Academic Regulations for MBA Master of Business Administration

Transcription

1 Academic Regulations for MBA Master of Business Administration September 2014

2 Academic Regulations for MBA Contents ACADEMIC REGULATATIONS FOR MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION MBA... 3 General... 3 Competency targets for the degree programme... 3 Teaching distributed on modules guiding study plan... Subject area modules... 6 Exam regulations Re-exams and make-up exams Complaints concerning exam assessments Other provisions... 13

3 Academic Regulations for MBA ACADEMIC REGULATATIONS FOR MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION MBA General 1. These academic regulations have been prepared pursuant to Ministerial Order no of 7 December 2009 on Professional Master's Degree Programmes at Universities (Professional Master's Programme Order) (Masterbekendtgørelsen), Ministerial Order no of 7 December 2009 on Part-time Programmes at Universities (the Part-Time Order) (Deltidsbekendtgørelsen) and Ministerial Order no. 87 of 1 July 2010 on University Examinations and Grading (the Examination Order) (Eksamensbekendtgørelsen). 2. The MBA programme described in these academic regulations is offered by Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Competency targets for the degree programme 3. A Master of Business Administration will possess competencies acquired from having completed a study programme based in a research environment, in other words, competencies acquired on the basis of an integration of research results and practical experience. The MBA is a programme for students with a relevant qualifying degree and practical experience aiming to provide them with Masterlevel education in general business administration with special reference to international business economics. The MBA programme also aims to enable students to engage in business administration and development and undertake managerial responsibilities in businesses, organisations and institutions in both the private and public sectors. A Master of Business Administration must thus be able to undertake high-level functions in the above-mentioned organisations on completion of the programme. 4. In comparison with holders of a diploma, a Master of Business Administration must have developed his or her academic knowledge and independence, allowing him or her to independently apply scientific theories and methodologies in business/professional contexts. (2) In addition to the competencies described for the qualifying degrees, a Master of Business Administration must have developed his or her academic competencies, having acquired academic and professional skills to match the demands for development and flexibility made by the world at large, including the ability to analyse and take action on an organisation's internal and external problems and the influences to which businesses/organisations are exposed. A Master of Business Administration must develop the interpersonal skills required to undertake international managerial tasks and responsibilities. The Master of Business Administration must be able to formulate and analyse business administration issues systematically and critically, in so doing applying scientific methodologies, as well as being able to communicate business-related issues to

4 Academic Regulations for MBA experts as well as non-experts. Finally, the Master of Business Administration is expected to document his or her ability to independently pursue further competency development and specialisation. (3) In addition to the competencies described for the qualifying degrees, a Master of Business Administration must have acquired academic competencies, allowing him or her to assess the expediency and limitations of various methodologies for independent analysis and academic problem-solving, including linking work experience and research-based knowledge. A Master of Business Administration must thus be able to demonstrate specialist understanding in continuation of the qualifying degree, apply a broader perspective in the subject area as well as demonstrating new academic business administration competencies. Finally, the Master of Business Administration must demonstrate an insight into the implications of analysis work. (4) In addition to the competencies described for the qualifying degrees, a Master of Business Administration must have acquired practice-related competencies, enabling him or her to independently make and substantiate business decisions, conducting any investigations necessary to procure a sufficient basis for making such decisions, and to analyse and handle complex issues in business administration contexts. Finally, the Master of Business Administration must be able to reflect on and develop a basis for making decisions with reference to scientifically valid methodologies.. Graduates from the MBA programme are entitled to use the title of MBA (in English: Master of Business Administration in Danish: Master i Business Administration). (2) There are no degree-earning further education opportunities. 6. The prescribed duration of the two-year MBA programme is one year of full-time study. One year of full-time study corresponds to one year's work for a full-time student. One year of full-time study corresponds to 60 points in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS credits). (2) The entire MBA programme must be completed within six years of the start of the studies. Admission requirements 7. Admission to the MBA programme is conditional upon the applicant having completed a relevant higher education programme corresponding to a Bachelor's degree or higher, Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (HD) or other diploma conducted as a regulated programme, a minimum of three years of relevant business experience and a sufficiently high level of proficiency in English for the applicant to receive instruction in English. The institution may require supplementary exams.

5 Academic Regulations for MBA 2014 (2) The institution may grant admission to the degree programme for applicants who do not meet the requirements stipulated in clause 7, but who, based on a concrete assessment, are deemed to have equivalent educational qualifications. 8. The academic year for the degree programme starts each year in August. Applications for admission to the MBA programme must be received by Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences, by 1 May at the latest. Applications are processed jointly after expiry of the application deadline. A maximum of 3 students are admitted per module. If the number of qualified applicants exceeds this number, applicants will be selected according to aptitude. The following criteria form part of the assessment of the applicant's aptitude: The applicant's educational background The applicant's relevant business experience within the MBA field (business administration) The applicant's experience with tasks relating to an organisation's financial and organisational functions. Teaching distributed on modules guiding study plan 9. The structure of the degree programme, including the content in the individual terms, appears from the course overview below. The course of study consists of eight teaching modules, methodology and project, and a Master's thesis. Instruction is offered on Fridays and Saturdays. Each module includes four full days of instruction as well as discussion/assignments on Campusnet in between teaching sessions. 10. If it is deemed expedient for staffing, organisational or educational reasons to change/move/spread out a course or a workshop, deviations from the placing indicated for the term may be implemented. 11. A detailed course description is published annually for the individual modules, containing a specification of the objectives described for the module, the criteria for objective fulfilment, literature, exam type, deadlines for submission etc. The course descriptions form part of the academic regulations. 12. The curriculum includes market analysis courses, functional courses and integration courses. Teaching alternates between lectures, workshops, exercises and projects, designed to integrate theories and methodologies from the subject areas and anchor them in practice. 13. The 60 ECTS credits, which the MBA programme corresponds to, are distributed on four terms as follows:

6 Academic Regulations for MBA st semester 2nd semester 3rd semester 4th semester Industrial Economics Accounting and Financial Management Methodology and Project Master Thesis (1 ECTS) Strategy and Business Development Human Resource Management and Organizational Behaviour 1 Elective Marketing Operations and Supply Chain Management 1 Elective Subject area modules 14. Basic modules: Strategy and business understanding compulsory course, ECTS. The objective of this module is for the student to acquire a greater understanding of business, thus enabling him or her to identify and analyse strategic issues on behalf of a given organisation. This is done on the basis of various strategic schools of thought, viewing the organisation's position in and adaptation to its surroundings from both an inside-out perspective and an outside-in perspective. - The enterprise's environment, including its stakeholders - The enterprise's basic resources - Competitive strategy, complementary strategy and operational strategy - Business model. Industrial economics, compulsory course, ECTS credits. This module aims to give the student the necessary tools to understand and analyse the organisation in an industrial/sector-related context, including to provide participants with basic knowledge about businesses' competitiveness characterising different market structures and regulatory conditions, as well as introducing participants to European industrial and business policies. - Localisation and industrial development. - Multinational corporations and globalisation. - Price strategies and regulation of competition. Marketing, compulsory course, ECTS. The objective of this module is to give students an introduction to customer relationship marketing and purchasing theory with a view to analysing businesses' position in a supply and value chain perspective. The focus is on society's impact

7 Academic Regulations for MBA on the business. Analyses of the behaviour and the behaviour formation in businesses' consumers, industrial customers or suppliers and competitors are in focus, including how these players process information, make decisions and act in the market, as well as the factors regulating the conduct. - The enterprise in a customer relationship and value chain perspective - Customer relationship marketing and relationship-based procurement - Assessment of international market operation types - Sourcing - Positioning and branding. Accounting and Financial Manageement, compulsory course, ECTS. Accounting and financial management includes a large number of different activities, such as cost reviews, analyses of business initiatives, follow-up actions and ad hoc analyses for management. Management control systems are based on various methods, models and tools. These form the framework for making and evaluating decisions within organisations. Corporate finance is a subfield of finance dealing with the financial decisions that corporate managers make and the key tools and analyses on which they base such decisions. It is the overall aim of the course to provide the participants with knowledge about financial decision making in non-financial firms. MBA students will inevitably address accounting and financial management issues both in their future studies and in practice. Understanding the basic concepts on which accounting and financial management are based is therefore a prerequisite for working with most business-related problems. Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour, compulsory course, ECTS. The aim of the course is twofold. First, to provide the students with a set of tools that allow them to understand, describe and analyze behavior in organizational settings. These tools will allow managers to enhance or change work behaviors so that individuals, groups, and the organization can achieve their goals. Second, to provide students specific insights into how payment systems and non-pecuniary incentives can be used in management of organizations to improve their performance, that is, primarily productivity and profitability. The course discusses the multidisciplinary nature of the OB field, and how individual, group and organizational characteristics and mechanisms interact and affect performance in organizations. The course discusses both economic and non-pecuniary incentives as well as the interaction between reward systems, extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors. Although the economic principles are in focus, it is also important that the student has acquired sufficient knowledge about the importance of intrinsic motivation and social relations at the workplace level and the restrictions on decision-making imposed by these factors.

8 Academic Regulations for MBA Operations and Supply Chain Management, compulsory course, ECTS. The purpose of this course is to give the students managerial insights in and a fundamental understanding of the company s operative tasks, i.e. the interaction between personnel, technologies and systems that produce goods and services. It is also the aim of the course to provide broad insights and understanding concerning the interaction between the company and the customers and suppliers that makeup the supply network that the company is a part of. - The meaning of business processes and their relations to traditional functions in a company. - the principles and methods used in lean production systems. - quality, describe principles for quality management and methods for statistical process control and six sigma tools. Methodology and project, compulsory course, ECTS. This module focuses on qualitative and quantitative methodologies and their practical application. The objective of the methodological teaching is to introduce the student to basic methodology and knowledge production with particular focus on the ability to describe, analyse and prepare proposals for solutions to often complex issues in practice. Key themes in the preparation of the actual certificate project and the certificate report are problem formulation, identification of relevant theory and methodology as well as the application of consciously selected analysis techniques. The use of analysis techniques through qualitative methodologies will particularly concern the use of exploratory techniques, expert interviews, consumer interviews and group interviews. As concerns the quantitative methodologies, the primary objective is for the student to acquire general knowledge about quantitative analyses, thus enabling him or her to assess the quality (validity and reliability) of data in connection with the use or purchase of secondary or primary data. In addition, the student must to a limited extent be able to independently conduct quantitative market surveys using quantitative data analysis techniques and relevant software. The report submitted in connection with the project is an independent and completed project, i.e. containing an introduction which illustrates the issue, a demarcation of the issue and a formulated problem, including hypotheses, if any, as well as a motivation for the theoretical and methodological approaches applied. The project also contains an analysis phase where theories are brought into play, proposals for solving the issue as well as a conclusion and perspectives. The project assignment must be empirical/practical, i.e. typically taking its point of departure in an issue in a specific organisation. The project may be written in groups (a maximum of two students), and must be based on an interdisciplinary framework, i.e. containing theoretical input from several modules. Supervision is provided

9 Academic Regulations for MBA during the project phase. The project must be defended subject to the assessment of an external co-examiner. 1. Elective modules: Elective modules, total 10 ECTS. The student must choose two elective modules offered under the MBA programme corresponding to 10 ECTS, based on his or her own competency development interests. (2) The student may also choose elective modules corresponding to 10 ECTS from other Master's degree programmes approved by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. If the student wishes to replace one or more of the elective modules with courses offered in other Master's degree programmes, an application to this effect must be submitted to the director of studies. A course description and bibliography must be enclosed with the application. Electives must correspond to the ECTS credits specified, must be Master's courses offered by recognised universities and must academically be within the MBA field (business administration). The director of studies will subsequently announce whether the requested elective modules can be approved. (3) Modules offered by similar recognised foreign educational institutions may be included in the MBA programme as elective modules if the individual module has been approved in advance by the director of studies. 16. Master's thesis (major project work). Compulsory course, 1 ECTS The purpose of the Master's thesis is for the student to demonstrate his or her ability to independently identify and narrow down an interdisciplinary issue and to carry out an empirical examination and critical analysis of the issue. The final work must reflect the overview and the insights which the student is expected to acquire in the course of the MBA programme. A Master's thesis must contain an introduction illustrating the issue, a demarcation of the issue and a formulated problem, including hypotheses, if any, a motivation for the theoretical and methodological choices made, an analysis of where these are applied, a motivated proposed solution as well as a conclusion and perspectives. The work on the thesis thus offers the student the chance to go into detail and to conduct field studies him or herself. The thesis must be interdisciplinary, i.e. contain theoretical input from at least two or possibly more modules, and must be prepared individually or in groups (a maximum of two students). In connection with reports prepared by two students, it must not be specified who is responsible for the individual parts of the report as both students have the full responsibility for the entire content of the report. At the individual oral exam, the student will be tested on the basis of the entire thesis. Guidance will be offered on the preparation of the thesis. The thesis must be defended subject to the assessment of an external co-examiner.

10 Academic Regulations for MBA Exam regulations 17. The exam regulations have been prepared pursuant to the following ministerial orders: 1) Ministerial Order on the Grading Scale and Other Forms of Assessment of University Education (Grading Scale Order) (Karakterbekendtgørelsen) under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. 2) Ministerial Order on University Examinations and Grading (the Examination Order) under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. 3) Ministerial Order on Examiners for Certain Programmes of Higher Education under the Auspices of the Danish Ministry of Education (the External Examination Order) (Censorbekendtgørelsen). 18. At least one-third of the programme must be documented by external exams assessed according to the. A maximum of one-third of the programme may be documented by exams assessed as Pass/Fail. 19. The assessment of performance is based solely on the objectives stipulated in the course descriptions and documented by exams, including assessment of written papers. Exams in all modules will be held after the end of the term at the latest. 20. When calculating the average mark, the individual exams assessed according to the are included with a weighting corresponding to the module's ECTS share of the MBA programme. (2) Overview of exams, the certificate part and total MBA as well as the 60 ECTS credits and exam weights distributed on 8 modules, one project and a Master's thesis as follows: Modules Term Exam form Strategy and business 1. Industrial economics 1. Marketing 1. Accounting and Financial management Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour Operation and Supply Chain Management Methodology and Project 3. Elective module I 3. Elective module II Internal co-examiner, Internal co-examiner, External co-examiner, Internal co-examiner, Internal co-examiner, Internal co-examiner, External co-examiner, Internal co-examiner, Internal co-examiner, ECTS credits/ weights

11 Academic Regulations for MBA Master's thesis 4. 1 External co-examiner, MBA total 60 (3) Terminology in respect of marking: Internally marked means: that the examiner alone carries out the assessment. External marking means: that the examiner and an external co-examiner appointed by the body of external examiners carry out the assessment. (4) Before commencing the project, the student must have passed or be enrolled on the 6 basic modules on the 1 st and 2 nd terms. () Before commencing the Master's thesis, the student must have passed the 7 compulsory courses as well as having passed or being enrolled on the elective modules. (6) The elective modules offered in the MBA programme are tested at an internally marked exam with marks being awarded according to the Danish 7-point marking scale. Elective modules chosen from other degree programmes are tested according to the type of exam specified for the individual module. 21. Students are automatically registered for the first ordinary exam which takes place in direct continuation of each course. (2) The tuition fee includes three exam attempts. (3) For exam planning purposes, students are requested to notify the study administration for MBA if they do not want to sit/take an exam. This applies to ordinary exams as well as re-exam. The deadline for deregistering is one week before the exam is held/starts. It is not possible to deregister for the project and thesis exam. If a student wants to register for an exam after the ordinary exam and the subsequent reexam, the deadline for registering for exams in December/January is 1 October at the latest, while the deadline for registering for exams in May/June is 1 March at the latest. The deadline for registration for re-exams in February and August is published on Blackboard. Students enrolled on the MBA programme may postpone an exam which takes place in direct continuation of the course. To graduate from the MBA programme, all courses in the degree programme must be passed within six years. The exams are held once a year with the option of re-exam in February/August.

12 Academic Regulations for MBA Absence from an exam constitutes an exam attempt. If a student fails to submit a project or thesis by the deadline, the student has used an exam attempt. To register for the re-exam in February/August, the student must have sat/taken the relevant exam in the previous ordinary exam period. 22. Each module must be passed with the mark of 02 or higher or the assessment 'Pass'. (2) Exams in which a mark of 02 or higher is awarded cannot be re-taken. Exams in which 'Pass' is awarded cannot be re-taken. 23. In connection with assessments involving major written papers, emphasis must, in addition to the academic content, also be placed on the examinee's communication skills, including spelling and writing skills. (2) The institution may waive this requirement for examinees who are able to document a relevant specific functional impairment. (3) The Master's thesis must include a summary in a foreign language English. If the thesis is written in a foreign language, except for Norwegian and Swedish, the summary may be in Danish. The summary is not included in the weighting of how the written thesis and the oral exam are to be assessed. (4) Tests are conducted in Danish unless part of the purpose of the test is to document the student's foreign language skills. If a course has been taught in a foreign language, the exam will be held in that language as well. The institution may grant exemptions from this rule. 2. The student may sit/take an exam, including submitting written papers, a maximum of three times. The degree programme directorship may grant permission to enter a student for a fourth and fifth exam attempt in special circumstances. 26. To graduate from the MBA programme, the student must have passed the 8 modules, the project and the Master's thesis with separate marks of 02 or higher. An average mark for the MBA programme will be calculated to one decimal point, with weighting of the individual marks. Re-exams and make-up exams 27. Participants having sat/taken but not passed an ordinary exam have the right to sit/take a re-exam; see, however, below. The detailed rules on re-exam are also specified in the course descriptions for the individual modules. The exam is based on the syllabus applying to the ordinary exam in the relevant exam period. In connection with major changes in the syllabus, the student will be examined in the old syllabus in three consecutive exam periods. (2) As concerns the certificate project, students obtaining the mark of 00 or lower

13 Academic Regulations for MBA will be given the opportunity to submit a new paper within 10 weeks at the latest of the evaluation of the first attempt. (3) As concerns the thesis, students obtaining the mark of 00 or lower will be given the opportunity to submit a new paper within 14 weeks at the latest of the evaluation of the first attempt. (3) The right to sit/take a re-exam only concerns participants having sat/taken an ordinary exam. Re-exams will be held in the current exam period. (4) Participants who can document that they have been unable to complete an exam or submit a report due to illness or for other comparable reasons, have the right to sit/take a make-up exam or to submit the report at a later time; see, however, below. Accidents as well as serious illness and death of close relatives are considered the equivalent of illness () Illness must always be documented in the form of a medical certificate covering the day or period in question, such certificate having been issued following personal contact with the doctor on the day on which the submission or exam was due to take place. The student must pay for the medical certificate. The student will then be deemed to have deregistered for the exam, and the exam will not count as an exam attempt. (8) Make-up exams and re-exams are held in accordance with the same exam regulations as those applying to the ordinary exam, unless the exam regulations for the relevant exam explicitly set out deviating regulations concerning make-up exams and re-exams, or if the number of participants at a written make-up exam/reexam dictates that it would be appropriate to hold the exam as an oral exam. (9) No make-up exams will be held for participants who have been unable to participate in a re-exam due to illness. No re-exams will be held for participants having sat/taken a make-up exam. (10) If five students or less are registered for a written exam or similar in connection with a re-exam, the written exam may be changed to an oral exam. Any decision thereon is made by the MBA programme directorship and announced to the individual students. Complaints concerning exam assessments 29. Examinees may submit complaints concerning an exam or the assessment of the examinee's performance to the institution within 14 days of the publication of the assessment. The complaint must be made in writing, stating the reasons for its submission. Other provisions 30. The tuition fee covers participation in the modules taught as well as a maximum of three exams.

14 Academic Regulations for MBA (2) The tuition fee may be refunded in connection with withdrawal of the enrolment on a module or exemption/credit transfer. The withdrawal of the enrolment or application for exemption/credit transfer must be made in writing and must be received by the secretariat/programme directorship within two weeks of the start of the academic year. 31. It applies in general to group-based assignments/projects and compulsory assignments that the exam paper must structured such that it can form the basis of the individual assessment of the individual student. An individual assessment is thus carried out of the students in the group. If a student so requests, he or she may submit an individual paper. 32. The programme directorship may waive the regulations in these academic regulations which have solely been laid down by the programme directorship. (2) The possibility of credit transfer is determined according to an academic assessment and subject to approval by the programme directorship. 33. These academic regulations come into effect on 1 August 2011 and apply to all students admitted to the MBA programme from this time onwards.