MBA with Specialisation in Project Management

The module equips students with knowledge and skills for effective inclusive leadership. It covers organisational and team design for high performance, leading organisational change, and leveraging organisational culture. Students enhance self-awareness using the Strength scope tool to develop a personal development plan. The module readies students to work with a diverse team in a fast-moving, innovation-driven, and highly competitive environment. The module also builds capabilities in team-working, cross-cultural contexts, emotional intelligence, coaching, and negotiation, fostering continuous learning and reflection.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

1. Critically evaluate inclusive leadership approaches, demonstrate reflection competency
2. Plan their personal development for leadership based on their strengths.

This module aims to provide practical methods for business managers and entrepreneurs to understand and use financial information for effective business decisions. It covers key financial management issues, performance indicators, and methodologies to critically analyse accounting and financial information, emphasizing strong financial literacy. Topics include cash flow management, costing, working capital management, budgeting, and capital investment decisions. The module also focuses on developing business plans and financing aspects.

Upon successful completion, students will be able to:

1. Critically evaluate company financial performance and recommend improvements
2. Apply appropriate analytical techniques to business case development, investment appraisal, and financing
3. Communicate financial information, analysis, and recommendations clearly.

The International Project Management Practice module focuses on core project management activities, primarily based on PMBOK version 7, with comparisons to PRINCE and Agile methods. It aims to develop skills in creating, managing, and closing projects effectively, including the use of project management software. The module also covers project theories, risk management, and stakeholder communication.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

1. Analyse business cases for project context.
2. Solve project problems using tools like MS Project.
3. Communicate project plans, costs, benefits, and risks professionally

This core MBA module focuses on developing students as responsible and evidence-informed management practitioners. It adopts a learning-centred, reflective, and integrated approach to understanding research-informed practice and methods. The module provides a foundation in research philosophy, methodology, and design, preparing students to critically read, evaluate, and design a research proposal for their business research project. It covers investigative techniques, data collection and analysis, and communication methods.

Upon successful completion, students will be able to:

1. Identify trends and influencing factors for research.
2. Distinguish and evaluate different research paradigms.
3. Understand the role and significance of research in diverse business contexts.
4. Devise a carefully considered research proposal

This module equips students with a broad understanding of operations and technology management, emphasising how businesses create value through their operations and integrate technology within the value network. It covers matching internal capabilities to market requirements, responding to data, and implementing strategies in design, planning, control, and supply chain. The module highlights the critical links between technology (including AI and robotics) and operations, focusing on analysis, process mapping, and problem-solving through case studies and active learning.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

1. Analyse how technology delivers value.
2. Critically evaluate operations management and information systems' contribution to strategy.
3. Critically evaluate digital business concepts and theories.
4. Critique operations, service operations, and process management theories.

This module explores the links between strategy execution and Programme, Project, and Portfolio Management (P3M), examining P3M theory and practice, and theories of change management. It delves into the construction of a business case for a programme and explores international P3M through case studies of major programmes and projects, including successes and failures. Topics also include organisational P3M maturity models, knowledge management, and managing sensitive programmes.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

1. Critically evaluate P3M tools, methods, and practices.
2. Demonstrate understanding and application of change theories for organisational transformation.
3. Critically evaluate the performance of programmes, projects, portfolios, or PMOs.
4. Communicate effectively on Programmes, Projects, and Portfolios.

This module explores national differences in work and people management, drawing on social anthropology, psychology, and management theory. It considers implications for Global HRM, providing a rigorous framework for people management in international contexts. The module aims to develop competencies to lead and manage culturally diverse teams effectively, fostering cultural and social awareness for ethical, inclusive, and sustainable leadership strategies. It prepares students to deliver best practice people management in a global HR function.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

1. Evaluate and apply socio-cultural theories.
2. Evaluate and apply main functions of leaders in cross-cultural contexts, discussing leadership theories.
3. Critically evaluate theories and evidence on cross-cultural capabilities including team motivation and negotiation.

This module provides an opportunity for experiential learning through a work placement, allowing students to showcase professional skills in business tasks. It involves producing a substantial management report on an organisational opportunity or issue, demanding independent project work and methodology determination. Students will maintain a Professional Development portfolio, reflecting on their experiences to understand their personal value in a professional context and critically evaluate organisational performance using various models.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate approaches to business issues using evidence-based information and theory.
2. Understand the value of different knowledge forms for independent learning.
3. Critically evaluate organisational performance.
4. Exercise judgement in planning, evidence collection, and utilise reflective practice for improvement.

This module offers students the opportunity to undertake an individual, research-based dissertation (10,000 words) on specific management and business issues related to their course. Students will critically investigate relevant topics, aiming to make proposals, recommendations, or contribute to existing theory. The module facilitates detailed investigation, develops thorough analysis and synthesis of theory and practice, and encourages critical reflection on the chosen research topic using appropriate investigative techniques and data collection standards.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

1. Critically devise a carefully considered research project.
2. Critically evaluate complex ideas and analyses in their research area.
3. Demonstrate self-direction and originality in independent, evidence-informed study.

This module offers students the opportunity to work on specific management and business issues faced by organisations, fostering problem-solving skills from identification to solution recommendations. It integrates knowledge, theories, and skills from the entire MBA programme to provide realistic solutions to contemporary challenges. Students will engage in in-depth investigations, assimilate theories from diverse literature, and develop strategies for information gathering, analysis, and synthesis, along with building compelling arguments and applying reflective practice.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate approaches to business issues using evidence and theory.
2. Critically evaluate evidence-based and theoretical literature.
3. Demonstrate acumen in research design, planning, and data collection.
4. Communicate effectively through well-structured reports.
5. Utilise reflective practice to critique performance and identify improvements.
6. Demonstrate independent and self-managed learning.