrates your learning from your prior management studies and consolidates your ability to make a real difference to your organisation?s performance as a manager or leader. After some preliminary exploration, you will undertake a largely self-directed programme of work based on a real-time management initiative of your own choosing. Through support from a tutor, online tuition, a residential school and web-based resources, the module aims to enable you to ground your management learning in your professional practice as a manager. Throughout the module you will be expected to monitor your own learning and development. Informed by appropriate theory and evidence, critical reflection on your learning and practice as a manager during your initiative will be an important part of the work. The assessment will be based on three reports you are required to produce at key stages of your initiative.